A showcase of powerful Latina voices, this Celebrate Brooklyn! performance is held in conjunction with the Latin Alternative Music Conference. Headlining the free Prospect Park performance on July 13 is Spanish emcee Mala Rodriguez, who spits fiery rhymes while pulling from a variety of musical styles.
Raised in Seville, Rodriguez came to fame in the ‘90s in the midst of her city’s thriving hip-hop scene. Her lyrics address themes of racism, poverty, empowerment and violence against women, and have been used in a variety of films including Y tu Mamá También. Her first single since 2013, “Gitanas,” takes ownership over a word used to target women in poverty. “¿Quién me protege?” (Who will protect me?) Rodriguez snarls – the answer is, of course, herself.
Chilean-French rapper Ana Tijoux has brought her own brand of empowering, conscious hip-hop to worldwide audiences. She’ll arrives in Brooklyn with a different project, a Chilean folk-influenced group called Roja y Negro that melds singing and rapping with some traditional rhythms.
Mexico’s Girl Ultra (a.k.a. Mariana de Miguel) has been called “a bleeding-heart R&B diva” by Remezcla. Her lyrics take inspiration from Mexico’s golden age of film, leaning heavily on themes of love and loss, while her stage presence reflects that of actress Silvia Pinal. The sound is modern, however, with elements of soft electronics and R&B.
Other LAMC-related shows of note:
July 12: Systema Solar, Very Be Careful, and El Freaky at SummerStage/Queensbridge Park
July 12: Orquesta Akokan at Lincoln Center Midsummer Night Swing
July 13: Rana Santacruz at Barbes (11 p.m.)
July 13: LAMC Acoustic showcase featuring Ana Tijoux, El B, Carlos Cros, Cheo & Ulises Hadjis, Mitre, Mirella Cesa & Mr. Pauer, Vega, and Flor de Toloache at City Winery
July 13: LAMC showcase with PJ Sin Suela, Niña Dioz, C-Kan, and Marrón at Highline Ballroom
July 14: Jorge Drexler, Trending Tropics, ÌFÉ, and DJ Ra at Central Park SummerStage/Rumsey Playfield
July 14: Dos Santos Antibeat Orquesta at Barbes ( (10 p.m.)
Tickets: BRIC