Sueños Music Festival on the Memorial Day weekend of May 27th to May 28th, 2023 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois was a joyous celebration of Latino music. Attendees were welcomed by the city’s 57th mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union member. He promised that Chicago would continue hosting the festival as long as he was mayor. The crowd accepted the extended invitation responding with loud chants, claps, and screams.
The festival’s first day featured Mexican rapper Gera MX, the Guatemalan-American DJ Miriam, Colombian Feid, and the Dominicans Arcangel and El Alfa. Puerto Rico was represented by Ivy Queen, Chencho Corleone, paopao, and Wysin Y Yandel. These musicians and several others all appeared appreciative of the fans that came to drink, smoke, sing, and dance. It was a beautiful to see the all the brightly colored Latin country flags constantly waving on the stage and in the crowd.
Feid by Roger Martinez
Arcangel by Roger Martinez
Wisin Y Yandel by Roger Martinez
The second day featured performances by Jhayco and Mike Towers of Puerto Rico, Nicky Jam of the United States, Junior H and Grupo Firme of Mexico, Chicana Becky G, and many others. We will focus our coverage on the performances by Becky G and Grupo Firme. Becky G expressed continued gratitude during her set, including personally thanking a fan, Tony, by name for bringing her red roses. The singer sang in both English and Spanish, including her hit Mayores. She also performed her recent duet Chanel without rising star Peso Pluma. The crowd hoped Peso Pluma would come onstage but he did not. Instead, Becky G played a recorded cell phone message from him that animated the crowd. The Chicana artist was nearly brought to tears as the Chicago crowd chanted her name. Later, Becky G’s celebratory dance draped in a Mexican flag demonstrated to Chicago the pride she has in her Latino heritage. It was a performance that demonstrated the mutual appreciation singers and their fans can share.
Junior H by Roger Martinez
Groupo Firme of Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico also performed amazingly despite the loss of lead singer Eduin Caz’s grandmother. The singer informed the crowd his grandmother passed away the day before and he was not informed until he finished his performance at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Eduin Caz, Jhonny Caz, and their 18 piece band drank throughout the night and interacted with the crowd. Jhonny Caz, an out gay man, performed in a rainbow colored microphone. The grupo played crowd favorites like Que Onda Perdida, En Tu Perra Vida, Ya Superame, and Cada Quien. They repeatedly encouraged the crowd to sing along. They even played Mexican classics like Hasta La Miel Amarga and Cada Vez Te Extraño Mas. Towards the end of Groupo Firme’s performance, Eduin Caz leaped into the VIP section of the crowd from the stage. Becky G, Grupo Firme, Junior H, and Gera MX’s Sueños Music Festival performances were ones they should all be proud of because they were engaged, entertaining, and celebratory of their Mexican roots.
Abraham Luna of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Eduin Caz of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Dylan Camacho of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Jhonny Caz of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Christian Tellez of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Joaquin Ruiz of Grupo Firme by Roger Martinez
Chencho Corleone by Roger Martinez
Myke Towers by Roger Martinez