The Super Bowl is this Sunday (in case you weren’t aware) and as
usual, a lot of the buzz has been about who’s performing at the halftime show.
This year we’ll be treated to two Latina superstars – Shakira and Jennifer
Lopez – on a stage that Lopez described as “like winning the Oscar…the biggest
show there is.” Miami is an outstanding location for this breakthrough moment,
the first time that the halftime show will headline an entirely Latina lineup.
And they won’t even be the only ones performing Sunday night! Demi Lovato is
singing the national anthem to open the evening.
As much as I’m looking forward to it, the Super Bowl is only the second book-end of a week of historic moments for Latina performers. This past Sunday’s Grammy Awards Show was the first one, where Rosalía was nominated for Best New Artist. If you’re not familiar with her, she’s a cantaora from Barcelona whose style is heavily influenced by flamenco and reggaeton. What makes her nomination remarkable is that her work is entirely in Spanish! Well, and some Catalan. But no English.
J-Lo and Shakira have been
major performers for the past couple decades, A-listers in every sense of the
term. But great as they are, their breakthroughs into the general cultural
consciousness came with English language releases. Rosalía is showing us in
today’s America, that’s no longer necessary. That’s a pretty big deal…should we
expect to see her performing en español at a future Super Bowl? I think
so, and I think we probably won’t have to wait too long.
