Blessing the Playa with brilliant vibras since 2018, Baja Beach Fest is one of a kind. The 2024 edition of the festival kicked off yesterday, offering sets from several of the hottest names in Latin Music, who showed their immense talent beside the glistening Pacific Ocean. The city of Rosarito Beach came alive to welcome the artists and fans, who packed the beach to perreo like their lives depended on it.
The fest’s opening day featured performances from Latin superstars, Reggaeton royalty, and home country heroes. Rauw Alejandro closed the evening with his trademark flair, performing his best-known songs and putting on a choreography clinic. Phoenix-born regional Mexican singer Xavi received a warm welcome from the crowd, as he performed his Hot 100 hits.
Friday, August 9 was a great day for fans of old school reggaeton, who got to see performances by the legendary reggaetonero Yandel, Plan B rapper Chencho Corleone, and Latin trap innovator De La Ghetto. Ascendant Puerto Rican artists Alvaro Diaz, Omar Courtz, and RaiNao acquitted themselves earlier in the day on the massive stage, signaling greatness in the years to come, while on the tower stage, DJs like Deorro and Bresh took turns to wow the crowd with bumping sets.
On Saturday, August 10, Baja Beach Fest 2024 brought one of the artists most responsible for that boom to the stage on the beaches of Rosarito: Peso Pluma. La Doble P proved his rock star bonafides on the festival stage, leading a massive ensemble of Mexican musicians while serenading the crowd with his trademark rasp. He was joined on stage by several of his homies, including Jhayco to perform their collab hit, “Ex-Special” live for the first time ever. Junior H and Oscar Maydon came out to perform “ROMPE LA DOMPE,” as well as surprise spots from Tito Double P and Jasiel Nuñez. In between special guests, Peso and his band enraptured the sold out festival with his unique brand of Regional Mexican music.
Peso Pluma provided the climax, but he was far from the only standout performer on a sunny and stacked Saturday. Inglewood’s very own Becky G showed out with a full complement of dancers, performing hits in English and Spanish, and even performed a beautiful cover of Selena’s classic, “Baila Esta Cumbia.”
Hitmaker Jhayco displayed his prodigious pen game, while Panamanian maestro Sech sang his heart out for the crwod. Beyond regional music, Mexico has also grown as an exporter of contemporary styles, as proven by performances by genre-bending Mexican group LATIN MAFIA and Mexico City rap queen Bellakath. Talents like Ñengo Flow, Elena Rose, and Paopao rounded out one of the most stacked days in BBF history.
The final day, Sunday, August, 11 was an ecstatic celebration of Latin music, Reggaeton, and Mexican culture. During the day, fans took in vibrant sets under a Pacific Ocean breeze, but as the sun set, the perreo began in earnest, and with the help of Sunday’s headliner, BBF Sunday became one of the biggest parties on the West Coast.
The closing performers were Fuerza Regida, who like much of the crowd, are Mexican-American natives of Southern California, fluent in both English and Spanish. Emerging as one of the premier purveyors of popular corridos, the group and frontman Jesus Ortiz Paz (JOP) switched up their sound with their new album, PERO NO TE ENAMORES, which incorporated elements of hip-hop, Jersey club, and EDM into the group’s sound. Fans responded to the turnt-up music in kind, singing along to the group’s hits and getting down to the relentless beat.
The San Bernardino-born group was merely the cherry on top of a stacked Sunday, filled with many of Latin Music’s most exciting stars. Kali Uchis came through for a “special Sunday set,” performing songs from her new album Orquídeas and highlights from her career. Reggaeton legends Jowell Y Randy showed up to the playa once more, while Mora showed what he was made of. The day brought South American stars, including Argentine rapper Tiago PZK and Colombian pop group Piso 21. Mexican-American rapper Snow Da Product proved to be a fan-favorite, capitalizing on years of legendary status in SoCal and Baja.
