San Francisco Frontiers - Karol G honors Latinos in Coachella headline performance: 'Feel proud'

The first Latina to headline the festival held annually in Indio, California, said she felt "very proud" of a milestone she noted was a long time coming.

"There has been 27 years about this festival going on, and it's the first time a Latina girl is headlining Coachella," she said, thanking the artists who paved the way before her.

With a slight delay that appeared to be due to technical difficulties, the 35-year-old opened with a song centered on a woman who was challenged to find her place of belonging.

She then brought energy to the stage with "Latina Foreva," the hit from her most recent album "Tropicoqueta" released last year.

Wearing a gold bikini, she danced in the style of her fellow countrywoman Shakira. Accompanied by a large group of dancers, she used every inch of a stage built to resemble a stone cave.

Karol G revisited her catalog, including hits such as "TQG," "Gatubela" and "Amargura".

She invited Mariah Angeliq to the stage to sing "El Makinon," Becky G for her empowering anthem "Mamiii" and Greg Gonzalez, guitarist of Cigarettes After Sex, to debut a ballad.

She also brought along an all-female mariachi ensemble, as well as reggaeton artist Wisin, who ignited the crowd with a medley of classics from the genre, including "Noche de Entierro" and "Rakata".

The Medellin-born singer delivered a dazzling performance filled with fireworks, dancing and sensuality. But it also showed empathy and a strong connection to her fans.

"This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately. We stand for them," she said, urging Latinos not to "feel fear" but to "feel proud of where you come from."

Then, dressed in the colors of her national flag, she invited the audience to "sing from the heart" the emblematic "Mi Tierra" by Gloria Estefan, which honors roots and speaks of the pain of migration.

Some of her fans started the day by visiting the flea market near the festival that the singer promoted on her social media to support Latino brands in the United States.

"I'm so excited," said Cristina Medina, bursting into tears.

"'Latina Foreva' means strength and pride in being Latino, and in supporting each other. Look at this opportunity she gave to Latinos. She is very special," she said.

Medina went to the flea market organized by Bichota Records to get a taste of the reggaeton star's look. She saw the Colombian singer's makeup artist, Duvan Foronda, who came to the event to do makeup for fans and promote his clothing line.

Foronda took requests and applied "lots of glitter, lots of sparkle" to several fans.

- 'Lust for Life' -

The architect of big beat, Fatboy Slim, and the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, also performed at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

While Fatboy Slim had the crowd dancing for two hours, 78-year-old Iggy Pop rocked the audience with classics such as "Lust for Life," "The Passenger," and "Nightclubbing."

The legendary musician left the stage in a coffin at the end of his set.

Major Lazer earlier energized the main stage with a set that included British rapper M.I.A., who performed her anthem "Paper Planes."

The first weekend of Coachella, which marks the start of the festival season in the United States, kicked off on Friday with pop star Sabrina Carpenter headlining with her "Sabrinawood" show -- a love letter to film that brought together big-screen stars Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell.

Canadian superstar Justin Bieber reconnected with his audience on Saturday after nearly four years away from major stages. That followed electrifying performances by the techno-industrial collaboration Nine Inch Noize -- the result of a partnership between Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize -- and New York rockers The Strokes.

Surprises on the second day included Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, who sang his 90s hit "1979" alongside indie up-and-comer Sombr, and Jennifer Lopez, who appeared during the set of French DJ David Guetta.

Coachella will return next weekend with a nearly identical lineup.

A.Smith--SFF