Our annual Latin Alternative Music Conference showcase features the blistering Argentine-Uruguayan collective BAJOFONDO, who mix rock and electronica with tango, murga, milonga, and candombe with lusty abandon. It has been 15 years since Gustavo Santaolalla and Juan Campodónico conceived the idea of bringing together a collective of Argentine and Uruguayan artists dedicated to creating “contemporary music of the Río de la Plata,” the river that separates—and unites—Argentina and Uruguay. Seven albums and many world tours later, the group’s evolution continues, its members each pursuing remarkable solo careers but continuing to come together for what has become over time one of the most ambitious musical endeavors to ever come out of South America.
The night begins with the “infectiously cheery, lighthearted and danceable” (NPR) Chilean indie pop of ASTRO, who would be right at home on a bill with MGMT and Passion Pit, and the ska-infused rock of the beloved Buenos Aires band LOS AUTÉNTICOS DECADENTES, originally formed in 1986 and enjoying a recent return to the spotlight.