By Santiago Rivas @rivas_santiago Photo from the official Estéreo Picnic catalog
Perhaps the question is irrelevant, because it's up to each individual whether or not they pay attention to the artist on stage; There's a very thin line between hearing about everything and walking around without even looking at what's there., much less find something in music.
Perhaps it's a question not worth asking, because it's been known for a while that the answer is no., that the business is advertising and its thousand activations, that this year's must-have artist won't exist for perhaps a few months, and that in a few more, the next one will be defined. headliner of the next edition, so that they bring him in to sell more and more of whatever it is, it doesn't matter what, or who, as long as it sells.
It's possible I'm overthinking things that are actually quite simple: people go to the park (they arrive quickly, because that's how it was in 2017), walk in the mud, eat whatever is available, see one or two artists, or maybe the 10 they manage to see, bump their heads a bit, jump, laugh, return (with more or less traffic) and finally forget, waiting for the next festival. I know that in a year I will be there.
I'm sure the problem is mine, because what's bothering me isn't the fault of the organizers, the police, the producers, the artists, or the attendees. The guilty and those responsible in this age of instant outrage are valuable pieces of the puzzle, and that's why I think my question might not be leading anywhere, but I can't get it out of my head that in this..., In the era of big music festivals, this is the least important thing. It no longer matters if we have good artists, and compared to famous artists, the importance of good program design (Estéreo Picnic 2017 had it), which may or may not favor lesser-known, local and emerging artists, pales in comparison. Fame matters, then, but does music matter?
The summary couldn't be better: The festival attracted around 65,000 attendees., He managed to improve the city's access to the venue, kept people happy, and generated all the media attention he needed, without giving many real advantages to most journalists. They hope to grow a bit more over time, and I sincerely hope they do. But I feel that in the midst of this whole circuit, this gigantic business, The only thing that remains is the anxiety we all share., And I would simply like to ask if music matters at music festivals.
Whether it's because we're looking for something beyond our own heads, or within them; whether it's because we all want to find ourselves in the miracle that is music of any genre, even the weak and mediocre, or because we love lysergic experiences of all kinds, legal and illegal alike; The reason doesn't matter. I hope, and although I might sound like a broken record, I'd like to make a bet that we'll meet again next year at Estéreo Picnic, this time paying close attention to what we see, but above all to what we hear, so that we too can truly enrich ourselves with the beautiful human creativity and with music., which must be profitable and relevant at the same time.
