By the Zonagirante.com team @spinning zone
A little over two years ago We interviewed Carolina Castilla, a Colombian professional based in Silicon Valley, creator of Massive Act, A digital platform that helps users, artists, performance venues, festivals, brands, and media outlets to organize their operations and logistics., with the aim of reaching larger audiences. Almost thirty months later, Castilla tells us about the progress of his venture and presents California Dreaming Tour , an event coordinated by his company, which, between April 16 and 28, 2019, will bring two artists or bands from Latin America to a concert tour in California, with all expenses paid and conditions included (airfare, accommodation, transportation, backline, meals, media tour, and public relations opportunities). This is the conversation we had following his visit to Bogotá:
Two and a half years after our first interview, where is Massive Act at this point?
We built the code and launched the first public version in January. We've formed partnerships to make the app useful for festivals and already have around 1,000 users, including artists, promoters, and festivals., venues and sound engineers. Right now we're working closely with the artists, seeing what we need to improve, and analyzing user behavior to understand how we can enhance their experience.
What feedback have you received from music professionals on this?
We've received a very positive response and feedback. This has helped us identify areas for improvement and additions. For example, when we first launched the technical rider, we realized that artists weren't fully utilizing it. This led us to understand that the technical rider is a document created by a sound engineer or the technical team (or everyone working together). That's why we added the sound engineer as a user. Our development plan has always included adding the artists' teams, but this feedback accelerated the process, and we're now doing the same with all the functionalities we offer, for all types of users.
They've created a contest to send two bands on tour in California. What is this activity about, and what are they hoping to achieve?
We want to give emerging artists the opportunity to gain exposure in California. Touring is generally expensive and time-consuming for independent artists. We want to create several circuits around the world, and this is the first. We want artists to see us as allies, and even if they don't qualify for the tour, we want them to be able to use the system's tools to connect with buyers or create riders or EPKs.
How important is it for you to have a presence in Latin America?
This is the most important thing; the whole world is looking for Latin American talent. We know how it works, and we want to export it. In fact, that's why our first partnerships in this regard have been with European buyers, and that's why we want to showcase Latin American talent in California.
What kind of sound are European and North American buyers looking for?
Everything. You see artists like Bomba Estéreo, Mitú or Ghetto Kumbe who never stop touring, or Maluma and J Balvin with sold-out concerts.
But here you're mentioning talent that, in one way or another, draws on local folklore. Are there opportunities for artists who take a different path?
I think so. The case is Julio Victoria, who is establishing himself in the global electronic music scene.
How has the curation of the contest been approached to select the Latino representatives for this tour of California?
We are a company of 20 people. We are going to choose 10 artists who have completed their EPK and then send them to the owners of the venues And the parties we'll have on the tour, plus the sponsors and media partners. We'll put the 10 shortlisted entries to a vote, and 2 will advance.
What kind of audience do they expect to see the selected players?
The California audience is very diverse. California has a large Hispanic community. The audience can range from Hollywood celebrities and Santa Cruz surfers to hackers and hipsters in San Francisco. People are generally very open to new things.
What are your expectations for the competition? Have you estimated the number of contestants?
We expect to have 5,000.
Finally, what plans does Massive Act have for the future, in the short and medium term?
In software development, the goal is always the same: to get as much feedback as possible to refine details. We're working with some festivals, adding more functionality to the stage logistics so we can have more events in the system and thus more artists applying to perform.