SXSW 2011 Promises Strong Latino Presence

By Michael Lopez

The 24-year-old South By Southwest festival, held annually in Austin, Texas, encompasses all things pop culture. The nine-day event features live performances, conferences, Q & As, and events centered around music, film and new media. This year, however, a good chunk of the action will be focused on Latin culture.

SXSW panels have featured some of the heaviest hitters in the online world, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Craigslist’s Craig Newmark and Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales. This year, several Latinos will join the interactive talks, including Arturo Garcia-Hernandez, who will discuss cybercrime, and Marcos Hernandez, who will lead a discussion about Latino Culture 2.0.

SXSW 2011 promises no shortage of Latin music, either. Believe it or not, more than 2,000 bands performed at the festival last March. A similar number of bands — and a plethora of Latin rockers — are expected to perform this year, including salsa/funk band Grupo Fantasma and Panamian rappers Los Rakas. Of course,  no SXSW visit would be complete without experiencing the Chilean Music Showcase.

A number of films will debut at this year's festival, such as Bridesmaids and Mel Gibson’s The Beaver. But it’s the indie films that always get the crowds roaring. This year, Argentina’s El Ambulante is on the critics' radar, along with Nicolás López’ F**k My Life and Adrián Garcia Bogliano’s Cold Sweat.

Of course, what fun would a nine-day event be without some raging parties? There will be tents, lounges and warehouses full of people every night of SWSX. YouTube and Nokia will host complimentary bashes throughout the week. And, if you’re planning a trip, make sure you’re in Austin on March 15 for the official SXSW Block Party.

The 2011 SXSW Festival will take over the Austin Convention Center from March 11-20.

Have you ever been to SWSX? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Festivals, Hot Stuff, Música, Movies, Movies & CineMás, South By Southwest, SWSX, SXSW 2011, Technology