When it comes to my youngest daughter, Alicia, I’m a soft touch. So when the driver of her clique’s post-high-school-graduation roadtrip flaked, good old Dad gassed up for the long, boring ride from L.A. to San Francisco.
Experience has taught me that the best way to avoid “Are we there yet?” syndrome is to keep the music flowing. The plan: Each passenger would get to plug in her individual iPod, which we’d switch every hundred miles or so. My expectation of the bicultural group was that we’d be bumping to a mix of Latino pop, Lady Gaga and alt rock.
Imagine my sorpresa. Melissa’s mix included Erykah Badu, Marc Anthony and Michael Jackson. Toni’s tunes were heavy with metal and hip hop, mellowed by classic Mexican boleros (ballads). Raquel’s road music: Motown oldies and big-voiced female singers. Alicia’s all-Beatles set sparked a sing-along that stopped only when we reached our destination.
Latino teens have a way of messing with preconceptions. They’re soaking up mainstream culture while cultivating their own unique passion points. These girls — ahem, young mujeres — aren’t exhibiting any stress from acculturation. They’re thriving. Music brands that recognize and reach out to this genre-play will get more tracks on more playlists.
