Latinx Bands Are Getting Their Biggest Coachella Platform Ever

Amidst a sea of stringy, pastel hair, appropriated headdresses, and weed crowns, we’ve found one maybe-not-terrible thing about this year’s Coachella festival: Latinx music is getting something of a boost.

As the LA Times reports, 2017’s festival roster boasts the highest number of Spanish-language and Latinx bands in Coachella’s 18 year history. And yes, this is well overdue since, as the Times article points out, “the actual city of Coachella is more than 96% Latino or Hispanic.”

This list includes festival mainstays like Bomba Estéreo and Molotov, along with up-and-coming acts from the U.S. and abroad, like Venezuelan American Devendra Barnhart, L.A.’s own Chicano Batman, and the all-female Spanish indie band Hinds.

The lineup is especially noteworthy considering the tense climate affecting the Latinx community—especially in Southern California, where LA’s police chief has said that fears of deportation are driving down reports of domestic violence among Latinx residents.

One Argentinian band has already reported having trouble with customs. Las Ligas Menores (The Minor Leagues) was denied entry into the country—despite having a signed contract and a Coachella poster with their band’s name on it.

As keyboardist Nina Carrera told the Times:

“They asked us to present evidence such as newspaper clippings, YouTube videos, awards (we never got any…), old contracts, letters of recommendation of acclaimed artists. And we did, but apparently they need more,” Carrara explained.

But don’t worry guys, they’re in! And they’ll get to (hopefully) cool out to the sounds of Chicano Batman’s “Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm)”.