Sonido Clash Music Fest

Sonido Clash MUSIC FEST

Preserving the authenticity of a culturally-vibrant neighborhood through art and music.

SONIDO CLASH / EVENT PRODUCTION & DESIGN

DJ Irene headlining on the main stage at Sonido Clash Music Fest 2018. Photo by Franz Barreto.

A collaboration between Playboyz Inc., one of the oldest East San José dance groups, and Egyptian Lover at the Pond Stage of Sonido Clash Music Fest 2018. Photo by Orlando Espino.

Challenge

How can we establish San José as a destination for touring artists while also delivering a community-centered, vibrant event to preserve the identity of a community that is slowly being gentrified?

How can we create accessibility for programming that is all-ages while also supporting a thriving ecosystem for performers, vendors, and artists?
How can we provide a platform for community organizations and members to coexist and resist together on important social issues that affect their community through art and music?

Crowd dancing at the Pond Stage of Sonido Clash Music Fest 2018. Photo by Franz Barreto.

Impact

As many high caliber touring artists pass on San José to perform in San Francisco or Oakland, there is a need to activate venues in San José, and especially East Side San José. In this way, the city can be seen as a destination for alternative music. East Side San José is home to immigrant families, particularly Vietnamese, Mexican and Filipino; artists; activists; undocumented; LGBTQIA; and community organizers young and old. With more development and funding going towards downtown, there is a need to create more diverse and accessible arts programming to pay respects to the authenticity of existing neighborhoods such as East Side San José as they are quickly being developed.

Sonido Clash is a music and event production collective exploring the traditional, modern, and future Latinx art and sounds. The collective is made up of musicians, producers, DJs, and artists who collectively work together as well as pursue independent projects and events in order to create diverse programming in the Bay Area. In 2016, Sonido Clash was granted seed funding to produce their first all-ages Latino alternative music festival.

A Recap of Sonido Clash Music Fest 2018. Filmed and Edited by Rogelio Barrera, Capture Medium.

OUTCOME

Sonido Clash Music Fest (SCMF) is an all-ages alternative Latinx music festival that takes place at the School of Arts and Culture at MHP in East Side San José (ESSJ). SCMF features 4 stages of local, national, and international bands, poets, and DJs as well as additional programming areas of live art installations, art galleries, latino dance lessons, vendor market, panel discussions, art workshops, food, and more.

SCMF is a celebration that’s a reflection of the experiences of generations of latinos who are inspired by the tradition of their elders and ancestors though art, music, and poetry. SCMF creates opportunities for young and emerging musicians to play alongside international artists. Some of these artists have not even performed outside of East Side San Jose. The festival also allows for artists to become entrepreneurs in our marketplace. As such, it is important to anchor the celebration in a historical and cultural venue like the School of Arts and Culture at MHP. In the 1960s, the school was the original location of the Safeway grocery store where Cesar Chavez organized and led the first boycott for farmworker rights.

SCMF is led by three members of Sonido Clash and produced by a festival committee made up of members from the community who are local artists, entrepreneurs, and community organizers. The committee is committed to preserving and building upon the cultural pillars that make this community strong.