Roberto Medina, creator of Rock in Rio, wants Luan Santana to sing at the festival. The desire to have the first country artist to take the Rock in Rio stage was revealed this Wednesday (10/11), in an interview by Medina with Billboard Brasil, where the entrepreneur defends the diversification of Rock in Rio and The Town, and even reveals plans to include K-pop artists in future editions.
In the interview, Medina explained that Luan Santana’s inclusion in the program is a personal goal. “I wanted to invite Luan Santana, I don’t know why we couldn’t. But she will definitely be here [no The Town] or at Rock in Rio: today there is no more room for labels. Luan is country music, but it’s also pop,” he said. The businessman also praised the singer’s performance: “Luan has a fantastic performance, a phenomenal song. In fact, I invited him to watch some shows of The Town with me.”
K-pop on the radar
The businessman also elaborated on his plans to include K-pop, a music genre originating from South Korea, in future editions of The Town. “There was supposed to be one or two K-pop attractions this year, but the negotiations didn’t move forward. But they are on my radar. Especially for the events in Sao Paulo, where they are more successful than in Rio,” he highlighted.
History of controversies
The businessman has already received criticism for diversifying the Rock in Rio lineup: in 2017 there was pressure for Anitta to be invited, which only happened two years later. On the other hand, the poor lineup of Brazilian artists alongside heavy metal bands created confusion in the past, when audiences openly rejected Lobão and Carlinhos Brown’s shows.
The new music scene
“I always knew that, to reach an audience of 1.5 million people, it needed to be a transversal project in terms of age and musical style. There has always been this musical diversity at the festival. But a lot of things have changed in 38 years old. Big bands have gotten older, which makes it harder to bring people here,” Medina reflected.
He is still considering dedicating an entire day of the festival to Brazilian artists, citing Jão and Ludmilla’s success in filling stadiums. “Finally, the Sunset stage demonstrated that there is room for musical diversity today,” she concluded.
In the conversation that touched on several genres, Medina did not talk about rock, but showed that he has no plans to rename the festival to any type of Rio music.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
