CHICAGO — At the heart of Grant Park, the Sueños Music Festival brought fans from across the country this past weekend to celebrate dreams fulfilled and cultural unity.

This year’s Latin music and culture festival featured massive headliners like Don Omar, Shakira, and Peso Pluma, along with performances from emerging artists.

One of those artists was Miami-based Latin boy band Do Not Disturb (DND), marking a breakthrough moment for the group. Formed through a collaboration between Lionfish Entertainment and Pharrell Williams, the group features Javier García De Castro from Venezuela, Danny Isaac from the Bronx, Emiliano Jofre from Chile, Danny Lacayo from Miami, and Emilio Uvilla from Puerto Rico.

“A producer like Pharrell just helped us in the process. Then, with the whole Latin band that we have, it was about showing that diversity, that a mix of different cultures in Latin music can hit just as hard as anything else out there,” Jofre told The Latino Newsletter.

When DND found out about performing at Sueños, they were excited and began rehearsing that same day. It was a whirlwind experience, but also a meaningful and memorable moment.

“I genuinely didn’t believe it. I thought our manager was playing with us. I was like, ‘No, we’re not, we’re not going to Sueños.’ And then he actually told us, ‘No, you guys are actually going to Sueños, and you’re going to perform. You have a set,’” said Uvilla.

One of DND’s singles, “Tinder,” has garnered over 500,000 views on YouTube.

“It's a nice badge to look at because we also put a heavy focus on our videos — how we look, the dancing, everything. So it's cool to see that recognized,” García De Castro said.

Sueños is set to stay in Grant Park for the next five years, following a contract approved by Chicago Park District officials that also allows organizers to increase capacity and extend the event by an additional day.

It was one reason two fans from Kansas decided to head out to the festival this year.

“I feel that the music and the culture are only a portion of what we really represent to this country, as well to this nation,” Gustavo from Kansas told The Latino Newsletter.

Fans like Joceline Miranda and Suleika Zarate were also energized to be part of the Sueños experience. They traveled from Chicago’s south suburbs, just 45 minutes away, to attend the festival for the second time. Both 26 years old, they had also participated last year and were excited to return.

“I tell a lot of my friends they don't really know what Latino music is. They hear it, but they don’t realize that each style has a different meaning. They just hear the music, but they don’t truly understand what it represents,” Miranda said. 

Zarate was excited to see Peso Pluma because his rise from Mexico to the U.S. stage powerfully represents visibility and pride for the Latino community. 

When asked what it’s like to celebrate Latino culture through music in the heart of downtown Chicago, Zarate felt that gathering as a whole is a voice for the Latino community. 

“Trump wants to get rid of us and we need to stand firm and say, ‘Hey, we have our roots here, and we’re not going anywhere,’” Zarate said. 

Sueños Music Festival was founded in 2022 by Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, who also created the Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Mexico. 

Hector Cervantes is a freelance writer based in Chicago who enjoys covering stories related to Latin culture, entertainment, and community.

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