‘Don’t feel fear’: Karol G ends Coachella set with strong message for Latinos ‘struggling’ in the US

INDIO, CALIFORNIA: Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G made history as the first-ever Latina to headline the Coachella Music and Arts festival. She delivered a two-hour headlining show on the third day of the event, closing the first weekend of the festival.

Prior to the show, the singer said she wanted her performance to have an impact on the Latino community. When the 35-year-old finally took the stage, she made sure to stand by her words and offered a power-packed headlining set before delivering an equally strong message to Latinos.

Karol G gives major shoutout to Latinos ‘struggling’ in America

As her nearly two-hour-long Coachella set, featuring hit tracks, bold choreography and surprise guest appearances, came to a close, Karol shared an emotional yet strong message for her community. 

She began the speech by presenting herself as “Carolina Giraldo from Colombia” and said, “today I am the first Latina woman to headline Coachella,” drawing massive cheers from the crowd. 

While Karol said she is “very happy and very proud” about the achievement, she felt that it was still “late” as “it has been 27 years of this festival going on, and it is the first time a Latina girl is headlining Coachella.”

The 35-year-old went on to say, “before me there were so many great Latino artists, legendary Latino artists, that gave me the opportunity to be here tonight, so this is not just about me, this is about my Latina community, this is about my people.” 

She further added, “At the same time, this is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately,” in reference to those affected by Trump's harsh immigration crackdown policy in the US. “We stand for them,” Karol noted.

Karol G urges Latino community to ‘feel proud’ of their roots

Further into the speech, the singer-songwriter said, “I stand for my Latina community, and at the same time I am very proud because this brings out the very best of us: unity, resilience, and a strong spirit.”

She continued, “We don’t do this because we want to take everyone out, we do this because we want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, to our roots, to our music.” 

Karol concluded her speech saying, “I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from, please… don’t feel fear, feel proud. Raise your flags!”

The ‘Latina Foreva’ singer also shouted out all the flags she spotted in the crowd. “Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia,” Karol cheered towards the end of her set. 

Karol G’s statement comes after she previously told Playboy that she wants to do more than simply saying “ICE Out” on stage. “What impact does it really have to say ‘ICE Out’ versus something else that can have a real impact on my community?” she asked. 

“I don’t want to just say ‘ICE Out’ and have nothing come from it. I’m probably going to go a little harder than that,” Karol said, adding, “I just want to represent my community. But what I’m telling you is that, as a human being, I want that to mean more.”