Alternative Music in Caracas in Times of COVID-19
Reports from Other Continents
Over the past few years, the alternative music scene in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, has been plummeting amid the country’s economic collapse – and the COVID-19 pandemic has just added an extra burden to an already fragile industry. However, music researchers, journalists, DJs, bands, sound engineers, and other players within the ecosystem of the local music industry keep working to revive and contribute to strengthening the alternative music scene. In this video, sociology professor Diego Larrique, DJ and music journalist Marcel Márquez, and Daniela Ortíz, also known as DJ Angels, talk about music projects launched in Venezuela amid the COVID-19 outbreak. A book and a record about the history of reggae in Venezuela, a vinyl store, and a platform for music research and promotion are some of the initiatives launched mid-pandemic with the aim to boost an industry that is being forced to reinvent itself to make ends meet.
By Trópico 70 Diggin Lab.
Caracas, Venezuela, 2021