I went to see Maná at the American Airlines Arena with my 13-year-old son as my date.
We had a blast. And not just because the concert was good, but because, for the first time ever, I think, my son realized, "Hey, rock en español is actually cool!" (and, by association, that makes me–the mom who got the tickets–a little bit cool, too).
It was a long time coming, but it seems my U.S. born and raised kids have finally fallen in love with Latin music.
You see, I have what many would term "The Best Job Ever". I'm in charge of all Latin content for Billboard. That means I get to cover anything having to do with Latin artists and music. Dream job for the kids as well, right? Not! For years, when I invited my kids to be my plus one to see, say, Franco De Vita, or Juan Luis Guerra, there was a lot of, "Who? What do they sing?," going on. Then, blank silence and finally, a polite, "No mami. When is Eminem coming?"
Something happened in the past six months, however. I think carpool with other Latina moms who listen to Latin radio has had an influence. Whatever it was, last week, when I said I had tickets to Maná, everyone wanted to go. So, I took my son. The one who used to fall asleep at concerts a year ago. He dressed like a rock star and was on his feet the whole night, even though he didn't know any of the songs.
On the way home, he delivered the ultimate verdict: "Do you have Maná CDs at home?"
Now, that's what I call a conversion.
Do your kids think Latin music is cool?
Image via Getty images
