GENRE-BENDING LATIN MUSIC, DIVERSITY & INTERSECTIONALITY REIGNED AT YALE’S BULLDOG BASH

In the midst of historic buildings and pathways that have been walked upon by former presidents, thinkers and global leaders, pulsating music, Afro-Latino beats, colorful lights and raised hands punctuated Bulldog Bash, an all-campus student celebration of music and cultural immersion sponsored by the Yale College Dean’s Office in collaboration with Yale Schwarzman Center and Yale Hospitality. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, this year’s event focuses on music and culture from the Latin American diaspora and features some of today’s most compelling artists in and beyond the Latin music space.

GRAMMY-winning Columbian hip-hop group ChoqQuibTown, the first Latina trans female artist Villano Antillano, electronic music project created by Mexico City-based DJ Camilo Lara Mexican Institute of Sound, the premier all-women Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble Batalá New York, and renowned deejay Rimarkable headlined the festival, while food and mocktails from Latin America completed the experience.

“Yale Schwarzman Center plays an important role in preparing students for globalism and inclusivity. We wanted this to be a celebration where students could see themselves reflected in the artists and where culture—and, quite frankly great music—is just a part of everyday life… because that’s the reality of the world we live in.,” said Maurice Harris, Ph.D., YSC Director of Marketing and Communications.

For many students, these were new artists to which they were being exposed and the result was electrifying. Will McDonald ‘26 shared this excitement, “It means so much! I’m really excited to start my career here at Yale, and I’m really glad that they’re welcoming the freshman in with such a cool event.”

“It’s magical, the energy of the beginning of the year at an institution such as this where there’s a lot of social capital. These kids worked so hard to get here, and I personally reflected on that a lot as I watched the students enjoy themselves,” said Batalá New York director Deinya Phenix. “People are meeting each other for the first time, and that’s a really positive energy.”

It was this kind of positivity and inclusivity that inspired the YSC to create this party with a purpose, celebrating students from all backgrounds and choosing to feature a wide range of Latin artists. With Americans under 35 projected to become a multicultural majority generation as early as 2023, YSC’s Bulldog Bash reflects today’s cultural and demographic realities.

“I think music is the only way you can change your community,” said Lara of Mexican Institute of Sound. “Extending that radius is a process, but it’s how you change the dance floor. You effect change in small ways in the small ways that you play and that leads to bigger changes.”

According to the Hispanic Marketing Council, Americans are increasingly exploring cultures beyond their own across TV, movies, social media, and music. For this generation of students, culture and intersectionality is normalized in ways that haven’t been for previous generations.

“I’m the first of a generation that’s been able to break through the Latin trans scene in Puerto Rico and in Latin America. I’m occupying spaces that a trans woman had never occupied before,” said Antillano. “My music is helping to shift views, at least in Puerto Rico, mend relationships, connect with people and give them hope… That despite all the bad things that happen in the world, we can heal, forgive and move forward with love and empowerment.”

About YSC: Yale Schwarzman Center (YSC) is transformational for Yale in providing, for the first time, a center for student life and the arts at the historic heart of the Yale University campus. YSC produces programs and collaborative arts experiences geared toward audiences within and beyond the Yale campus. Learn more at https://schwarzman.yale.edu