Libertad Music Festival 2005 – Uniting The Latin Hip Hop Movement.

Catalyst Entertainment, (CE) in conjunction with platinum Latino recording artist Fat Joe, announced the founding of the Libertad Music Festival 2005, the first national music tour that unites Latin Hip Hop artists from different genres, and tours them together across the nation.

Libertad 2005 will launch this summer in New York, and then tour to Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. As an annual concert series, next year Libertad will extend its reach to 10-12 markets nationally and 3-5 internationally.

Celebrated Hip Hop artist Fat Joe co-founded the concept with CE in an effort to help emerging Latino artists further develop a fan base, while making this music more accessible to a wider audience. Fat Joe’s presence and influence will be felt throughout the tour: he will play an integral role securing artists; he will ensure that the series truly reflects the scope of Latin Hip Hop sounds from across the country, and he may even hop on stage.

“The time has come to recognize all that Latinos are contributing to Hip Hop culture. It’s not just the Latino pioneers that are changing the face of Hip Hop, but also the emerging Latino artists who work hard and devote themselves to driving the culture forward,” said Fat Joe. “We created this tour as a platform to recognize some of these promising Latino Hip Hop artists while helping to unite Latino youth through music.”

Artists have yet to be announced, but they will range from Chicano/Mexican, to South American, Puerto Rican and the Caribbean.

Libertad 2005 will not only promote and support up-and-coming Latino Hip Hop artists, but will also help consumer brands connect further with Latino youth. With more than 16 million Hispanics between the ages of 12-34 and an anticipated swell by 2020 to 22 million, this demographic could potentially change the positioning of brand leaders in the future, as the preferences and choices of Hispanics shift from the minority to the majority.

“As the Hispanic market evolves, brands are looking for a way to connect with Latino youth through a medium that is relevant and evokes passion,” said Girard Hunt, Vice President of Marketing with Catalyst. “In the Latino culture, music is an intrinsic part of life. And to second and third generation Hispanics who listen to popular American music and relate to the sounds of Latin rhythms, the Latin Hip Hop movement is their home.”