Festival Viva El Salvador y las Americas: A Sea of Blue
Walking into Festival Viva El Salvador in Newark, California, the first thing I noticed was the crowd—a sea of blue representing our Salvadoran flag.
People of all ages were there, dancing, laughing, eating, and enjoying themselves. Seeing that brought me back to childhood and the Salvadoran events I grew up around.
Hermanos Flores was one of the highlights for me. Growing up, I heard their songs all the time at family parties. Hearing them again at the festival brought back a lot of memories.
Seeing Max Martínez, a former vocalist of Hermanos Flores, join the group onstage was another standout moment. It was a great reminder of the history behind the music and how much those songs have meant to Salvadorans over the years.
Max Martinez performing with La Orquesta los Hermanos Flores Max Martinez and Cesar Cortez Max Martinez
The lineup also featured Grupo Miramar, Sonora Dinamita, Grupo Maíz, and many others, bringing generations together throughout the day.
Grupo Miramar Sonora Dinamita Grupo Maiz
Edmir was the MC and brought plenty of energy to the event. He was fun, energetic, and kept the crowd engaged.
This Is What I Love About This Moment: The Community
Growing up, I didn’t experience much Salvadoran culture outside of my house, community parties, and trips to El Salvador.
So now, as an adult, seeing so many Salvadoran events pop up has been amazing. Here in the Bay Area, we have Festival Viva El Salvador, Día del Salvadoreño, Pupusa Festival, Cultura Fest, Richmond’s own event coming up, Salvi Soul—there’s just so much happening.
And it’s not just the events. It’s the people behind them. Tony, Oscar, Julia, Edgar, and so many others are putting in the work to create these spaces. I’m grateful to be part of that through Cultura Fest.
There are more events to connect to now than ever before. More places to hear our music, eat our food, see our art, and simply be around other Salvadorans and Central Americans.
It’s exciting to see all the new creativity and growth that are starting to brew.
And seeing young people have more opportunities to feel seen, represented, and proud of where they come from makes this moment even more meaningful.
A sea of blue. Familiar music. Different generations dancing together. People laughing, eating, reconnecting, and enjoying themselves.
Viva El Salvador Concert goers Dancing Crowd at concert Salvadoran music fans Girls enjoying the concert Salvadoran pride
For me, that’s what makes this moment so exciting. There are more opportunities than ever to connect with Salvadoran and Central American culture, and there’s still so much more to come.
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