Host Bree Davies and the City Cast Denver team did a live podcast taping at this year's Underground Music Showcase. And now you can hear it!
This candid conversation explores the idea of "diversity in music" and what that really means for performers of color. How does "diversity, equity and inclusion" truly extend to show booking, venue operations, and other positions of power within a music scene? Does representation go beyond the stage? As white folks scramble to "diversify," does it feel like anything meaningful is happening or changing for the actual artists?
We're honored to be joined for this panel discussion by several guests from around the Denver music scene:
Alicia "Bruce" Trujillo - Alicia "Bruce" Trujillo is a Chicana feminist from occupied Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe land, in what's now called Colorado - raised on the Western Slope, and currently in Denver. Bruce has been working in the community and public media since 2012, with a mission to spotlight, book, and amplify the voices of those who are currently under-heard and underrepresented, with a focus on independent and locally made music and art. Bruce is Concert Director at Denver's Swallow Hill Music Association; a the weekend host on Colorado Public Radio's new music service, Indie 102.3, and is the creator of Especial, a weekly, hour long dive into new and independent Latin-made music from around the 'Americas' and en Colorado. She's also Executive Director and host of Colorful Colorado Collaborations, bringing together BIPOC businesses and musicians, and founder and host of Whiskey, Women and Song, which pairs local female-identifying musicians with locally crafted whiskies for performances, interviews, and whiskey tastings. She sometimes writes for Denver Westword, with a focus on local art.
Wes Watkins - We Watkins is a multi-instrumentalist, band leader, show organizer, and long-running member of the Denver music community known for his work in The Other Black, Wheelchair Sports Camp, Cosmic Slim, and more.
Miguel Aviña - Miguel Aviña is a Mexican singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the band iZCALLi. He has enjoyed consistent success and is widely credited as one of the key artists of the Rock En Tu Idioma (RETI) movement in Colorado. Miguel founded RETI Rock En Tu Idioma LLC in 2011, an artist management, promoter and marketing company responsible for community events such as Rock De Mayo, RETIFest and La Posada which seek to bring awareness and accessibility to the hispanic music and arts culture in Colorado. With iZCALLi Miguel has traveled throughout the US for over 15 years, showcasing their diverse brand of Rock En Tu Idioma. As a solo artist, Miguel takes the opportunity to journey into a deeper exploration of music. His lyrics and melodies resonate from the heart and exude raw emotions. These are best exposed through a more simple approach… his voice and his guitar. There is something familiar yet refreshing about Miguel’s approach to song-writing that showcases Miguel’s passion for The Love Song; these songs exhibit his wide range of influences: traditional folk ballads, pop, indie sounds, that are always tinged with a Latin flare, a flare that takes you into your heart, and warms the soul.