Ceremonia Festival 2015

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  • Ceremonia Festival returned to Toluca for its third edition earlier this month, setting its three stages in Foro Pegaso, a racetrack an hour's drive from Mexico City. Originally taking place in autumn, the one-day event was changed to August, and then May, in order to avoid the heavy rain that dampened previous years. On that front, though, the organisers failed, as a short but intense storm ripped through the site. Kaytranada, one of the day's highlights, was performing when the winds hit, but he kept the crowd dancing regardless. He played across the board, mixing between old school grooves and hip-hop beats. The crowd reacted best to the big hits, jumping and singing along to every rap anthem. Even when the rain turned to hail, they weren't deterred. The larger Corona Stage was where the day's headliners would perform—from Melody's Echo Chamber and Jungle to Snoop Dogg—while the Vans-sponsored stage was for electronic music. The latter's programme wasn't that out of the box, consisting mostly of veterans and festivals regulars. In what felt like an odd move, Daniel Avery was given the early slot, though the Brit delivered nonetheless. He played a tense, technically-astute set from beginning to end and the audience were happy to be dancing with such fervour from the off. Avery was great, but my personal highlight was the act that followed him, Disco Ruido. The local three-piece were the stage's only band, performing in a way that felt very eighties, visually as well as musically. 
When the music ended, an hour-long queue prevented me from attending the official afterparty at Mono. As I sat there, not moving, it got me thinking about the festival. Whoever programmed it was clearly trying to balance the commercial, the underground and the local, which made the overall experience a bit random and directionless. That said, the atmosphere and location (however remote) helped make up for it. For future editions, Ceremonia might benefit from a more defined musical policy. Photo credits: Alejandro Compean
RA