Drake's 2011 album "Take Care" gave us the absolute gem that was "The Motto." That infamous line that shouts out New York's most famous bachata group, Aventura, is a reminder of the role culture plays in determining who becomes a superstar, celebrity, or icon. If you've never heard the name "Romeo Santos" before, I don't judge you, but I do urge you to check out his song "Odio" with a guest verse from Aubrey Graham himself.

I could keep rambling on and on about Drake for paragraphs, and the fantastic Caribbean vibes featured on Views From the 6, but this isn't about him at all –– it's about the metaphor. We need just as many "Aventuras" as "Drakes" at music festivals because they can be equally as profitable.

I've been going to music festivals since 2009 (granted, they were strictly Christian music festivals). Even then, it was very clear that there was a lack of diversity in this music genre-that-isn't-exactly-a-genre. Most acts tended to be classifiable as "contemporary rock," while others like Casting Crowns deviated into country or Family Force 5 who ventured into electronic and crunk. For the most part, the majority of performing artists created corporate music that was ready-made for Christian radio or for Sunday praise and worship music. By no means is this necessarily a bad thing when it comes to lyrics, but when it comes to seeing a live act who sounds exactly like the last one who performed, it can kind of make you want your money back. Though artists like Royal Tailor and Jamie Grace represented racial diversity within Christian music, I was even more happy that they cared about diversifying their sound as well, the melodies and instrumentation as the lyrics adoring Christ and their faith. Same with bands like Anberlin and Relient K, who I saw back in 2011 at Rock the Universe in Orlando, whose sounds represented for alternative rock.

Fast forward to Summer '16, and I'm going to my first music festival that isn't kid-friendly and in a theme park. I went to Hangout Festival in Orange Beach, Alabama, with a group of friends from my university, and it was the defining experience of my summer, and one of the best of my life! Just looking at the setlist, I can hardly complain about racial disparities and lack of diversity among genres. I can clearly see representation of classic rock, alternative and indie, hip hop, R&B, blues, reggae, jazz, EDM and more! They even booked Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce, representing New Orleans urban music and the LGBT community, something you might never find on the East or West Coast! Their attention to representing all varieties of Southern music is a pull factor that will likely mean I buy a ticket for next year.

I cannot point at them and say they aren't booking Latin artists, though. From Rodrigo y Gabriela in 2010, to Mariachi El Bronx in 2011, to Ozomatli, The Tontons, and Los Lobos in 2014 (and I'll count 2012's Coheed and Cambria), they have given artists in the Latinx community a chance representation. The problem is -- not just for Hangout, but every institution in the entertainment industry -- that representation often comes in waves and is thus inconsistent. 2015 had Major Lazer, and Diplo does give exposure to many world genres through his music; 2016 really did not satisfy in this department.

This kind of thing happens in television, too; Ugly Betty and Jane the Virgin were two shows with a leading Latina actress that both received critical acclaim, but these awards were received eight years apart –– that's nearly a decade! Changes often get instituted when there's a big push for it –– think #OscarsSoWhite. If there's demand for more representation, then more will be supplied. Diversity today is not only profitable, but the only way to sustain industries that rely on purchasing power. If a television show wants good ratings, they must broaden their target audience. If a music festival wants to sell out of tickets quickly, they should diversify their acts and appeal to music lovers of all ages, genders, and ethnicities.

Sure, there are festivals like Austin's Pachanga Fest and Miami's Soulfrito Music Festival that cater specifically to Latin music lovers. But it's much less costly to add a few artists to the lineup of an existing festival than to plan a new event from scratch (and we're talking thousands and millions of dollars, here). Events like these exists in area like New York, California, Arizona, and south Florida, all places with significant Hispanic populations. All it takes is considering popular Latin music acts, like J. Balvin or Wisin, to attract another demographic when the lineup is announced.

I think the greatest contribution Latin artists would provide to a music festival is more dancing at the concerts. Sometimes I get tired of doing the typical rave dance moves, the fist-pumping and jumping, and I want to really dance at a show! Many music genres, like reggaeton or merengue, get hips swinging and bodies moving. There's also the possibility of exposing people to genres they've never heard before, which is just as noble a cause as providing something familiar to people who are already fans. Going back to Big Freedia, back in 2013, she was asked to open for indie rock band, the Postal Service. While this left many fans overwhelmed by all of the booty-shaking occurring in one room, it did give them the opportunity to have a concert experience they were not accustomed to, something controversial and challenging that may have been good for them after all.

It would be a dream of mine to see Carlos Santana or Los Lonely Boys live one day. Their music takes me back to the early 2000s and much simpler times. Daddy Yankee, too, has a special place in my heart. As an Afro-Latino, I'm grateful to see one side of my heritage represented well and across all genres. Now, thanks to this mid-2010s hyper-fixation on Caribbean music (thanks, Drake and Rihanna!), 2017 just might be the year I hear a little bit of Spanish at my next Hangout Fest.