J.Balvin Headlines 2022 NFL Kickoff
Despite the near triple digit heat wave, a couple hundred civilians attended the NFL Kickoff event on Sept. 8, excited to watch live performances and kick off the football season.
The yearly kickoff event took place at Los Alamitos Beach this year to celebrate the first game of the 103rd season between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills.
Colombian reggaeton artist and Grammy award winner, J. Balvin, was the event’s headlining performance—the first Latinx artist to do so—but attendees were also able to visit a variety of NFL pop-ups throughout the day such as the Vince Lombardi trophy, an NFL Pro Era VR experience, an NFL shop, and an autograph stage (featuring NFL appearances from Steven Jackson and Andre Reed).
Attendants had the chance to partake in games such as a 40 Yard Dash, a Beach Football Field, Touch Pass, Field Goal Kick and an NFL Training Camp as well as enjoy amenities like First Aid Tents, ADA viewing platforms and a water refill station
Performances before the main event included LA-based DJ Tokimonsta, Nigerian-American R&B duo VanJess and American HipHop duo, EarthGang.
“Long Beach has a lot of diversity and I love that they brought that here; I think this is what they are trying to represent and I like that,” attendee Sylvia Calgon said. “I am looking forward to J. Balvin [the most] because I’m Colombian, shout out to my people!”
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, also known as J. Balvin or the “Prince of Reggaeton,” is a 37-year-old Latinx artist from Medellín, Colombia. He has sold more than 35 million records worldwide and has had 517 music nominations including Top Latin Artist, Songwriter of the Year and Artist of the Year. One of his most notable achievements includes winning the Global Icon Award for his contribution to Latinx music around the world.
Balvin’s performance included backup dancers as well as Argentinian rapper Trueno and Dominican rapper, El Alfa. The artist performed songs such as: “Calentura” (in reference to the heatwave Long Beach was experiencing), “Con Altura,” “Reggaeton” and “Mi Gente.”
Mid-way through his performance, he called out to his Latinx/Colombian community, calling them his “Latino Gang.”
“¿Cómo está la vibra esta tarde? …¿Dónde están todos esos guerreros que luchan por sus sueños? ¿Dónde está mi gente de Colombia? Viva México en la casa, aquí hay buena vibra,” Balvin said.
After Balvin’s performance, the crowd had thinned out. Many attendees left as the sun was setting across Los Alamitos Beach, others stayed to enjoy the game—the Buffalo Bills defeated the LA Chargers 31 to 10.
The regular season will end on Jan. 8, 2023 and playoffs will begin on Jan.14th.
The Superbowl LVII will take place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 12. Make sure to keep an eye out for the hallf-time show which will feature the Barbados native singer, Rihanna—her first performance in five years!
DÍG EN ESPAÑOL Highlights the 2022 NFL Kickoff
