From the beginning, Chulita Vinyl Club as a collective has always acted with love and acceptance - through both our successes and mistakes. CVC launched in 2014, with the context of providing a safe space for empowerment, togetherness and to utilize music and vinyl as a form of resistance against the erasure of culture. As we reach new platforms, we are committed to these values by working in partnership and supporting each other through difficult conversations and learning moments. Below is the Los Angeles chapter of Chulita Vinyl Club’s statement regarding their participation in Tropicalia Festival:
Last weekend the Chulita Vinyl Club Los Angeles chapter took part in a music festival called Tropicalia Fest. This festival was sponsored by Modelo, Corona and Ballast Point, which are a few beers that are currently on a boycott list called by a local community group in Mexicali, Baja California called Mexicali Resiste. For almost two years Mexicali Resiste has been defending the privatization of Mexicali’s water supply from Constellation Brands.
Despite being aware of this, CVC LA performed at Tropicalia. We recognize our mistake in participating and agree that we should have stood with the people of Mexicali Resiste, by respecting the boycott and not performing.
We would like to sincerely apologize to the people of Mexicali, CVC LA supporters, friends, community and CVC collective members who were disappointed by our actions. We, unfortunately, have not always made the right decisions but we are committed to learning from this experience and to grow from it.
As CVC LA and as individuals we understand the responsibility to use our platform, voices and actions to uplift our communities and those most vulnerable. Although our mistake was not ok, CVC LA is currently taking steps to hold ourselves accountable as well as inform our community of the current boycott. We would like to share the steps we have taken this week to hold ourselves accountable and what we are committed to do to moving forward.
We have reached out to Mexicali Resiste by email, instagram and facebook messenger to formally apologize to them and offer the proceeds CVC LA received at Tropicalia for their efforts. We are awaiting their response.
We have reached out to set-up a time to talk to local LA based bands who performed at Tropicalia to inform them about the boycott. We will be asking them to acknowledge that they broke the boycott and to stand with the people of Mexicali.
We will be reaching out to the bars CVC LA regularly performs at (as well as venues individual members play at) to inform them on the boycott of Constellation Brands. We will be asking that they make an effort to not sell Constellation Brands during the nights we perform and to further consider their vendor partnership with CB.
As CVC LA we are committed to not performing at any large events or music festivals that are sponsored by Constellation Brands and are committed to communicating this in any future booking inquiries.
These are only some of the steps we are taking to address this issue. We will continue to have conversations amongst ourselves, local community defense groups, close allies and friends, as well as MR themselves on other suggestions they might have in supporting the people of Mexicali.
We are committed to transparency and updating folks on the progress we are making in addressing the steps to hold ourselves accountable in the upcoming weeks, be that by IG, website or blog post.
These actions cannot change the past, however, we are hopeful that the steps we are taking now and in the future can continue to uplift Mexicali Resiste and their efforts, our community and those most vulnerable.
To all those who have called us in, shared your words, expressed your commitment to hold us accountable and have been patient with us throughout this week and process, thank you. We look forward to continuing to share space with you.
We encourage you to learn more about the boycott of Constellation Brands and the work Mexicali Resiste is doing. Please visit @mexicaliresiste on IG or visit www.mexicaliresiste.org.
