Hot Chile

February is prime time for outdoor concerts in South America, and once again the Festival Internacional de la Cancion de Viña del Mar was held February 21-26 in Chile. This was the 42nd edition of this extremely long-lived event; as usual, the lineup consisted of leading regional pop stars. Joaquin Cortes kicked off the first night with a rousing dance number, followed by the groups Bond and Vengaboys. Others taking part included singer Ricardo Arjona, Mexican star Lucero, Grammy-winning rock group La Ley, and Chilean star Myriam Hernandez.

Lighting for the festival was designed by Mexico City-based Pat Henry, whose company Pat Henry Illuminacion supplied the equipment rig. SGM was the lighting gear of choice, with a plot that included 50 Galileo IV 1200 units, 64 Giotto Spot 1200s, and 24 Giotto Wash 1200s. Henry used the Galileo IV scanners for backlighting, with the wash units surrounding the giant LED screen behind the stage. Lighting director for the project was Jaime Sato.