The music industry has historically been a male-dominated space, making it challenging for women to succeed and thrive. But what happens when a group of fearless Latina women come together to disrupt the industry with an all-women’s music event? Enter the Sorry Papi Tour, a movement created by the Chicago-based event coordination company V5 Group, providing a safe space for women to let their hair down and dance the night away without fear of harassment or inappropriate behavior. Today, we sit down with two of the founders of the Sorry Papi Tour, Jaqueline Terrazas and DJ Miriam, to learn more about their inspiring journey and their mission to empower women through music.
How did you both get involved with the Sorry Papi Tour, and what inspired you to be a part of it?
Jackie: About a year and half ago, I started with the company as a social media content creator for our restaurants and clubs. During this time, the girls from the office conducted a meeting about having an all-girl party, and I was invited to collaborate with them. It started with me just naming the event “SORRY PAPI”. I was very passionate about the concept and wanted to see it grow because I believe women in the music industry need more recognition and opportunities. I took it upon myself to take initiative on certain parts of the project – eventually I was invited to join the first few tours, and ended up going to all of them thanks to my efficient work ethic and leadership. In the 2022 Tour, I was just a coordinator, and now going into the 2023 Tour I am the Tour and Project Manager.
Miriam: The song “Yo Perreo Solo,” which translates to “I Twerk Alone,” and its message about women who simply want to dance alone and safely in the club is what gave me the idea for this project. Working in the industry for 10+ years really opened my eyes from a woman’s perspective. We go out and want to have a good time, but for a lot of us, bars and clubs can be breeding grounds for sexism, assault, and abuse towards women, so I really wanted to create a safer space for us, and that’s how I came up with the concept and worked with the rest of the girls on the team to bring this to life.
Can you tell us about some of the challenges you faced when first starting the tour, and how you overcame them?
Jackie: Being behind the scenes of the tour – there are many challenges I have to face. Most of the production staff in the venues we work with are older men. When they see a production team of young, attractive women – they really didn’t take us seriously or think we were capable of executing such a large and successful party. After they would see the results and the money and positive responses we gave them, they had a newfound respect for us.
Miriam: No one really believed in us when we were looking for venues. They did not think it would be profitable because women “don’t really buy drinks or bottles.” A lot of owners from these establishments didn’t understand the concept and thought it was a “lesbian party” when this has nothing to do with sexuality.’ A lot of people still don’t understand it, including women.
Like Elon Musk said, “People don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.”
What has been the most rewarding part of being involved with the Sorry Papi Tour?
Jackie: Being able to travel to all these cities and countries, and see the joy and excitement in all these women’s faces is the most rewarding to me. It’s not something that they get to experience often so seeing them uplift each other as a community because of something WE put together is the ultimate honor. During the Louisville tour, I was making my rounds (I had my Sorry Papi Staff laminate on) and a girl stopped me and asked me if I was the coordinator of this. I said yes, and she followed up by thanking me (and the team) for creating an event where she could have fun, feel safem and make so many new girl friends. Afterwards, I felt honored, and it only pushed me to make the event bigger and better so I can continue to make other women feel the same.
Miriam: Performing and establishing a connection with ladies through music. It goes without saying that some music can reflect your own emotions and thoughts. Music can best express an emotional state or a particular situation. I consider myself to be expressive when it comes to music, and Sorry Papi encourages us to share parts of ourselves through music. It’s almost like an awareness can develop, and then a bond is formed between me and the girls. I’ve never experienced a sense of sisterhood, community, and oneness like this. I would say that’s the most rewarding part for me.
The tour was created to provide a safe space for women to have fun and not be subjected to inappropriate behaviors. Can you tell us more about why this is so important and how the Sorry Papi Tour achieves this goal?
Jackie: Being a young woman, especially working in the nightlife industry – we are subjected to uncomfortable situations. For example, men harassing you to buy you a drink, staring at you up and down and my personal favorite – walking by you and placing their hand on your waist and saying, “Excuse me, baby”. Like, please keep your hands to yourself! It‘s important for us to achieve our goal of creating a safe space for women because we want them to not have to deal with these inappropriate behaviors by men. We want them to dance, dress, and act however they want without having to constantly look over their shoulder.
Miriam: We believe it comes down to mutual respect and self-respect. We believe it’s important to help women recognize their value. Giving another person support is what we consider to be empowerment, pushing each other to be better, stronger, and more confident. We want to encourage women to be the best versions of themselves, and we take pride in providing a safe space or environment to do so. When you attend a women-centric event, you get to meet different women who may be going through the same struggles as you but in their own way. At Sorry Papi, you will meet new people and create relationships while listening to empowering music, taking photos with our empowering photo ops, and creating strong positive memories at an event that was built by all women for women.
With the tour expanding into other cities and even countries, how do you maintain the essence and purpose of the Sorry Papi Tour in each location?
Jackie: We take the party with us – the vibe, aesthetic, DJs, music. etc all stays the same. It is important for us to continue this in every city and country because despite the different places in the world – our mission stays the same. Having a passionate, hardworking, and tight-knit team is what helps us travel with the concept flawlessly.
Miriam: While highlighting women is the primary objective of the event, all attendees who identify as female are welcome to attend. With the help of DJs, artists, production teams, etc., we provide women a chance to demonstrate their talents while simultaneously spreading that empowering and self-assured message. Advancing equality and proving to the world that women are capable of doing just as much as men do.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the tour, and how did you adapt to the challenges presented?
Miriam: We were forced to postpone the event by COVID, but this provided us more time to think about ideas and understand the significance of what we were trying to communicate. One ordinary party idea became a movement, giving us the chance to grow it far greater than we had originally anticipated. We were brought to our feet by COVID, which motivated us to explore more.
As Latina women in the music industry, what message do you hope to send to young women who aspire to follow in your footsteps, and what advice do you have for other women trying to make a difference in the music industry, particularly those who face challenges and obstacles because of their gender or ethnicity?
Jackie: It’s going to sound cliche, but step out of your comfort zone. I know it’s easier said than done and it can be scary, but there is so much opportunity on the other side for you if you just try. Sometimes you may fail, but it’s just a learning experience and it prepares you for the next endeavor. Being a woman in a male led-industry can be intimidating at first, but just show those men you can do just as much as them, if not even more – you will eventually intimidate them.
Put up a front if you have to. Fake it till you make it, babygirl. That’s what I did!
Miriam: Stay true to yourself, and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Don’t take no for an answer because there’s someone out there who will believe in you and will take a chance on you. Also, don’t take anything personally; just keep going. Your mindset is everything. Stay disciplined, and, most importantly, believe in yourself. There’s this new song I recently heard by NF called “Hope,” and he asks , “What’s my definition of success?” and he answers, “Listening to what your heart is telling you.” Be your biggest fan, and everything else will fall into place.
What can attendees expect from the Sorry Papi Tour in the future, and what are your plans for its growth and development?
Jackie: Eventually we would like to curate Sorry Papi into a benefit festival like a music-based fundraising initiative to raise funds for organizations that focus on the development of supporting women. Bringing on big-name female artists like Rosalia, Tokisha, Karol G, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus etc. We also want to give women-owned businesses an opportunity to vend at our festival.
Miriam: As Jackie mentioned, in the future, we hope to organize a music-based fundraising event—a benefit concert or festival—to support groups that promote the advancement of women with programs that equip women to overcome serious barriers. We aim to give back to those women in need in all areas—work, housing, education, mental health, domestic abuse, etc.—spreading awareness and helping provide resources to cope with these traumatic events. Working with nonprofits that prioritize the advancement of women is something we want to do.
The Sorry Papi Tour is not only a testament to the power of women, but also the Latinx community. It is clear that this is not just a party, but a unique experience and a community of women coming together for an unforgettable night. Pre-sale tickets for the Sorry Papi Tour are now available. You won’t want to miss this when it comes to your city!
CREDITS
MUSE
DJ Miriam @miriampaz_91
Jackie Terrazas @jacks_1234
PRODUCTION/PR
Burgerrock Media @burgerrockmedia
Irma Penunuri @burgerrock
PHOTOGRAPHER
Hugo Arvizu @arvizu_arts
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Baldo Mendoza @itsbaldooo
Marianela Valderrama @cafe.conflores
MAKEUP
Elaina Karras @elainakarras_
HAIR
Zayra Rayo @zayrarayo
INTERVIEW
Romina Olivia @rominaolivia_