Latin music, the term assigned to music performed predominantly in Spanish, is the fastest growing “genre” of music both in the U.S. and worldwide, with Latin acts –- from Bad Bunny to Karol G to Annita and Shakira — dominating both charts and headlines. But it wasn’t always like that: From its initial heyday in the 1950s, when Latin dances like mambo and cha-cha-cha were all the craze, Latin music’s popularity has ebbed and flowed. But for the last 35 years, at least, there has been two constants: the Billboard Latin charts and Billboard Latin Music Week.
What is now the single most important, and biggest, gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world, has been the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country and for the world. Every single artist of note has spoken or performed at Latin Music Week through the years: Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Selena, Jenni Rivera, Marc Anthony, Chayanne, Bad Bunny, Karol G, Daddy Yankee, Shakira, Romeo Santos, Don Omar, Camilo, Bizarrap, Carin León, Grupo Firme, Peso Pluma, Luis Fonsi, Christina Aguilera, Wisin, J Quiles, Gloria Trevi… The list goes on and on.
This year’s Latin Music Week, taking place October 14-18 at the Fillmore Miami Beach, will feature superstar speakers J Balvin, Young Miko, Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz, Peso Pluma, JOP (Fuerza Regida), Eden Muñoz, Bad Gyal, Mon Laferte,Thalia and Maria Becerra among many others. But Billboard’s history of stellar appearances is 35 years deep. Here are some outstanding moments in the Billboard’s Latin Music Week 35-year history.
Visit Billboard Latin Music Week to register to this year’s event.
The generically named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, starts as a one-day event in Miami. It consists of five industry panels, two artist showcases and an awards show televised from the 4,000-seat James L. Knight Center. About 150 people attend the conference.
The Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards take place in Las Vegas. Two then-unknown artists, Jon Secada and Selena, are introduced at the new-artist showcase.
Music mogul Emilio Estefan is the conference’s first keynote speaker.
Celia Cruz and Cachao López are inducted into the Billboard Hall of Fame.
Songwriter/producer KC Porter delivers the conference’s keynote speech. Tito Puente receives the El Premio Billboard lifetime achievement award, and Selena is posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Spirit of Hope award is created in Selena’s honor, to be given annually to a Latin artist who participates in humanitarian and civic causes.
Newcomer Shakira performs at a conference showcase in Miami. José Feliciano receives El Premio Billboard, and Juan Gabriel is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Gloria Estefan receives the Spirit of Hope award.
Fher and Alex González of Maná keynote the conference, impresario Ralph Mercado receives El Premio Billboard and Vicente Fernández is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Salsero Willie Chirino receives the Spirit of Hope award.
Billboard partners with Telemundo for the first time and the award show takes place at the ballroom at the Fontainebleu Hotel — with an amazing roster of artists, including Thalia and Alejandro Fernandez. Memorably, Ricky Martin performs “Livin’ La Vida Loca” at the height of the “Latin explosion.”
The traditional keynote is replaced with a one-on-one Q&A with Enrique Iglesias. For the first time ever, Telemundo airs the award show live from the Fillmore Miami Beach.
At the height of his popularity, Ricky Martin gives a rare Q&A and receives the Spirit of Hope award.
Pop star Chayanne is the Q&A guest. Academy Award-winning director Fernando Trueba talks about the marriage of film and music, and for the first time, Billboard hosts a reggaetón panel and a live production panel featuring Luny Tunes.
A record attendance at the conference, held in Miami Beach. Reggaetón superstar Daddy Yankee is the Q&A guest. For the first time in history, a publication in English puts a reggaetón star on its cover. The Billboard Award show includes the premiere of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” with Wyclef Jean. Shakira also receives the Spirit of Hope Award from a group of children flown in from her schools in Colombia.
In the middle of the reggaetón craze, Don Omar is the guest Q&A. Santana receives the Lifetime achievement award and Daddy Yankee the Spirit of Hope Award.
Latin Music Week returns to the Eden Rock in the Beach, in an expanded version that again features multiple Q&As with Gloria Trevi, Camila and keynoters Mana. Emmanuel receives the Lifetime Achievement Award and Gloria Estefan the Spirit of Hope.
Latin Music Week features Q&As by Pitbull, Emilio Estefan, the creators of Zumba and Jenni Rivera. It will be the last lengthy interview Jenni Rivera gives before her death, and her participation in Latin Music Week is immortalized in an episode of her reality show on mun2.
Latin Music Week celebrates 25 years with Q&As from Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Laura Pausini.
Romeo Santos, fresh from selling out three Madison Square Gardens, sits for a rare Q&A. We host our first new urban panel with J Balvin, Nicky Jam and J Quiles, and Carlos Santana sits down for Billboard’s first Icon Q&A.
Daddy Yankee and Don Omar sit down for a first-ever mano a mano. Marc Anthony is the star Q&A and Nicky Jam launches the now iconic Sony Music Publishing Iconic Songwriter panel.
The mano-a-mano between reggaetón stars Nicky Jam and J Balvin is livestreamed by over 1 million fans. Maluma makes his first appearance at Billboard Latin Music Week and the Sony ATV Q&A with Residente from Calle 13 sparks a Puerto Rican rap battle that lasts over two months.
Billboard Latin Music Week moves to Las Vegas with Maluma on the cover of Billboard. This will also be the year Bad Bunny makes his Latin Music Week debut in a Q&A and performance.
Ozuna, in the midst of controversy, gives a candid interview and Anuel talks about his life after prison. Wisin & Yandel, after playing 8 sell-out dates in Puerto Rico, sit together for the Sony ATV Q&A and Juan Luis Guerra is the iconic Q&A. The traditional women’s panel becomes historic, bringing together top female stars Becky G, Karol G, Anitta, Lali and Natti Natasha.
For the first time in over 30 years Billboard Latin Music Week does not take place in April, due to the Covid pandemic. The awards instead take place in September in Miami, and Billboard Latin Music Week is a virtual stellar event that features Rosalía, Nicky Jam and Carlos Vives, among many others.
The awards and Latin Music Week return live to Miami in September, in grand fashion, premiering the first “Making the Hit Live” with Lunay, Chris Jedi and Gabi Music. Daddy Yankee and Karol G sit for separate Star Q&As, Nicky Jam brings his Rockstar show to Latin Music Week for the first time, and Billboard’s En Vivo concert series features two major superstars: Daddy Yankee and Rauw Alejandro.
Grupo Firme and Maluma grace double Billboard covers, and both do exclusive interviews. Billboard Español launches with Colombian star Camilo on the cover; in turn, Camilo sits down for a conversation that included impromptu performances of his songs. The second Making the Hit Live session becomes a commercial release, and Anitta chats on a rooftop session and premieres new music. In the middle of a hurricane, J Quiles delivers a rousing Billboard En Vivo performance.
For the first time ever, Shakira is the Star Q&A at Latin Music Week, giving an intimate interview where she talks publicly for the first time about her separation from longtime partner Gerard Piqué. Peso Pluma plays an exclusive En Vivo for 300 people at the Faena Theater, Wisin brings reggaetón royalty for an exclusive conversation and a show, and MLB players and Puerto Rican artists talk music and sports.