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If there’s one act that might’ve seemed unexpected at this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, it’s Los Mirlos, the iconic Peruvian group whose distinct blend of psychedelic cumbia conjures the mysticism and vibrant energy of the Amazon jungle.

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In their native country, Los Mirlos (named after the blackbirds of the Peruvian jungle) are legends, who have carved out a legacy that transcends generations. Today, founder and lead vocalist, Jorge Rodríguez Grández, plays alongside his two sons, Jorge L. Rodríguez (musical director, pianist and guitar) and Roger Rodríguez (vocalist and guiro), who joins occasionally. They are joined by Danny Johnston (lead guitar), Dennis Sandoval (bass), Carlos Rengifo (percussion), Genderson Pineda (drums) and Junior Soto (second vocalist).

Beyond Peru’s borders, the seven-member group remains relatively unknown, much like many folk-rooted acts around the globe that thrive primarily within “world music” circles. Yet, the band took to the Sonora tent at Coachella in Indio, California, for two consecutive weekends, captivating a crowd of nearly 5,000 fans with electrifying performances that seamlessly fused echo-laden keyboards and hypnotic electric guitar riffs into their signature psychedelic cumbia sound.

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“It’s been extraordinary,” a tired Rodríguez Grández tells Billboard from Washington D.C., hours after the group’s second Coachella set. “We are so happy that they reached out to us, because we have been promoting our Amazonian cumbia vigorously, it’s what we represent. We come from Moyobamba in Peru, then moved to Lima, and have been recording since 1973. We never stopped.”

After the Coachella announcement, a furor followed: Los Mirlos had made history as the first Peruvian band to perform at the festival, bringing Amazonian cumbia to the global stage. It was a testament to the unwavering support from their dedicated fanbase over the years for the group’s untamed and profound echo of the jungle spirit.

Hailing from the lush landscapes of Moyobamba in Peru’s San Martín region, with a population of approximately 120,000 citizens (about the same as the Coachella capacity per day), Los Mirlos emerged in the 1970s as trailblazers of Amazonian cumbia, not only introducing this pulsating style to the world 50 years ago but also cementing their status as cultural pioneers.

Although Los Mirlos are well-known in neighboring countries, they have sporadically played in the U.S. Conversations to play at Coachella began after the festival’s team sought them out, tracking down the group’s manager to initiate the collaboration in 2023. “They were looking for us,” Rodriguez Grández remembers. “They wanted us to perform in 2024. They reached out to Javier, my son, our manager, in 2023, but we didn’t have enough time to get our working visas. So, we were on standby and resumed the conversation in 2024.”

Months before the initial Coachella conversation, the documentary La Danza De Los Mirlos — the directorial debut of Peruvian Álvaro Luque, written by Jorge Ossio Seminario and Emanuel Giraldo Betancur, which preserves the soul of the Amazon in its every beat through rare archival footage and intimate interviews — was released in August 2022.

“It was chosen by the board of filmmakers for the 26th Lima Film Festival, presented at the Gran Teatro Nacional,” Rodriguez Grández shares. “Of course, the director was very flattered that out of 300 films, they chose ours.”

The timing proved to be a boon, with a call from Coachella coming just after. “Alvaro Luque spent close to four years traveling and documenting Los Mirlos,” Mario Giancarlo Garibaldi, Artist Relations for Los Mirlos tells Billboard. “He finally released the documentary in late 2022, and it has been the catalyst for this new era. It made public the true story of the group and how charismatic and relentless Jorge Rodriguez, its leader and founder, has been.”

Los Mirlos

Jason Sullivan for DUPLA

Beyond the documentary release, however, the Los Mirlos brand was already firmly established. “We’ve performed at many festivals before,” Rodriguez Grández states. “We’ve been at Vive Latino in Mexico, the Luminato Festival in Toronto and the Cordillera Festival in Bogotá last year. But before the pandemic, we were at the Pitoonkatonk festival in Pittsburgh. We’ve even made it to Ruido Fest in Chicago. Plus, Los Mirlos’ record productions have been widely promoted in Latin America. This is in addition to social media and Spotify, which has been a strategic ally in helping our music spread worldwide.”

With their unmistakable sound, Los Mirlos brought their psychedelic cumbia (or chicha) beyond borders, solidifying their place as one of Peru’s most iconic bands. Their beats continue to resonate far and wide, inspiring a new wave of artists who draw from their pioneering melodies to keep the vibrant tradition of Amazonian cumbia thriving.

“We’ve collaborated with Renata Flores, Hit La Rosa, and other emerging acts,” Rodriguez Grández adds. “It’s a joy to team-up with young acts who have a different fanbase but who identify with Los Mirlos. There are also many established groups, orchestrated bands such as Agua Marina, Grupo 5, Armonía 10 from the north, other groups from the Amazon that are outstanding. We’re paving the way for other bands to have the opportunity to get to Coachella like us. That’s what happened in 1980 in Argentina, the first country we traveled to with our Amazonian cumbia. We spread our music throughout the country during the decade of 1980-1990, even until 1993, when other musical groups arrived.”

But to get to that next level of stardom is not just about availability, presence and collaborations — artists in Latin America, especially emerging bands, face insufficient resources and struggle due to lack of government financial support to help them access resources and build their presence and audience reach.

“Governments in Latin America provide financial support, through the Ministry of Culture like in Mexico,” Rodriguez Grández says. “In Peru, there is support, but lacks a bit. Outreach is as important, which is now happening more, where artists need to register to receive financial support. But it needs to be expanded further, as many groups don’t have the opportunities that Los Mirlos have. Our brand is recognized and well-positioned in the market, but emerging bands need more government support.”

Los Mirlos

Jason Sullivan for DUPLA

While Los Mirlos have built a strong reputation, it’s taken time to create pathways for their development, something achieved through dedication and a deep connection to their cultural roots. Their signature style is a clear subgenre of cumbia that blends hypnotic tropical rhythms with the rawness of the traditional Amazonian sounds, infused with psychedelic undertones.

“Our legacy is to maintain the original style of psychedelic Amazonian cumbia that emerged in ’73, which we continue to enjoy,” Rodriguez Grández adds. “The day I step aside, my children will continue with that style, because the world has shown me it is what it likes: the sound of the guitars that identifies the group, its personality, its identity. My grandchildren will come later, too; that’s my wish.”

It’s a true family affair, with even grandkids coming together to take part in rehearsals and share in the musical tradition. “My grandchildren are already attending rehearsals, playing the guiro — a Latin American percussion instrument — and the drums, and are learning to play the guitar too, and that’s nice, because one can rest easy knowing that this will continue: that’s the wish. Many along the way have asked me, ‘Don Jorge, why don’t you add trumpets, trombones, or saxophone? It would give it more weight…’ But no, I’ve kept it that way, buoyed by the synthesizer to vary some songs, but the essence is based on that bewitching guitar that gives our music its charm.”

In between the double-boiler Coachella sets, clad in flashy Amazonian-urban-styled uniforms co-designed with Adidas, Los Mirlos packed The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on April 14. As part of their Ayahuasca Tour 2025, they delivered a sold-out intimate show, serving as opening act for Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, one of the many renowned acts within their growing orbit. Adding to the desert energy, they met Camilo Lara of the Mexican Institute of Sound, and a handful of impassioned DJs who have included The Mirlos’ songs in their sets. “My joy would have been completed had I met Lady Gaga, at least for a photo,” Rodriguez Grández jokes.

Los Mirlos

Jason Sullivan

As for why “Ayahuasca Tour”: “We represent the jungle, and Ayahuasca is an ancient medicinal plant from our Amazon region,” explains Rodriguez Grández. “It’s a bark with healing properties, that guided by a shaman, extracts all the negativity of the body. Our song ‘Un Traguito de Ayahuasca’ has a positive message that conveys this.”

What’s next for Los Mirlos? “Well, we haven’t been to Japan, we want to visit Australia also,” muses Rodriguez Grández. “We are dropping a mastered version of our album El Milagro Verde on May 2nd, with new and classic songs produced by us. Also, a larger project is on the works, with very well-known artists, collaborations of new and classic songs. That’s going to be a bomb worldwide, I hope.” The album will be released via the independent label Revancha, founded by Peruvians Gino Pezzia and Alejandro León, with Marthin Chan as their new business A&R.

Rodriguez Grández says he would like Los Mirlos to be remembered with love, in every corner of the world: “The affection people have for us is great, and I feel very grateful to God because he gives us the opportunity to reach other generations; because their parents, grandparents, uncles danced to our music, now the youth is dancing as well.”

Los Mirlos

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Natti Natasha earns her first No. 1 as a soloist, unaccompanied by another artist, on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart with “Desde Hoy” which jumps 2-1 for its first week atop the April 19-dated ranking. It’s her first return to the summit in over five years.

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“Desde Hoy” takes the lead on Tropical Airplay, with the week’s Greatest Gainer honors, after a 9% gain in audience impressions, up 6.6 million, earned in the U.S. during the April 4-10 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song is the opening track off Natti’s fourth studio album, Natti Natasha En Amargue, her maiden entrance and first top 10 on the Tropical Albums chart (No. 6 debut and peak, Feb. 22 dated list).

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“Desde Hoy” marks Natti Natasha’s first No. 1 on Tropical Airplay in over five years. Her previous chart-topping hit, “La Mejor Versión de Mí,” her first collaboration with Romeo Santos as a co-billed artist, ruled the chart for 15 weeks between 2019-2020. Rewind to 2019, and her featured role on Don Omar’s “Dutty Love” reigned for one week then.

Notably, with “Desde Hoy” reaching No. 1, Natti joins an elite group of female artists who have topped the Tropical Airplay chart as soloists, unaided by any other act, during the 2020s decade. Before Natti, Rosalía’s “Despechá” reigned for four weeks in 2022, while Karol G most recently made history with “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” The latter broke the longest-leading record by surpassing Prince Royce’s 29-week reign with “Carita de Inocente” (chart dated Feb. 8). Ultimately, “Si Antes” dominated Tropical Airplay for 31 weeks between 2024-25.

With the new No. 1 by a woman, let’s review all the female artists who have led Tropical Airplay this decade, either as solo acts or through collaborations;

Title, Artist, Peak Date“La Mejor Versión de Mí,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, Oct. 26, 2019“Víctimas Las Dos,” Víctor Manuelle & La India, May 29, 2021“La Fama,” Rosalía Featuring The Weeknd, May 14, 2022“Te Espero,” Prince Royce & Maria Becerra, May 28, 2022“Despechá,” Rosalía, Oct. 1, 2022“Monotonía,” Shakira + Ozuna, Dec. 3, 2022“El Pañuelo,” Romeo Santos & Rosalía, Feb. 4, 2023“Así Es La Vida,” Enrique Iglesias & Maria Becerra, Dec. 9, 2023“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, July 20, 2024“Desde Hoy,” Natti Natasha, April 19, 2025

“Desde Hoy” also makes progress son the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it climbs 9-5

Ozuna and Kapo‘s debut collaboration is making waves, as “Más Que Tú” claims the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart (dated April 19). Colombian artist Kapo achieves a career milestone as he celebrates his first-ever chart-topping hit on the overall Latin radio ranking. Meanwhile, Ozuna continues as one of the chart’s top performers, adding a 35th No. 1 to his ledger.

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“Más Que Tú,” released Feb. 12 on Nibiru/Sony Music Latin, jumps 3-1 after earning 8.3 million audience impressions in the U.S. in the tracking week ending April 10, according to Luminate. That is a 14% gain in impressions from the week prior. The song ejects another Puerto Rican-Colombian pair-up from the lead: Yandel and Feid’s “Habláme Claro,” falls 1-13 with a 43% decline in audience (to 5.2 million), after one week in charge.

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Thanks to “Más Que Tú,” Ozuna reaches a new milestone, securing his 35th chart-topping hit on Latin Airplay since the chart’s inception in 1994. He ranks just behind J Balvin, who holds the record with 37 No. 1 hits. The latest chart-topping track comes a year after Ozuna last claimed the peak with “Baccarat,” which spent one week at No. 1 in March 2024.

Kapo, meanwhile, scores his first No. 1 on his sixth chart visit. The Colombian has earned four top 10s, including two No. 2-peaking songs, “Ohnana” last November and “Imagínate,” with Danny Ocean, on the April 5-dated list. The song drops 4-7 on the current ranking.

Notably, in 2025 so far, 11 songs have reached the top on the Latin Airplay chart. While Shakira (“Soltera”) and Karol G “(Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”) mark the only female presence among those winners, five of those emerge from collaborations between male soloists; all one-week rulers. Here’s the recap of the male collabs:

Title, Artist, Peak Position“Doblexxo,” J Balvin & Feid, March 15“Khe?,” Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos, March 29“Háblame Claro,” Yandel & Feid, April 12“Más Que Tú,” Ozuna & Kapo, April 19

Elsewhere, “Más Que Tú” also improves on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, where it jumps 2-1 for its first week atop.

All charts (dated April 19, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 15. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

The late Dominican Rubby Pérez singer-songwriter returns to the Billboard charts as his 2021 album, Rubby Pérez ¡Grandes Éxitos! debuts at No. 7 on the Tropical Albums chart (dated April 19). The 30-song set launches with 2,000 units equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the April 4-10 tracking week, according to Luminate. Pérez died on April 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during one of his performances. He was 69.

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It’s the merengue artist’s first appearance on any Billboard albums chart in over three decades. He was last on an albums chart when his self-titled set peaked at No. 15 on the Top Tropical Albums chart in 1987.

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“It’s been 25 years, a lifetime together, filled with beautiful memories,” Enrique Paulino, Pérez’s international manager tells Billboard. “The most important thing for me was his humility and his outpouring of affection for his audiences.”

Out of Rubby Pérez ¡Grandes Éxitos! album’s unit sum earned in the week ending April 10,1,000 units were attributed to streaming activity. That translates to 1.6 million official on-demand streams for the set’s songs; a resurgence that comes two days after Pérez’s passing. The remaining negligible amount come from traditional album sales and track-equivalent units.

“Rubby quietly did thousands of deeds, such as buying medicine for people with cancer and various other illnesses,” Paulino adds. “He bought pets and schoolbooks for children. He was greatly loved in his country, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. I want you to always remember him with his beautiful smile and his love for everyone.”

Pérez also achieved success on the Tropical Airplay chart, landing four entries over the years. Among them, “Tu Vas a Volar” reached a career-high at No. 9 in 2001. Most recently, Pérez collaborated with Romeo Santos, Toño Rosario and Fernandito Villalona on “15,500 Noches,” featuring Ramón Orlando, which peaked at No. 15 in 2022.

All charts (dated April 19, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 15. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Billboard Women in Music 2025

Selena Gomez is back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated April 5) as “Ojos Tristes,” with Benny Blanco and The Marias, debuts at No. 4. Thanks to the reimagination of Jeanette’s 1981 classic ballad “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes,” Blanco and The Marias secure their first top 10 on their second visit to the chart.

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“Ojos Tristes” opens at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs –which blends airplay, digital sales and streaming data into its formula– thanks to gains mainly through streaming activity. The song registered 8.2 million official streams in the U.S. in the tracking week ending March 27, according to Luminate. The sum yields a No. 3 start on Latin Streaming Songs, the fifth top 10 for Gomez and an equal first top 10 for Blanco and The Marias.

Gomez’s “Ojos Tristes” samples “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes” by Spanish-British Jeanette, who rose to the spotlight in the 1970s. While the song, composed by Manuel Alejandro, did not enter the charts, the singer-songwriter’s global hit, “Porque Te Vas,” reached No. 25 high on Latin Pop Airplay in 2008.

The bilingual “Ojos Tristes” intertwines nostalgic melodies with a modern sound, where Gomez sings in English and Maria Zardoya, of The Marias, lends her soft vocals to mirror Jeanette’s style for a modern audience.

The collaboration has propelled Blanco and The Marias to secure their first top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, after each scored an entry. Blanco reached No. 22 high last December as a featured artist on Myke Towers’ “Degenere.” The Marias, meanwhile, scored a No. 17 peak through their Bad Bunny collab “Otro Atardecer” in 2022.

For Gomez, “Ojos Tristes” gives her a fifth top 10 and first since “Selfish Love,” with DJ Snake, debuted and peaked at No. 6 in 2021.

“Ojos Tristes” also makes inroads across other Billboard charts. It debuts at No. 59 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Plus, it starts at No. 63 on the Billboard Global 200 with 19.5 million streams, and at No. 118 on Global Excl. U.S. with 11.3 million clicks outside the U.S.

Sales too assist on the song’s top 10 debut on Hot Latin Songs, as “Ojos Tristes” registers 1,000 downloads in the U.S. which translates into a No. 1 debut on Latin Digital Song Sales.

La T y La M’s “Amor De Vago,” featuring Malandro de América, rebounds for an 11th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated March 29). The song trades places with Jombriel, Ryan Castro, Jotta and Alex Krack’s “Parte & Choke (remix),” which dips 2-1 after one week in charge. Explore […]

Rauw Alejandro lands his first No. 1 single from Cosa Nuestra, his fifth studio album, on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, as “Khe?,” with Romeo Santos, rises from No. 3 for its first week at the summit (ranking dated March 29). The song is the fourth from the set to rank on the overall tally, two of which previously reached the top 10.

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“Khe?” is the most heard song among Latin-formatted radio stations thanks to a 5% bump in audience impressions, equating to 7.9 million earned in the U.S. during the March 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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The song reigns over previous No. 1 “El Amor de Mi Vida” by Carín León, which drops to No. 8 with a 22% dip in impressions.

“Khe?” is Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos’ first collab, and, coincidentally, their first No. 1 on Latin Airplay since 2023. While Rauw Alejandro last led through “Party,” with Bad Bunny, the Santos’ previous coronation arrived via another team-up, “El Pañuelo,” with Rosalía. The two leaders were only two weeks away from each other.

For Santos, while “Khe?” puts him in a tie with Wisin (22) for the ninth-most champs overall since Latin Airplay began in 1994, the new coronation expands his already-established No. 1 record among tropical acts –way ahead of his next competitor, Prince Royce, who has achieved 17 No. 1s to date.

Before “Khe?” topped the Latin Airplay chart, Rauw’s No. 1 album Cosa Nuestra delivered the No. 23-peaking “Touching The Sky” (Aug. 2024), while “Tú Con Él” landed at No. 7 and “Qué Pasaría,” with Bad Bunny, reached No. 3 high on the Feb. 15- and the March 8-dated charts, respectively.

All charts (dated March 29, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 25. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Ecuadorians Jombriel, Alex Krack and Jøtta earn their first No.1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as the remix of “Parte y Choke,” with Ryan Castro, rises 2-1 on the March 22 dated ranking.

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The buzzy song’s rise, which was originally released Nov. 5 on La Sangre Nueva and debuted at No. 33 last December, takes the lead after the release of the remix by the Colombian singer-songwriter.

“Parte y Choke’s” popularity driver also leans on TikTok activity with support from fans and artists alike. Nicki Nicole went viral after the Argentinian shared a clip of her dancing to Jombriel’s song, which has since registered over 16 million views and more than two million likes.

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“Parte y Choke” trades places with La T y La M’s “Amor de Vago,” featuring Malandro, which dips 2-1 after 10 weeks in charge, the most in 2025.

Emilia and Luísa Sonza’s “Bunda” rises 5-4 for its new peak and Sonza’s highest ranking to date.

Notably, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars earn their first top 10 through “Die With A Smile” which advances 13-10. It’s the second simultaneous song from Lady Gaga’s No. 1 album, Mayhem, after “Abracadabra” climbs 37-26.

CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso take the Greatest Gainer honors of the week thanks to “#TETAS,” as the song surges 98-50. The Argentinians also take the Hot Shot debut of the week with “El Día Del Amigo” at No. 68. Plus, a third song from their newly-released EP Papota debuts: “Dumbai” at No. 77.

Four other debuts arrive this week, starting with two entries by Shakira, “Inevitable” at No. 72 and “Dia De Enero” at No. 96. Meanwhile, Zell, DUKI and Neo Pistea’s “Starboy Remix” opens at No. 80.

Lastly, Mon Laferte returns to the chart through “Tu Falta de Querer” at No. 98. It’s the Chilean’s first entry in over six years. since “El Beso” debuted and peaked at No. 98 in 2018.

Carín León expands his radio reach with his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “El Amor De Mi Herida” rises 2-1 on the March 22-dated list. The song also adds a second week atop the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]

La T y La M’s “Amor The Vago,” featuring Malandro de América, leads the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart for a 10th consecutive week (chart dated March 15). The song, released Aug. 23 on Zelaya Producciones/ Grace Music, is the second one to rule the tally in 2025, after Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera […]