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Mexican superstar Alejandro Fernández announced Tuesday (Feb. 14) his 21-date Amor Y Patria Tour, which is set to kick off Sept. 8 in Sacramento, Calif. The 2023 stint will follow the prolific touring act’s 2021 Hecho En México trek, which marked his grand return to live shows after the pandemic.
Fernández will be joined by his son Alex Fernández and the Live Nation-produced tour will be an “all new show celebrating” Fernández’s love of music, family and Mexico. “I feel a real sense of pride to see how people are receiving [my son],” Fernández tells Billboard during a phone interview. “It makes me excited because it brings back a lot of memories and brings me a lot of nostalgia.” Fernández also reveals that he will dedicate his shows to God and his father, the legendary Vicente Fernández, who died in December 2021.
For Amor Y Patria, the “Inexperto en Olvidarte” singer will visit major cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Atlanta before wrapping up the tour in Miami on Oct. 22. Fernández is also set to perform at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival on Feb. 21.
“Each show is different, each audience is different, and the reactions are different,” Fernández says about his love for touring. “I always do my job and homework whenever I visit a new city or country. I want to know which songs they are listening to the most in that specific area. I also really like to know the culture and the food. Normally, if I have time and if I go with my girlfriend, I give myself time to get to see the country, to go out to eat at different places,” he adds.
The ranchera singer is also set to release new music and will focus more on releasing singles instead of albums. “We’re going to work a little differently,” he explains. “Physical albums are challenging to sell, and more and more people consume digital. Everyone is adjusting to do more of that format.”
Fernández shares in his own words the five essential romantic songs that are a must on his set list, including his shows for Amor Y Patria. “In other words, none of these songs can be missing from the list because [the crowd] would hang me or throw rocks at me if I don’t sing them,” he explains. “My fans enjoy love [songs] more, but the songs they feel the most are those of heartbreak. The love songs I sing must be excellent songs because some can sound very cheesy.”
“Como Quien Pierde Una Estrella”
In ranchera music, this song was my first hit that I had internationally and proudly, it was with Mexican music.
“Caballero”
This is the song we were opening with for our “Hecho En Mexico” tour and still, it is one of the most popular songs on streaming platforms.
“Me Dediqué a Perderte”
This song is one that fans always sing along to at the top of their lungs at my concerts.
“Inexperto en Olvidarte”
This is my most recent single and it’s had an incredible response so it’ll be a must on the set list.
“Te Olvidé”
This one is not a love song, but it is very good. It’s a heartbreak song, and well, those who are not in love can also have something to listen to.
See the complete list of dates for Amor Y Patria below. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10am on Ticketmaster.com.
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When Lele Pons posts on Instagram, she does it with a mix of glamour, self-deprecating humor and simplicity that has charmed some 50 million fans into following her. And over the past two years, many of her buzziest posts have showcased the Venezuelan influencer’s love for her fiancé, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Guaynaa, who counts 6.2 million followers of his own. But Pons, 26, and Guaynaa, 30, are much more than just a captivating couple, and their recent engagement isn’t limited to marriage: They’ll now be also making music together.
Check out the exclusive photos below, and read the full Billboard cover story by Sigal Ratner-Arias here.
Bizarrap and Shakira hold strong atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” leads for a third consecutive week on the Feb. 4-dated ranking.
While Luck Ra’s “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’Onga and Ke Personajes, remains at No. 2, “Muñecas,” the partnership by TINI, La Joaqui and Steve Aoki, lifts 5-3; the closest La Joaqui and Aoki have been to the top 10 the 100 title-deep chart.
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” drops 3-4, while Cris Mj, Duki and Nicki Nicole’s “La Marisola,” featuring Standly, dips 4-5. Plus, Argentinian urban artist BM secures his first top 10 with “M. A. (Mejores amigos)” as the track ascends 13-7 in its ninth week.
The week’s Greatest Gainer honors goes to Lil Cake & Migrantes’ “Mercho,” featuring Nico Valdi, rallies up the chart 64 rankings: from No. 78 to No. 14; the most since Luar La L’s “Calle” also surged 64 positions (90-26) in Aug. 2022.
Elsewhere, Feid’s “Chorrito Pa Las Animas” scores the Hot Shot Debut of the week at No. 78, the Colombian’s 10th entry. Further, Rosalía’s latest single “LLYML” opens at No. 86. Plus, Callejero Fino claims his 11th career entry as “Que Te Vaya Bien” starts at No. 95.
Finally, Ovy On The Drums and Ozuna’s “Chao Bebe” debuts at No. 98.
After over a decade and a half, Yuridia returns to the top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Feb. 11) with “Que Agonía,” with Angela Aguilar. The single, released via Sony Music Latin Oct. 20, rallies 28-10 in its second week to become the Greatest Gainer among the 50-title chart.
“Que Agonía” was written by Pepe Aguilar and daughter Angela. It’s the fifth single from Yuridia’s seventh studio album Pa’ Luego Es Tarde which debuted and peaked at No. 7 on Regional Mexican Albums last November. The set is the Mexican’s first studio album since 6 reached No. 3 on Latin Pop Albums in 2016. Plus, it’s Yuridia’s first ranchera foray after almost two decades as a pop singer.
“Que Agonía” traces its 28-10 surge to a lofty 85% gain in audience impressions, to 7.7 million, earned in the U.S. in the Jan.27-Feb. 2 tracking week, according to Luminate. With the lift, Yuridia secures her second top 10 and first since a featured turn in Victor Manuelle’s “Nuestro Amor Se Ha Vuelto Ayer” reached No. 8 in 2006. “Que Agonia,” thus, is Yuridia’s first top 10 on Latin Airplay as a lead artist.
For Aguilar, “Agonía” provides her third straight top 10 on the all-genre tally which launched with the No. 5 high “Dime Cómo Quieres,” with Christian Nodal, in 2021.
Over on Regional Mexican Airplay, “Agonía” soars 19-5 also in its second week. It nearly doubles its peak from “¿Y Qué Tal Si Funciona?,” with Banda MS, the fourth single from the Eden Muñoz-produced Pa’ Luego Es Tarde. The latter track reached No. 11 in November.
Elsewhere, “Agonía” also makes progress on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, as its advances to No. 20 in its 12th week, Yuridia’s highest ranked title there since the No. 16-peaking “Ahora Entendí” in 2008.
Exactly three months ago, on Sept. 22, we officially launched Billboard Español with Colombian star Camilo on our first digital cover. We started literally from zero.
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Today, after only 90 days, we publish over 40 original stories per week to the site, boast over a quarter of a million monthly visits to billboardespanol.com and are growing our number of visits and users by 20% month to month.
Thanks to music fans who speak Spanish in every corner of the world, Billboard Español is a hit.
Given what we’ve attained in terms of numbers, it’d be logical to say that launching Billboard Español was a business decision. But this is, first and foremost, an initiative that comes from the heart.
When I came to work at Billboard, 20 years ago (yes, unreal), I felt my mission was to “translate” our music, our culture and our artists to the mainstream, English-speaking world. I looked around me and I couldn’t understand why major media companies ignored what happened musically in Spanish. The lack of interest extended to other areas, like film and television. We were virtually invisible. It felt like language was an unbreachable barrier.
But in Billboard I found a powerful tool: a media brand that was recognized as the “Bible” of the music industry. And within it, a platform where I could constantly generate content about Latin music and its artists. We devoted the last two decades to growing this platform and opening the eyes and ears of our readers to the sounds of our artists.
From one a column a week, we went to a page, several pages, a Latin department and a wide array of coverage that includes a vast menu of videos, social media and reporters in the Latin world, in addition to the Billboard Latin Music Awards and, of course, our unparalleled Billboard Latin Music Week.
We’ve had more than 40 Latin artists on the cover of Billboard and we’ve made history. We were the first English-language media brand to have a reggaeton star on its cover (Daddy Yankee in 2005), the first and only to have J Balvin and Nicky Jam together on a cover, and the first to join Jennifer Lopez with Maluma. The list goes on and on. This year alone, Romeo Santos, Maluma, Grupo Firme and Sebastian Yatra — four artists representing four different Latin music genres — were on our cover, in addition to Camilo.
The final flourish, of course, was Bad Bunny on the cover of our No. 1s issue. Not only was he the first Latin artist to ever grace our No. 1 cover issue, but he was also the first artist to be featured on simultaneous Billboard covers in English and Spanish.
Billboard Español is the latest link in this long chain of achievements, and it’s perhaps the most significant, for we are covering Latin music in two languages. In addition to our extraordinary Latin music team, we’ve built an excellent editorial team for Billboard Español, with Sigal Ratner-Arias, a respected veteran of entertainment and music reporting, as deputy editor.
We are literally creating a new way of covering music, in our language.
Today, Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States; according to the U.S. Census, more than 41 million people speak it at home. And music in Spanish is the second most listened to music in the world, only after music in English.
That means that for 2023, there is only room for us to grow, expanding our coverage of Latin music on all our Billboard platforms, including Billboard Español.
The best is yet to come!
Leila Cobo
Chief Content Officer, Billboard Latin/Español
Bad Bunny talks to our Chief Content Officer of Latin Leila Cobo about his current tour, World’s Hottest Tour, his favorite places to tour, how he approaches collaborations, when he wants to take a break from his career, reflects on his journey to the top and more!
Yes, the rumors are true: Bad Bunny and Arcángel are releasing a new song together, and you’ll be able to hear it much sooner than you think. “La Jumpa,” the pair’s latest collaboration, will be out on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at 5 p.m. ET.
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Arcángel revealed that “La Jumpa” was recorded remotely in recent days, and will be included on his forthcoming album Señor Santos, which will arrive on Thursday (Dec. 1) at 8 p.m. under Rimas Entertainment.
“It’s a song that he sent me about a week ago. I already had the album finished and we were waiting for it,” Arcángel told Billboard Español in an exclusive interview.
“La Jumpa” joins a list of collaborations between Arcángel and Bad Bunny, including hits “Me Acostumbré” (2017), “Original” (2018) and “Por Ti” (2021), as well as 2016’s “Diles” with Ozuna, Farruko and Ñengo Flow and 2017’s “Soy Peor Remix” with J Balvin and Ozuna.
On Tuesday, Bad Bunny caused a stir by posting a series of photos of the two of them together over the years in his Instagram stories. Hours later, rumors of a possible new collab were trending in countries like Argentina.
Bunny, who is currently touring Latin America with his World’s Hottest Tour, “already had some ideas for the next song that we would record together” and managed to do it in Peru, Arcángel said. “Remember that he’s on tour and it’s very difficult for him to go to a music studio, so he had to send someone to look for a studio.”
“He sent me the song, we recorded the same day, and three, four days passed in which we sent back and he listened,” he continued. “You know, we haven’t seen each other in a few months, and we recorded the last track for my album this week. Yesterday we were able to deliver it and all the parties were happy with the mastering of the song, we are all in agreement, so we finished it yesterday and the album is out in two days”.
“La Jumpa” is one of the 18 tracks in Señor Santos, a trap album which Arcángel dedicates to the memory of his brother Justin, who died last year in a car accident. A video for “La Ruta,” a song by Arcángel with YOVNGCHIMI that talks about the current times in Puerto Rico, will also arrive with the album on Dec. 1.
Señor Santos additionally features collaborations with Duki and Bizarrap (“Vaterri Botas”), Myke Towers (“Dígitos”), Eladio Carrión (“Santa Claus”), Bryant Myers (“Spicy Crab”), Diem (“De negro”), De La Ghetto (“Then”), Almighty (“Fendace”), and Young Flow, Jim Jones, Chucky 73 and Douba Montana (“Son Scotti”).
Arthur Hanlon does it again. After thrilling audiences with his 2021 HBO Max special Piano y Mujer, the “gringo with a Latin soul” returns in time for the holidays with Piano y Mujer II, along with a diverse group of Latin female stars that includes reggaetón queen Ivy Queen and Mexican sibling duo Ha*Ash.
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The special concert, which also features Costa Rican singer/songwriter Debi Nova, Colombian singer Catalina García (of eclectic popsters Monsieur Periné) and Mexican singer Lupita Infante, is out Nov. 25 in album format on Sony Music Latin, and will stream on HBO Max beginning Nov. 29.
“I’m extremely proud. When we filmed the first Piano y Mujer, it was like a tribute and a celebration of strong, intelligent and creative women, like the women in my home,” Hanlon told Billboard. “I grew up with three sisters, my mom and my grandmother in the house – five women who listened to me play the piano every single day, who pushed me and supported me. Now, with this second concert, I am so very happy.”
The first Piano y Mujer, where Hanlon had Kany García, Natalia Jiménez, Goyo, Evaluna Montaner and Nella as guests, is still streaming on HBO Max. This makes the piano virtuoso the only music artist currently with two concerts available simultaneously on the streaming service.
Pianist Arthur Hanlon and Catalina Garcia during the HBO Max concert special “Piano y Mujer II”
Basilio Silva
Piano y Mujer II was filmed on a stage decorated with an exuberant garden, where each female artist took turns to sing next to Hanlon, accompanied by an all-female band, performing both Latin standards and new versions of their own hits. The repertoire includes classics like “Bésame mucho” by Consuelo Velázquez (Catalina García), “Quizás quizás quizás” by Osvaldo Farrés (Debi Nova) and “Ya te olvidé” by Marco Antonio Solís and originally recorded by Rocío Dúrcal, performed here by Ivy Queen in one of her most sublime renditions. New takes on current hits include “Lo Aprendí de Ti” (Ha*Ash) and “La Canción” (García).
“The formula is a smash hit by each singer, and a second song that each of them have always wanted to sing,” explains Hanlon, who did all the musical arrangements and co-produced along with Eddie Pérez.
For example, Ha*Ash, the duo of Mexican-American singers Ashley and Hannah Pérez, harmonize beautifully on their hit “Lo aprendí de ti” and also on a gorgeous version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” And Lupita Infante shines with a powerful bilingual rendition of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You.” The ’70s star had recorded a little known Spanish version of the song, titled “Sin Ti,” before the English version became a hit in the 1990s when Mariah Carey covered the song.
Hanlon met Nilsson when he moved to Los Angeles as a young pianist fresh out of Manhattan School of Music who dreamt of a recording career in Latin music. Nilsson, says Hanlon, became a kind of mentor, and personally played him the Spanish version of “Without You.”
“He was way ahead of his time,” says the pianist. “I was very impressed […] And now, when we were looking for the right song, I remembered that one. I thought, now is really the perfect time to record this, with someone like Lupita who’s an amazing vocalist.”
Hanlon also performs two of his own compositions: The instrumental track “Toccata,” which he wrote in Colombia during the Feria de Cali, inspired by the music he heard late at night; and “We’re Going To Make It Tonight,” a bilingual song conceived especially to close the concert and performed by all the guests together onstage.
In the video, Hanlon says the seeds for Piano y Mujer were planted during his teen years in Detroit, where, as a 15-year-old, he played in a local band at events and parties. Often, when hosts couldn’t afford the full band, Hanlon’s agent would offer the pianist with a female singer. Being able to bring that concept to life in a big way with not one but two HBO specials “is a dream come true,” says Hanlon.
Piano y Mujer II took about six months to bring to life, from January 2021, when the project was approved, until July, when it was filmed in a Miami studio. Hanlon says it was important to him, particularly coming out of the pandemic, to take time to personally meet with every one of the singers and work on the arrangements.
“I feel people know when something has been forced or rushed,” he says. “I totally believe in connecting over empanadas, coffee and wine.”
With so many great female Latin artists, and such a rich and wide songbook, he hopes for new renditions of the project.
“Some of my artist friends have said, ‘Ay Arthur, how cool, congratulations — and what about me?’” he says with a laugh.
“For me, the thrill of the music, is that the piano, more than an instrument, is a vehicle to transport people to another place, and with these women I have the opportunity to do so. This project is out of this world for me.”
Pianist Arthur Hanlon and Debi Nova during the HBO Max concert special “Piano y Mujer II”
Basilio Silva
Y Mujer… The Guest Artists Speak
Catalina García: One of the beautiful things for me was to return to the origin of the song: The voice, accompanied by such a special instrument, which can create rhythm and harmony. And of course, knowing it’s a project that honors women as interpreters and composers, and of course, being part of a group of powerful women who have listened to each other during our lives.
Ha*Ash: It’s always a pleasure and a joy to work with Arthur and we feel honored to be part of this beautiful project with him and such talented women. We were able to perform “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a song that is particularly significant for us, and that made the experience all the more special.
Lupita Infante: When he brought me the song and he told me the story behind it and why it’s so special to him, I knew we were making history together. I’d never heard a Spanish version of “Without You” and when I did, it brought tears to my eyes.
Debi Nova: The experience of being part of Piano y Mujer II was wonderful. Not only is Arthur a musician I profoundly admire, but I also have the honor to be surrounded by women who greatly inspire me. Both songs I perform are very close to my heart.
Ivy Queen: For me it’s about listening to my songs in different way, from a different perspective, because I feel the piano is as pure as the guitar, as intimate and romance. And we gave my song a different twist here.
Editor’s Note: Hanlon is married to Billboard’s Chief Content Officer, Latin/Espãnol, Leila Cobo.
The Latin Recording Academy on Wednesday (Nov. 16) celebrated the fruitful careers of eight artists from diverse genres and nationalities who have left a deep mark on Latin music.
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Rosario Flores from Spain, Myriam Hernández from Chile, Rita Lee from Brazil, Amanda Miguel from Argentina and Yordano from Venezuela received the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic value to Latin music and their communities. While Spanish musician and executive Manolo Díaz, Cuban jazz player Paquito D’Rivera and Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel received the Trustees Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Latin music, though not necessarily in an interpretive capacity. (D’Rivera and Laboriel, for example, are renowned instrumentalists).
“These are industry professionals who, with their work and life example, forge the true meaning of the word excellence,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, as he opened the ceremony in Las Vegas. “This is one of those events that fills you with very special pride, because this award celebrates not a song or a specific achievement, but a great journey, a life journey that we know and remember forever.”
There was laughter — mainly courtesy of D’Rivera — and also tears from the honorees and the audience. The emotional ceremony was hosted by salsa singer Víctor Manuelle and included artists such as Fito Páez, Carlos Vives, Cami, Ana Victoria, Ricardo Montaner and Sebastián Yatra as presenters. The only one missing was the Brazilian star Rita Lee, who sent word that she was “happy as a partridge,” according to Giulia Be, who presented her award.
The event preceded the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, which take place on Thursday (November 17) at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The show will be broadcast live on Univision at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) and will also be available on HBO Max.
Here are the five best quotes from the Latin Grammys Special Awards honorees:
Amanda Miguel, on finding peace after the passing of her husband, singer-songwriter Diego Verdaguer: “This is an award that gives me peace and fulfillment and the love that music returns to you. Music is that, it is God. It is the way to express ourselves without speaking, but with such beautiful, distinguished sounds. I thank God for making me a musician, a singer, a composer, for having given me that pleasure. Eternal thanks to all the people who made me who I am, because I did not do it alone — first and foremost my husband, Diego Verdaguer […] I share this with him because he was the creator, he was my biggest fan.”
Myriam Hernández, on the recent wave of female singer-songwriters hailing from Chile: “I come from a wonderful country, Chile, where making it in the music industry was very difficult for us. […] But today I see with great optimism and joy that there are many women from my country who are in music and I hope that one day they too will achieve this recognition that I am receiving today. I thank my country for having supported me, and above all, I thank God for giving us this gift.”
Paquito D’Rivera, on his idol Benny Goodman and the “carne y frijol” (meat and beans): “I remember one day my father, who was a saxophonist, came home with a Benny Goodman record and I asked him ‘What is that!?’ I fell in love with that music. He told me: ‘That’s swing, that’s jazz, and that’s New York, and that’s Carnegie Hall’. When he said Carnegie Hall, I understood ‘carne y frijol’ (meat and beans). […] Well, the point is that many years later I celebrated my 50th anniversary in music at the ‘carne y frijol’, the Carnegie Hall. And I remember once when Benny Goodman, who was my idol, was awarded a statuette like this one, he said something I could never forget: ‘It’s incredible to me that they’re giving me such an important award just for doing the only activity that I really enjoy doing’. Thank you […] for helping me to do the only thing that really interests me in life: playing music for you.”
Rosario Flores, on growing up in a family of artists: “For me today is an exceptional day because today I receive the award for my art, for my dedication since I was born. To my inspiration. To the energy of my mother (Lola Flores) […] of my brother Antonio and my sister Lolita. I take all of them with me, and because of them I am an artist, because they were all artists and they taught me what art was. I have many angels with me that are them. I honor art with every pore of my skin.”
Yordano, on singing what is hard for him to say: “I was a big stutterer when I was a kid. During my childhood and adolescence it was difficult for me to speak, and that was terrible because I would fall in love and it would become even worse. Every summer we would go to the beach and every summer I would fall madly in love, since I was 12 years old. I suffered a lot. I think that, thanks to that accumulated suffering, I managed to create many love songs.”