las poderosas
After the death of her mother in 2017, Olga Tañón went through troubling times that were exacerbated by the arrival of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“I can’t say that I went into depression … I got anxious,” the Puerto Rican tropical music star tells Billboard Español. “I didn’t sing for two and a half years.” She also mentions she gained a considerable amount of weight, and that she still wears a mask to protect her daughter Gabriela, who has been dealing with a rare genetic disorder and autoimmune conditions for years.
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But during her lockdown period at her Ocala, Florida home, the “Mujer de Fuego” (Fire Woman) decided to take back the reins of her life. She not only sang again, but she underwent bariatric surgery to lose the extra pounds, after acknowledging that she wasn’t able to do it on her own. The characteristically bold artist has openly spoken about this experience via social media.
After that, she went off to record over 25 songs — she’s already released more than a dozen, the most recent being the tongue-in-cheek vallenato cut “Perro Arrepentido.” Furthermore, the star is back on stage, showcasing her signature energetic performances though her live shows. Now she is preparing to travel the world with her Simetría Tour, which will take her to Latin America, Europe and the U.S. starting this June in Peru.
“I am very happy,” says the hitmaker of songs like “Cómo Olvidar,” “Así es la Vida” and “Basta Ya” — who in her over-three-decade career has landed 38 singles on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart and holds the record as the woman with the most top 10s on the Tropical Airplay listing, with a staggering 28. “I think we all had a big resurgence after the pandemic, which hit many people so hard.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, Billboard introduced its “Las Poderosas” series, featuring a select number of powerful Latinas getting real about the word “empowerment,” as well as about their space in Latin music and more. The series debuted on March 20 with LALI and continued on the 22nd with Nathy Peluso and Carla Morrison on the 23rd. Read our exclusive Q&A with Olga Tañón below:
What does empowerment mean to you as an artist and as a woman?
To take control of things and not depend on others. I always tell women — and I am very clear — when they ask me, “Olga, why did you decide to have a bariatric procedure if you could [lose weight on your own]?” I’m like, “You know what? Because I wanted to!” That is very easy to answer. The decision was completely mine, because you are the only person who is going to take the risks and the consequences. And empowerment for me is really doing what you want, but coming out triumphant, even if it hurts.
What does empowerment NOT mean to you?
Sitting at home doing nothing and thinking that things are never really going to change. Lazy people, people who fall and say, “Oh, I can’t handle this anymore” … I haven’t been through — and I pray to God that I never go through it — the loss of a child. Whenever I have met people who have lost a child, you know, it’s been a terrible thing that never, ever — even though I have a daughter with a serious condition — crosses my mind.
But it happened to one of my best friends, and it is the example that she gives me. She tells me: “If I sit down to mourn my daughter my whole life, I’m going to destroy it.” And she has become a beautiful influencer who talks about wonderful things. Turning yourself into a potato is not empowerment. [Empowerment] is taking advantage of those difficult times to get back up and emerge stronger.
What is the best advice you have received as a woman in music?
To not deny myself of new opportunities. Because there are many people who are convinced that theirs is the absolute truth of the whole world and universe, and they are wrong. I believe that you can also do some kind of fusion within the things that you do. I love staying current, but I don’t close myself off to other things either. It is one thing to be faithful to your roots, and another thing to have an open mind to continue learning new sounds, new proposals.
Which woman has served you as a mentor or role model?
My mom, a woman who studied up to sixth grade; they took her out of school because she had to raise all her siblings, because there was hunger in her house. My mom always told me that the greatest pain a human being can have is the pain of hunger. And she taught me many things. Mami was a loving but rustic woman. I used to tell her, “You are like a rose, beautiful from above but with some thorns that annoy.” But they told you the truth. My mom taught me to keep going and forget about the things that people say. If you pay attention to every thing that others tell you, you will never live your own life.
Have things changed for Latina women in music in the last five years?
I have seen a tremendous change, especially in urbano women. In the tropical genre, there are still not many [female artists] — or unfortunately if there are many, they have not been given the value that they should be given. But I’ve seen a lot of women, which is something that I love … [It started with the rapper] Lisa M in Puerto Rico, and obviously the one who has maintained all this is Ivy Queen — because sometimes I say, “It’s not the first, it’s the one who maintains it,” and she has kept going. Well look, we are seeing girls like Karol G, who is really taking half the world by storm right now, and I am more than proud of all those girls.
What is your favorite girl-power song?
The songs that I live to sing in my shows — and it’s like I sing it for the first time, and [it] gets me emotional in the same way — are actually two: “La Gran Fiesta” and “Basta Ya,” a song that came out 28 or 29 years ago, when the word “empowerment” wasn’t so in style. These type of songs give you enough strength to learn to say “go to hell” to all the things that are not good for you and don’t nourish your soul. Also it’s like in “La Gran Fiesta,” to recognize that life has its bad moments, that when it hits you it doesn’t warn you, but you cherish the most beautiful little moments that you experience. And that reminds me a lot of my mom, because she had the opportunity to listen to it before she died, and every time I sing it I feel like I’m flying.
After taking a break in 2017 and spending some time out of the spotlight, Carla Morrison recounts a more positive return to the stage than she imagined with El Renacimiento Tour, which began in May 2022 and continues in 2023. Between laughs, the Mexican singer-songwriter describes to Billboard Español how happy she felt to reunite with her fans and to hear their longing for her romantic music in times of reggaetón.
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Her perspective on touring is different this time.
With more self-awareness, the wisdom of someone who has worked on herself, and an assertiveness that she attributes to experience, Morrison expresses: “I have very clear limits, my routine, my priorities, and my values. I also think it’s my age, I’m about to turn 37 and I feel less serious about everything. I say to myself: ‘Carla, is just music, no one is going to die… Enjoy it!’”
She did not always have the same confidence. When Morrison began to take her first steps in music, she was ashamed to charge for her performances. It was her mother who insisted to her: “Mija, fight for what is yours.” She now understands that her mother wanted to teach her to fight for her rights.
Since then, she has faced many challenges as a woman in music. “To be compared, to be branded, to be called many names. My music has been used without asking for permission… by men with a lot of power,” she recalls. When she complained about not receiving credit for her music, she was told she should be thankful.
However, asked about the future, Morrison says without hesitation: “The future is female. We are gaining more ground and we are finally getting the place we deserve. And when that happens, it’s just going to be a world filled with love, compassion, tenderness, and opportunity. There are going to be many more women in production, on stage, in photography, in art, and management. You will see many women participating and learning without fear.”
Recently, Morrison collaborated with Karol G on the song “Mañana Será Bonito,” which peaked at No. 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated March 11. The track also earned Morrison her first Billboard Hot 100 entry. The composition was a request by the Colombian artist and Morrison wasn’t expecting to sing on it. She remembers that her husband (with whom she usually writes songs) pointed out that “Mañana Será Bonito” should be the title of the song. To their surprise, it ended up being the title chosen by the Colombian star for her historic album.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Billboard kicked off its “Las Poderosas” series, featuring a select number of powerful Latinas who get real about the word “empowerment,” their space in Latin music, and more. The series debuted on March 20 with LALI and continued on the 22nd with Nathy Peluso. Read the exclusive Q&A with Morrison below:
What does empowerment mean to you as an artist and as a woman?
It’s remembering your rights and what you deserve like any human being in this world. I think women have often fallen into that place where we feel that we should not ask, question or demand, because we look bad, because we should be grateful … But in reality, we have every right to question, ask and demand. I believe that empowering yourself is putting yourself in the place that you should always be, knowing your value, our work, and the quality and value of our work.
What does empowerment NOT mean to you?
Making decisions based on fear, based on saying, ‘No, I’m not going to ask and I’m not going to say anything because [when I’m quiet] I look prettier.’ I think that this is not empowering. And it is not empowering to attack men either.
What is the best advice you have received as a woman in music?
When I was just starting, I wrote to Julieta Venegas through MySpace, and I told her, “I’m from Tecate, I’m starting music and I wanted to ask you for some advice — because I saw that you left very young, how did you manage?” And she told me: “Carla, I just left, I fought for my dream — if I can, you can.” And that is one of the things I remember and treasure a lot, because she made me see something that I felt so unattainable as very achievable. Something as simple as a word of support, someone telling you, “You can do it too,” is priceless.
Which woman has served you as a mentor or role model?
Hijole, the truth is going to sound very cliché, but I think that the person who has inspired me the most in my life is my mother. There have been so many women who have given me good advice, but my mother is the woman I admire the most — because she is a very strong and hard-working woman. She always told me that writing, singing and being an artist was good. And she always brings me back to earth when I travel a lot in my thoughts. My mom has been my mom, but also my friend and my accomplice. And I know not all of us have that.
Have things changed for Latina women in music in the last five years?
I think that things have changed in the aspect of the sisterhood. I think that among women we support, celebrate and accept each other more, and we criticize each other less. What I do think hasn’t changed is this very sexual part, of feeling that we have to expose ourselves to sell. I think some women show off their bodies because they love it and that’s fine. So, if that’s their way of presenting their work, that’s fine with me, because they feel comfortable. I don’t feel so comfortable there with the boobs out and so on, but I see other girls who do it and I say: awesome! If it works for you … Amazing! But it’s not my style.
Favorite girl power song?
A song that spoke to me about female empowerment when I was very young and made me cry when I heard it was “Quisieras Andar Conmigo” by Julieta Venegas. I remember when I heard it I said, “Julieta, what!” It is something that never happens. I thought it was cool that a girl wrote a song that talks about something that men usually do. And right now, clearly [“Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”] by Shakira and Bizarrap. By being honest, [Shakira] empowered herself, but women empowered her more, and so it became this Amazon-like force. And another song is “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé.
Armed with confidence, artistic prowess and infectious beats and lyrics, Nathy Peluso has quickly become one of the most fascinating artists of our time.
After releasing her first full-length album Calambre in 2020, which scored her a few Latin Grammy nominations, Peluso was catapulted to worldwide acclaim — thanks to a creative spirit that’s allowed her to thrive in different spaces, as a true chameleon in the industry. She’s taken genres such as salsa, bachata, R&B, pop and funk and effortlessly made them her own.
“The best advice I’ve received as a woman in music was from my mom, to never compromise my authenticity for anyone or anything,” the “Estás Buenísimo” singer tells Billboard.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Billboard kicked off its “Las Poderosas” series, featuring a select number of powerful Latinas who get real about the word “empowerment,” their space in Latin music, and more. The series launched Monday (March 20) with LALI, which you can read here.
Below, our exclusive Q&A with Peluso:
What does empowerment mean to you as an artist and as a woman?
Empowerment to me as an artist and as a woman means having the freedom to express myself, create my art, and make my own decisions without being constrained by societal expectations or prejudices. It’s about embracing my identity and my strength and inspiring others to do the same.
What does empowerment NOT mean to you?
Empowerment does NOT mean putting others down or diminishing their experiences. It’s not about being better than anyone else, but rather about recognizing and celebrating our unique qualities and using them to uplift and support each other.
What is the best advice you have received as a woman in music?
The best advice I’ve received as a woman in music was from my mom, to never compromise my authenticity for anyone or anything. Staying true to myself, my values, and my art has been key to my success and personal fulfillment.
Which woman has served you as a mentor or role model? Who do you admire and why?
I have always admired J.Lo for her incredible talent, work ethic, and multifaceted career. She has broken barriers for Latinas in music, film, and business.
Have things changed for Latin women in music in the last five years and how?
In the last five years, things have changed for Latin women in music in many ways. There is now more visibility, representation, and support for female artists in the industry. We have seen a rise in successful Latina singers and songwriters across various genres, breaking down stereotypes and challenging the status quo. While progress has been made, there’s still much work to be done to ensure equal opportunities and recognition for Latin women in music.
What is your favorite “girl power” song?
My favorite “girl power” song is “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. It’s a classic anthem that has inspired generations of women to stand up for themselves and demand the respect they deserve.
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