State Champ Radio Latin Music Week 2025
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Podcasters Leo Rojas (Venezuela), DimeloKing (Colombia), and Jorge “Molusco” Pabón (Puerto Rico) shared some secrets for making podcasts a successful and profitable product on Wednesday (October 22) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025.
During the panel “The Power of Podcasters,” moderated by Dominican journalist and host Tony Dandrades, the three experts discussed the benefits they’ve found in this audio format, which has become a powerful content generator for different sectors, including the music and entertainment industry, as it explores new forms of monetization.
Podcasts “give a voice to those who previously had no voice,” Pabón opined. “Before, breaking into radio was almost impossible; today, anyone who can buy a microphone, a camera, and understand how to create good content can do so.”
Rojas emphasized that podcasts now allow artists to tell a story to their fans and explain why they make their music. “It allows them to be more real, more human,” said the Venezuelan, who hosts the podcast “Escuela de Nada” with Chris Andrade and Nacho Redondo.
Here are five lessons we learned from these famous podcasters:
1. Know Your Audience
“El Molusco” Pabón believes that to make a podcast successful, you must know the audience you will be speaking to, as well as come up with a concept for it. “That video that will change your life will always come along.”
2. Someone else’s success won’t always be yours
DimeloKing points out that some people expect what’s successful on other podcasts to be successful on theirs as well. Some “hope their content will go viral, but you have to put in the work to make that happen.”
3. Take elements from the internet that add to your content
Leo Rojas recommends taking everything you find online that adds to your content. “If you want to be successful, you have to be present on everything that exists on the internet,” he points out.
4. Short Content
DimeloKing says that short content is much more functional. “Of my three Facebook accounts, I have a team for each account.”
5. Recruit superfans
“A superfan is someone who consumes your content on all platforms. They’re someone who consumes everything you do, so you’ve got a percentage of their consumption,” says Rojas about recruiting followers who follow you on all your social media platforms.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. The event also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
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Tropical music stars from different styles and countries came together on Wednesday (Oct. 22) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 to discuss the cultural impact their respective genres have had on new generations and how they have embraced it. The panel included iconic Puerto Rican merengue singer Olga Tañón; legendary Peruvian cumbia and merengue band Grupo 5; Puerto Rican singer Guaynaa, who has experimented with urban music, salsa and more; emerging Cuban reparto musician Bebeshito; and Argentine cuarteto star Luck Ra.
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In the panel “The Cumbia and Tropical Music Explosion,” presented by Andrea Ramírez PR and moderated by Jessica Roiz of Billboard, Tañón and the members of Grupo 5 recounted their first experiences in music; Tañón in the 1990s, when she thought an audition she attended was to be a Spanish-language rock singer; and the South American group in the 1970s, when they began with ballads and later adopted cumbia as their sound to liven up local parties.
“I didn’t want to be a merengue singer; I’m a merengue snob,” said the artist nicknamed “Woman of Fire.” “I started out doing ballads, Spanish rock, and you used merengue at home to sing and dance, but when they auditioned me, I thought it was for a Spanish rock band.” She recalled that the band’s leader told her that anyone who sings well can sing anything, so she prepared, auditioned, and was chosen, beginning her love affair with the Dominican genre.
In a fluid dialogue, the artists shared with the audience their opinions on how new Latin stars have reinvented salsa, such as Bad Bunny on his acclaimed album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, a musical genre that had its heyday in the late 1960s, marked by legends like Celia Cruz and Willie Colón.
Below are some of the best quotes from the discussion:
Olga Tañón, on the expiration date of a genre: “The musical DNA of a country, which is the culture of a country, will never die. Never. Not merengue, not salsa, not cumbia.”
Christian Yaipén (Grupo 5), on how to make music transcend fads: “We’re always focused on making music in the best way possible to bring it to the audience’s hearts, not just thinking about trends and passing things. My brother Elmer taught me that songs don’t catch on overnight; songs don’t reach No. 1 the following month.”
Guaynaa, on why new generations are experimenting with tropical music: “The first angle is the record label, systematically; and the second is the angle of the street, of the people [who demand it]. The question at the time of creating is how we can impact culture.”
Bebeshito, on the genre of reparto and its success coming from a country like Cuba without digital platforms: “Reparto is made internationally by Cubans (…) This support doesn’t come digitally from the island, but the support from the heart does.”
Luck Ra, on cumbia and cuarteto as the common thread of his work: “There are new [musical] schools that come with a lot of hunger. It’s something that brings you joy, that makes you dance. Cumbia and cuarteto are something that can be heard anywhere in the world.”
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi, and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
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An explosion of urban and flamenco sounds from artists including Chilean Katteyes and Los Ricos, and an unexpected birthday celebration from Argentine singer Yami Safdie sealed the “Latin Music Week Opening Night Showcase” presented by Boombastic at Miami’s MAD Club Wynwood on Monday night (Oct. 20).
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The showcase that kicked off the week of the prestigious annual music industry gathering also featured Asturian Mateo Eraña with his folk-rock offering, singer and actress Yas Gagliardi with her pop ballads, Puerto Rican GALE with her enchanting electropop and Argentine Luck Ra with an exciting fusion of trap and cumbia. In addition, the show also spotlighted one of the newest urban music stars, Puerto Rican J Álvarez.
GALE performs at the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Opening Night Showcase presented by Boombastic at Mad Club Wynwood in Miami on October 20, 2025.
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Yami Safdie was surprised by the event organizers, who brought her a cake for her 28th birthday. The emotional moment also included a duet between Safdie and her colleague and compatriot Soledad, with whom she performed “Alma, corazón y vida” (Soul, Heart, and Life) by the composer of the Creole waltz Adrián Flores.
The event was hosted by Bröther, the Argentine musician, producer, DJ and founder of Bresh, the global phenomenon known as “The Most Beautiful Party in the World,” who livened up part of the evening and the breaks between performances with a lively mix of the best of current Latin music.
Another surprise came with the presence of Puerto Rican urban music star Álvaro Díaz, who was seen among the VIP guests.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes: Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi, and Yailin La Más Viral, among many others.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.
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On Tuesday (October 21), Argentina and Colombia united for Billboard Latin Music Week in a conversation where two superstars of Latin American folk music shared their experiences: Soledad and Silvestre Dangond.
During the panel “Desde La Raíz” (“from the root” in English) moderated by Ezequiel Ruiz of Billboard Argentina, the award-winning Argentine singer-songwriter and the Colombian vallenato star discussed the importance of preserving original sounds.
“It’s important that there are purists. [At first] they told me I was killing vallenato. However, that kept me going and brought me to where I am,” said Dandong proudly. He has brought his own style to the genre across the 18 albums that make up his discography, always including at least two native songs. “That’s how I grew up; I grew up watching the great exponents of vallenato. I lived it and I breathe it.”
For her part, “La Sole,” as many call her, shared how she began to carve out a space for herself in the industry. “I come from a small town, where musical culture is very strong,” said the artist born in Arequito, in the Argentine province of Santa Fe. “When the big names were no longer around, I thought I could have a place, my own place, but continue that legacy,” she recalled, thanking her father for buying the 5,000 records ordered by the first record label that signed her (Sony Music) to continue her contract. “He borrowed money to solve it at the time. My old man always believed in me, and to this day, I write songs dedicated to him.”
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Both figures agreed on the reason they represent their countries through their voices: to love what they do, honor it, and enjoy it. However, they have very personal views on the future of folk music.
In Soledad’s case, she admitted that she’s more open to the music being made by young people in Argentina today. “Sometimes there are things I don’t like as much,” she confessed, “although I must admit that some people look to folklore for elements to fuse with their sounds.”
With his characteristic laid-back personality, Dandong stated that he isn’t critical of the music currently being made in Colombia. “I also did what I wanted; age defines what one sings. Let’s let people mature and let’s do less criticism and more accompaniment,” the singer emphatically declared. In recent months, he has released collaborations with Emilia, Banda MS, and Carín León, demonstrating his openness and interest in conquering and experimenting in new markets.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
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