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Billboard Latin Music Week continued on its third day Oct. 16 with a panel on The Winning Combination of Sports and Music presented by Walmart.
The conversation, moderated by athlete manager Daniella Durán, gathered artists Piso 21 and Guillermo Novellis of La Mosca Tsé Tsé, and soccer stars Igor Lichnovsky (Inter Miami, Club América) and Leonardo “Leo” Campana (Inter Miami).
“There’s mutual admiration,” Piso 21’s Juan David “El Profe” said. “Many soccer players want to be artists, and many artists have that frustrated dream of being a soccer player.”
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“It’s true,” Campana noted. “I play soccer, but I would rather be an artist. I’m the type of person who likes to consume a music album from beginning to end.”
During the conversation, Novellis shared how his song “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” became a soccer anthem in Argentina.
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“When Leo Messi heard it, the song went viral,” the Argentine rock artist said. “Everything else was thanks to soccer, the people, the seven [soccer] matches, the astros aligning. That song is always going to be related to the happiest moments of all Argentineans and Messi.”
“Music is everything to an athlete … it’s motivation, dopamine,” Lichnovsky added. “I train with music, I change in the locker room with music. It plays a very important role in everyone’s mood … Music generates happiness and that connection with people. They can see that we are human beings and we can have fun too.”
Meanwhile, Piso 21 — whose latest single, “Fichaje del Año,” in collaboration with Ozuna, was inspired by sports — announced that their new album is dropping this week.
“The idea is to let yourself be surprised and to enjoy the whole album: 10 new songs, produced by Icon Music,” Piso 21’s Lorduy said. “We have been working on this whole album for a year. 2.1 is an album of renewal and evolution for Piso 21. There will be music to refresh, to dedicate, and to dance to.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week is in full swing, and while panels and Q&As take centerstage during the day, showcases are the place to be at night.
On Tuesday (Oct. 15), Rimas Publishing celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special showcase that featured performances by Valentina, Slow Jamz and Anonimus with surprise guests, including Randy (of Jowell & Randy). The showcase, which kicked off at 9 p.m., was held at M2 in Miami.
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Rimas Publishing 10th Anniversary Showcase in Miami.
Lito Vidaurre
Rimas Entertainment is celebrating 10 years in business, and Randy was one of the first artists to be signed to the indie label. Now, the company — also home to global superstar Bad Bunny — has evolved and launched multiple divisions, including Habibi (management company home to Karol G and Grupo Frontera) and Rimas Sports.
Before the showcase took place, Noah Assad (CEO), Junior Carabaño (vp) and Raymond Acosta (general manager, Habibi) took centerstage during Billboard Latin Music Week for a panel during which they reflected on the company’s growth and what they look for in an artist.
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“In terms of management, Raymond tells me, ‘Here is this opportunity.’ And I respond with, ‘What do you think?’ And if he says I love them, then so do I,” Assad said. “Sometimes I don’t see the vision, but someone else on the team will. If that person believes in an artist, we know there’s a reason. We trust that team member who identifies an artist and says, ‘I can do this for this person.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Sony Music Publishing Latin has signed Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús “JOP” Ortiz Paz and his label Street Mob Records. A leading indie label that puts out records in the Música Mexicana genre and beyond, Street Mob boasts a roster of more than 25 songwriters, producers and artists, including Chinco Pacas, Calle 24, Clave Especial and Miguel Armenta.
As one of the leading Música Mexicana groups, Fuerza Regida has helped introduce the genre to new fans around the world. The Mexican-American band’s ascent up the Billboard charts began in 2018, when Radicamos in South Central debuted at No. 35 on Regional Mexican Airplay. Since then, the band has produced a slew of hits, including “TQM,” “Bebe Dame” with Grupo Frontera, “Sabor Fresa,” “Harley Quinn” with Marshmello and many more. The group’s 2023 album Pa Las Baby’s Belikeada peaked at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart and at No. 14 on the Billboard 200.
This week, JOP will join Billboard’s Leila Cobo in Miami at Billboard’s Latin Music Week as part of the Sony Music Publishing Icon Q+A.
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Recently, Fuerza Regida earned eight nominations at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, including artist of the year and album of the year, while JOP received nominations for songwriter of the year and producer of the year, along with recognition on Billboard’s 2024 Latin Power Player list.
“Partnering with Sony Music Publishing marks an exciting chapter for Street Mob Records,” said JOP in a statement. “This deal shows our commitment to exploring songwriting within Música Mexicana and beyond various genres. It’s a true reflection of the talent at Street Mob and what we’re creating together. With Sony Publishing, we’re building a partnership that aims to inspire the next generation of artists and leave a lasting impact.”
Sony Music Publishing president/CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin Jorge Mejia said of the deal: “We couldn’t be happier to team up with an artist and executive like JOP and Street Mob Records, in order to help support and develop a fantastic stable of writers within Música Mexicana and beyond. This partnership with Street Mob is visionary and an incredible opportunity for the Sony Music Publishing family.”
Sony Music Publishing Latin director of creative Monica Jordan added: “We are thrilled to embark on this journey with JOP and Street Mob Records. We look forward to working with JOP and the Street Mob roster as they continue to innovate and push the boundaries of Música Mexicana even further.”
Eslabón Armado and Yahritza y Su Esencia arrived at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 15) for the “All in the Family” panel presented by Walmart.
During the vibrant conversation, the two charting Música Mexicana acts were joined by their managers, who also happen to be family. Eslabon was joined by their mom, Nelida Oseguera, and Yahritza was joined by Adriana Martinez, their older sister.
“We never thought we were going to have a [music] career and much less that our sister would be our manager,” Yahritza Martinez said during the panel. “She always took care of us and led us by the hand. She’s like a mother to us too.”
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For the group’s older sister, taking them under her wing, professionally, was a challenge because they had no idea how the industry worked.
“We always separated work from family and established those boundaries from the beginning,” she noted. “It was also super important to always instill the values we grew up with. I had no experience, so I asked God to guide me. Our values come first, and then everything else.”
Like Yahritza y Su Esencia, Eslabon and their family members — including their dad and young sisters — have a tight-knit business relationship.
“It’s a blessing to be together at events, at concerts,” Pedro Tovar, lead vocalist of the group expressed. “I really thank God for that, because not everyone has that. We always see the same faces but we’re very happy with that.”
“I took on the role of manager since Pedro had a dream at the age of 12. From there, my husband and I decided that we would support him and be with him,” Oseguera added. “He’s the one that said his parents would be his managers, and that’s why we are here, because of him.”
Following the heartfelt conversation, Yahritza y Su Esencia exclusively teased a sneak peek of their forthcoming single “Y qué tal si te escapas del cielo,” dedicated to their late cousin.
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Four Latin creatives — Kike Baez (fashion designer), Omar Courtz (artist), Saiko (artist), and Yudy Arias (celebrity coach) — gathered at 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 15) to discuss how they are actively using their platforms to uplift and inspire their community and future generations with their art.
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Below, check out memorable quotes from each speaker at the “Deja Tu Huella: Inspire Who’s Next” panel, moderated by Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza.
Omar Courtz: “Daddy Yankee gave me the opportunity to collaborate with him and he performed at my first massive concert. He has been a great inspiration to me since I was a kid. That’s how I leave my mark, because I want my fans to identify with me. It was important to have my idol with me so I could also inspire other artists like me.”
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Yudy Arias: “As a family, we managed to come from scratch to achieve great things, we always work without expectations. Work with love because the most important moments have been with family. There are crazy moments in fame but that’s not all. Everything comes, everything goes and everything changes but family is always there and be happy with that.”
Saiko: “When I started making music, I didn’t have any goals. This year I released an album, I’ve done stadiums and at the end of the day, I know I’m a normal kid and maybe I can inspire other artists. I’m excited to be heard in Chile, Mexico, and other countries, but there’s nothing like being crowned and being a prophet in your own city… and for me that’s the greatest thing there is.”
Kike Baez: I remained very true to my beliefs. It was going to cost me twice as much, but I wanted to achieve it in Tijuana so that a kid like me could see that it was possible. For me, it is very important to inspire, create culture, and continue creating.
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Four of Colombia’s hottest acts of today joined forces at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week for The Explosion of Colombian Pop Music panel on Tuesday (Oct. 15).
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In a panel presented by Imagen & Mercado and moderated by Alex Sensation, Luis Alfonso, Paola Jara, Pipe Bueno, and Yeison Jimenez talked about the rise of Colombia’s most exciting new music movement. Below, read everything you should know about the musical genre.
What Is Música Popular Colombiana?
“Outside our country, there is always confusion because popular music is of all genres except classical. In Colombia, it refers to heartbreak, lack of love, and it cuts veins. I dare say that it is the cousin of Mexican and ranchera music that began in the villages and bars, but little by little spread to the cities and the rest of the country.” — Paola Jara
Why Is It Exploding Now?
“The generational change. We’re adding more professionalism, more focus, more work. We have more resources too. We are in other leagues, in other times but with the same essence and gratitude for what the pioneers did. But today it’s another level. I was a fan of Pipe [Bueno], and I bought his music. Thanks to him, I decided to go for it. At that time, Pipe connected with the youth, and ultimately connected all of us, and from there came the new generation.” — Yieson Jimenez
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Pioneer of the New Generation
“I grew up listening to popular music. I grew up loving this genre. When the time came to be a singer, popular music was the music that I felt in my blood and I was passionate about singing. When that dream began, popular music was the ugly duckling of genres, with little culture. At that time, many doors were knocked down for them to fall. This is due to the change in the genre in its exponents: how they dress, how they look … there is no longer a stereotype, and it became an aspirational genre.” — Pipe Bueno
What’s Needed for U.S. Explosion?
“A little more work, more noise. In Colombia there are tons of talents who come with a hunger to conquer the world and important musical material. We need more noise. For people to know about our music. Something I admire about reggaeton and urban music is that it is one of the biggest in the world because there is a lot of brotherhood between them. In Colombia that chip has already changed. There was a lot of ego, and today in popular music there is unity and strength. It is only necessary to light the match and for the bomb to go off.” — Luis Alfonso
Rimas Entertainment is celebrating 10 years in business and its executives — including Noah Assad (CEO), Junior Carabaño (vp) and Raymond Acosta (general manager, Habibi) — reflected on their successes in the past decade.
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During a panel that took place on Tuesday (Oct. 15) and was moderated by Billboard‘s Leila Cobo, Assad, Carabaño and Acosta gave the first public interview as a team and talked about the evolution of the company, which launched as a label with Jowell & Randy as their first signed artist, and later became a powerhouse company home to global star Bad Bunny, with new divisions including Habibi (management company home to Karol G and Grupo Frontera) and Rimas Sports.
“I do what I like to do,” a soft-spoken Assad said. “I named the company Rimas obviously because of rhythms, but it has another meaning. My brother’s name is Samir and he loves music. Rimas is Samir spelled backwards.”
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Carabaño went on to explain that the company first focused mainly on monetizing music videos on YouTube. “We started to monetize digitally, with YouTube videos, we would monitor and call each other all day. One day we made $100 dollars and another day $1,500, that’s when we said we can make a living from this.”
And the rest is history, with marquee clients Bad Bunny and Karol G going on to become two of the biggest music stars over the past four years.
Below are the best quotes from the Ten Years of Rimas Entertainment panel.
The Role of Facilitators
Noah Assad: “We started as, and still are, facilitators to our clients in all the businesses we do, but we started kind of like a back office, and we were facilitators for complaints from artists who needed help resolving these issues. We do the same thing now but on a larger scale. And back then our only income was doing shows, or from videos on YouTube, it was a new era of people making money. We were learning to go from physical to digital, we were there early on.”
Working With Bad Bunny
Assad: “Benito [Bad Bunny’s real name] was a blessing and opened a lot of doors for us to show the world what we can offer. He helped paved the way and helped us build what we have today.”
Right People, Right Time
Junior Carabaño: “More than sitting down and planning what we wanted to do, we were the right people at the right time. We saw an opportunity where we also got to share our passion with the industry. Today, we see it as 10 years ago, but it doesn’t seem like it for us because every day, we do what we want. We found there was a way to make a living working in what we love.”
The Importance of Accepting to Keep Learning
Raymond Acosta: “Fifteen years ago, I worked as a security guard at the Choliseo. Our individual journeys are important. There will come a time when you will start to criticize the work of others, even when you have not gone through what they have. But once you are willing to learn about every aspect of the business, you can understand a team member, help them and say, ‘Don’t worry because I went through that as well.’ It’s about empowering ourselves.”
Assad: “I’m 34 now but I really started when I was 15 years old. I can say today that I can do any job in the industry. Really, I can. I can help set up lights, DJ, record vocals, I have worked in every area, and that’s important for anyone who wants to work in the industry. Wanting to learn is important and accepting to learn.”
Working With Karol G
Acosta: “We’re proud of what Karol has achieved. She is a woman who works every day, she does not rest, she wants to keep growing in what she does, she opens her heart. She challenged us when she told us she wanted to do a stadium tour. All you can do for an artist like that is clear the way for them to run.”
What They Look for in an Artist
Assad: “In terms of management, Raymond tells me, ‘Here is this opportunity.’ And I respond with, ‘What do you think?’ And if he says I love them, then so do I. Sometimes I don’t see the vision, but someone else on the team will. If that person believes in an artist, we know there’s a reason. We trust that team member who identifies an artist and says, ‘I can do this for this person.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
There was no better way to kick off the second day of the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 15) than with Grupo Frontera‘s Making the Hit Live!, during which the group from Texas worked its magic to create a brand new song.
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As is tradition, during Making the Hit Live!, an artist will take the entire panel time to write and produce a song from scratch. But instead, this year, Grupo Frontera — who shot to stardom in 2022 thanks to ots cover of “No Se Va” — received lyrics from the band’s go-to producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera ahead of time, and added ots signature cumbia sound to the lyrics during the panel. Unofficially titled “Ya No,” the irresistible, hip-swiveling song was indeed created in a span of 40 minutes.
“Before we met Edgar Barrera, I would write songs for the group,” Payo, the band’s frontman, said enthusiastically. “We released, like, two songs that were penned by me, and I wrote four other ones, but those didn’t come out because that’s when we met Edgar and were like, ‘OK, we’re good,’” he added with a laugh.
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Now, when they’re in the studio with Barrera, Frontera’s Juan, Payo and Beto will contribute to the songwriting process, but Payo pokes fun at his bandmates. “They just say one word hoping it sticks,” he shared. “One time, they were obsessed with the word ‘gafas’ and they just kept repeating it, like, chill bro.”
When it comes to production, that’s where all six of them contribute with their respective instruments.
Part of the process of creating a song also includes setting time to think about content for social media to complement the song’s essence. The group’s presence online, whether it’s recording a dance or acting out a scene using part of a song’s lyrics, has made Grupo Frontera go viral more than once on TikTok. “We don’t create a song thinking it will be a hit on TikTok,” Juan explained. Payo added, “When we record a song, we always think the chorus will go viral, but we always get it wrong, so we have to record all of our social media content all over again.”
While setting the cumbia rhythm for “Ya No,” Frontera shared the story of when the members recorded “No Se Va.”
“We didn’t have money to rent a studio to record, well we didn’t have money, period,” said Beto. “So when we did record, we’d have to do everything in one take — even if we made a mistake, we’d leave that in there. We recorded ‘No Se Ve’ at a friend’s apartment building and every resident there was fine with us using the space — except for this one lady who complained.”
That song scored Frontera the group’s first ever Billboard chart entry. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. While they’re not sure yet if they’ll release “Ya No,” the song they created during the panel, the track has hit potential. Check out a sneak peek below:
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Unity, camaraderie and constant collaboration among Argentine artists have become a fundamental contribution to their success and globalization.
On Monday (Oct. 14) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024, Argentine rapper and singer La Joaqui and Mexican star Kenia Os discussed the importance of friendship and support among colleagues within the industry, particularly for women.
La Joaqui and Kenia Os, who have released two collaborations together this year — “Kitty” and “San Turrona RMX” — participated in the “Entre Amigas” panel, moderated by Flor Mauro, editorial content director of Billboard Argentina.
“We are in an industry where, especially if you are a woman, media wants you to treat each other as competition — ‘Such female artist surpassed another female artist’ — when both surpassed 10 male artists,” La Joaqui said. “However, many women are making noise.”
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“It brought me a lot of relief when I collaborated with Kenia,” she added, mentioning that she was already her “No. 1 fan” when she wrote to her hoping to meet, and the Mexican artist replied that she was in the studio recording an album and immediately invited her to collaborate in it. “She opened the doors of her kingdom to me, let me enter this world so new to me. I was very afraid of these kinds of connections, but […] it was a genuine connection, that’s why I think we did so well.”
or Kenia, who also declared herself a fan of La Joaqui, collaborating with another woman was something refreshing because it doesn’t happen often among female artists in Mexico, where “the media pits women against each other a lot,” she said.
“My first collaboration was with La Joaqui […] and from day one it was a beautiful connection. It was incredible,” she said, noting that it not only gave her entry into a difficult market for Mexicans like Argentina, but led to new opportunities to collaborate, including with Mexican artists like Peso Pluma, with whom she recorded the hit “Tommy & Pamela.”
For both, authenticity is a priority in their careers. “It’s super important for artists who are starting out,” said Kenia Os, recalling that it took her a while to find her own voice because she started young in the business, going from teenager to adulthood in the public eye and being influenced by other people’s opinions. La Joaqui, who started as a rapper, said she found her authentic place in RKT, a subgenre of cumbia villera characterized by its influences from cumbia villera, reggaeton, and electronic music.
To sum up the importance of friendship in music, La Joaqui said it is “crucial” in a world where artists are constantly mistreated on social media, and called for “more friends and less business.”
“We move in an environment where there is impunity,” said the Argentine star. “Where it’s normal for people to tweet: ‘Your music is crap… I hope you die.’ It’s no longer an opinion, it’s abuse. And you are simply getting up and doing something you like.”
“There are times you pretend so much madness that you become mad and you need a friend to simply ask you, ‘How are you? Are you okay? How do you feel?’” she continued. “Most of the time I’m not okay, I cry once a week, and having friends in the industry has allowed me to cry in private. I recommend making real friendships to make songs. That integrated feeling is a sure hit.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Who gets songwriting credit on a song and who doesn’t can sometimes lead to an uncomfortable conversation. But at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, that topic took the spotlight in the riveting (and informative) Why Are There 50 Writers On My Song? panel on Monday (Oct. 14).
Moderated by Pierre Hachar, managing partner at The Hachar Law Group, panelists included regional Mexican singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz, renowned producer-songwriter Sergio George and Colombian hitmaker Keityn. At one point during the conversation, the group reflected on why, today, even managers can get a songwriting credit.
“I think it is clear that the composers deserve the credit,” said Keityn while discussing the subject. “The credits go to the one who deserves it and that is the actual composer.”
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The conversation also touched on how nuanced the concept of songwriting credit can be, particularly when someone is in the studio who doesn’t technically write the song but contributes somehow to the idea or inspiration of the lyrics.
Below, find the best quotes from the panel:
Eden Muñoz: “The credit has to go to whoever participates in the writing process. When you’re in a studio, you know who is a composer and you know who is not. It’s something that you can almost feel. You can’t just be sitting around in the session and expect credit. It’s extremely important to set limits in the studio. It’s how I work today. I separate the songwriters and take them to a different table and they are the only ones in that room.”
Sergio George: “In my opinion, anyone who contributes to the process should have songwriting credit. I remember I was in a songwriting camp, there were like four to five people, and there was one person who gave some ideas of how the song could be. That person actually had nothing to do with my music, but got credit because if it wasn’t for her, the song would not have been made. That’s true of the arranger, because some arrangements are so emblematic and make the song. We should be fair all around.”
Keityn: “The 50 songwriters thing is not even about the artist, songwriter or producer, to be honest. Platforms like Spotify, when they do the breakdown of who gets credit on their platform, it is always based on the actual split, and they label them as songwriters. I don’t understand why everyone who is in the split [gets listed as] as a songwriter.”
Muñoz: “Today, we are in a business where managers [have the] sin of arrogance and want to be everywhere and get songwriting credit. I remember back in the day, the manager would sometimes even hide, but now it seems like they are glued to one another. Sometimes the manager acts more like the artist.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.