Latin
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This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new albums from artists such as Luis Fonsi, Nora Gonzalez, and LAGOS, to name a few.
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Fonsi immerses us in a journey around the world with his album El Viaje, where each song is titled after a different city, such as “Santa Marta” in collaboration with the Colombian Carlos Vives and “Roma” with Italian Laura Pausini.
On the other hand, the “Charra Millenial” Nora González presents the 7-song EP Mariachi Bebecín, in which “the artist shows off that sublime and powerful voice that earned her a Latin Grammy nomination,” comments the deputy editor of Billboard Español, Sigal Ratner-Arias.
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Three years after their debut album, LAGOS released their second studio album Alta Fidelidad. With this, they manage to link the past with the present with elements of 80’s pop and a contemporary sound that captivates from beginning to end, while solidifying their essence and bringing a breath of fresh air to the current music scene.
Other new releases this week include Bacilos’ new álbum Pequeños Romances, “Ya Te Superé” from Xavi and Tony Aguirre, and Alejo’s album En Este Nos Fuimos Lejos, among others.
Last week, the song “La Durango” by Peso Pluma, Junior H, and Eslabon Armado received almost 70% of the votes, surpassing Grupo Frontera’s album, Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada, and Ryan Castro’s new set, El Cantante del Ghetto, to mention a few.
Who should win this week? Vote among other new releases:
What’s your new favorite Latin music release?/¿Cuál es tu nuevo lanzamiento favorito de música latina?
Rimas Sports — an agency partnership between Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda — has signed The Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to an exclusive representation agreement, the company tells Billboard. “We are thrilled to welcome the Acuña family to Rimas Sports,” Miranda, CEO of Rimas Sports, said in a statement. […]
South Florida radio personality Albertico Rodríguez was cleaning out his closet last year when he found something unexpected: an audio reel recording of Celia Cruz, from a live show at the now defunct Casanova Club in Miami in 1986 or 1987.
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Rodríguez, who emceed many shows in which the legendary Cruz performed, had recorded this particular performance, put it away and forgotten about it. Now, almost 21 years after Cruz’s death, he had an unexpected treasure in his hands: a previously unknown recording of Celia Cruz, an extremely rare commodity in 2024.
Rodríguez immediately took it to Omer Pardillo Cid, the executor and trustee of Cruz’s estate, and Nelson Albareda, the CEO of Loud and Live (and Billboard‘s Latin executive of the year in 2023), which represents the Celia Cruz estate. Albareda purchased a machine to digitize the reel recording, and then, the three men sat down to listen.
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“I didn’t cry, but I was clearly excited,” says Albareda, who worked with Cruz as a young assistant when he started in the music business over three decades ago. “Not only was the recording quality great, but it had hits like ‘Quimbara.’” Albareda set to work, restoring and remastering the music, a process that took nearly a year to complete.
Now, on May 24, that recording will see the light of day as an album titled En Vivo: 100 Años de Azúcar, to be released in digital format, as a standard vinyl and as a limited edition collector’s box set that will also include a coffee table book and exclusive photographs of Cruz. The nine-track album will feature “Químbara,” a signature Cruz song, as the lead single.
Celia Cruz
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More importantly, the album will be only the second live recording of the legendary artist released since her death, and it will also mark the beginning of the celebration of the centennial of her birth, which will continue through 2025. As part of the celebration, Cruz’s face will be depicted on a U.S. quarter in August, according to the United States Mint, as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
When Cruz, known as the “Queen of Salsa,” died of cancer at 77 years old in July 16, 2003, she was already an undisputed icon — not only one of the most impactful artists in the history of Latin music, but perhaps the most revered Afro Latina artist of all time. Since her death, Cruz’s legacy has been carefully preserved by Pardillo Cid, her longtime manager, whom she appointed the executor of her estate before her death.
“One of the greatest treasures of my life was to spend so many years next to Celia as her manager, and most important, as her friend,” says Pardillo Cid today. “When she died, I made it a mission to defend the legacy of this unique woman for the rest of my life so her brilliant work wouldn’t be forgotten. This project, the first to commemorate her centennial is another example of Celia’s immortality.”
Beyond it being a rare recording, 100 Años de Azúcar is unique in that it captured Cruz performing at a relatively small venue –- for some 1,000 people — and it captures her interacting with her fans up close and personal.
“Her jokes, her spontaneity is something we don’t usually see in her live recordings,” says Pardillo Cid. “Here, we see the essence of Celia. Plus, there are no other original Celia recordings. Fans are going to hear something different, and that’s why we thought it would be perfect for the centennial.”
100 Años de Azúcar will be released by Loud and Live Studios and distributed by indie distributor InnerCat. The decision to keep things in-house, says Albareda, was very deliberate.
“We felt the project needed white glove treatment and we felt we had the passion to market it that way,” he says, noting that InnerCat also shared their passion for all things Celia. The details abound. The cover of the limited edition box set, for example, features an illustration of Cruz where her Afro hairdo was created from pieces of one of her dresses.
While the actual album will release May 24, Sirius XM’s Caliente channel will exclusively premiere the music beginning Friday May 17. The actual release will be accompanied by a big social and media push that will include Pardillo Cid embarking on a “big publicity tour” and a push on all DSPs.
“This is a passion project, but we do believe it will be economically viable and it will keep Celia’s legacy alive,” says Albareda. “The recording truly conveys and reminds us of the raw energy and power that Celia had on stage. Through this release, we seek to continue to celebrate the power, global influence, and legacy of Celia, and the impact she made through her live performances all throughout the world.”
Gloria Estefan and Ángela Aguilar will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Thursday (May 16). The program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9 p.m. ET. The special will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
This celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see the Cuban-American superstar receive the Legend title and the regional Mexican music star the Musical Dynasty honor.
Estefan, the “Conga” and “Mi Tierra” hitmaker, is renowned globally as a multi-talented singer and composer, celebrated for seamlessly blending her Cuban roots with mainstream music and paving the way for Latin musicians in the global arena. Billboard has hailed her as the most successful Latin “crossover” artist ever, underscoring her transformative impact on music and culture. She has sold more than 100 million records. Her many honors include three Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019, the latter award in tandem with her husband, Emilio Estefan.
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The Legend recognition is given to outstanding artists who have left a “unique and immeasurable legacy and have significantly impacted the industry throughout their careers with their musical work.”
Meanwhile, Aguilar’s Musica Dynasty title is given to artists who “keep a familial artistic legacy alive and honor the musical dynasty to which they belong.” The Mexican singer is part of the esteemed Aguilar family, and, at 20 years old, she has carved out her own successful career with her talent while preserving the traditions of her family heritage.
With various hits under her belt, such as “Dime Como Quieres” with Christian Nodal at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs and three No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the Grammy-nominated Mexican singer is a force to be reckoned with. She was also featured in Billboard’s 21 under 21 in 2022 and 2023.
Other Latin Women in Music recipients include Kany García, who will be given the Spirit of Change Award, and Ana Bárbara with the Lifetime Achievement Award. They were in the first round of recipients announced by Telemundo and Billboard on May 8.
In the coming weeks, additional honorees will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.
Shakira‘s “Puntería” featuring Cardi B is the official song of TelevisaUnivision’s 2024 Copa America CONMEBOL coverage. The Colombian star made the announcement herself at the network’s Upfronts on Tuesday (May 14) in New York City. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The sporting event will be held […]
Reggaetón stars Feid and Yandel came up with a very cool marketing ploy for Manifesting, their recently released joint EP and for their single “Brickell.” They would perform an “impromptu” live concert from a yacht cruising the waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami, with Brickell avenue within striking distance.
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Late Tuesday afternoon (May 14), Feid let fans know something was up, posting an Instagram story that showed him on a boat in the bay with the caption “Quien en bote hoy en Miami puessss (Who’s on a boat in Miami today, puessss).” A mere three hours later, a second Instagram story showed a caravan of boats trailing Feid’s yacht, and soon enough, he and Yandel began to sing.
But not for long.
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Just three songs into the performance, as Feid and Yandel’s yacht was nearing the Brickell bridge, local water police patrols asked the artists to shut down the party.
According to Andy Martínez, Yandel’s manager, officers told the artist teams “to please stop the music” because so many fans showed up, that traffic on the roads was ensnarled and “there were over 50 police patrols on hand” for the safety of the crowds trying to get to the bridge and boat’s route.
However, Martínez told Billboard, all was good. Feid’s team had obtained “all the necessary permits with the Coast Guard, and everything was in order and in time.”
The plan, says Martínez, “was to cross the bridge and sing the entire album. But they only got through three songs.”
As a marketing ploy, however, the show on the water was a hit. Social media videos show throngs of screaming people lining the canal as the yacht went by.
“Miami que locura, que chimba que momentos que amor tan especial. Gracias Gracias,” posted Feid on his Instagram.
Myke Towers earns his second No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart as “La Capi” jumps 2-1 to lead the May 18-dated list. It’s the second ruler on the radio ranking for Towers, who first crowned the list through “Travesuras” in 2021. While the Puerto Rican picks up his second No. 1 with his second entry, he’s notched 30 titles on the Latin Rhythm Airplay ranking, including 11 No. 1s.
“La Capi,” released Nov. 23, is one of 23 songs on Towers’ LVEU: Vive La Tuya…No La Mía album, which debuted at No. 9 on Top Latin Albums (December 2023). The song launched at No. 7 on Tropical Airplay in March and completes a steady climb to the summit in its eighth week, with 9.17 million audience impressions, up 49% on U.S. reporting radio stations during the May 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.
The song’s eight-week trek to the penthouse bests Towers’ preceding ruler: “Travesuras,” with Nio García, Casper Mágico, Ozuna, Wisin & Yandel, Myke Towers and Flow La Movie, wrapped a 17-week journey to in March 2021.
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With “La Capi” ascending to the summit on Tropical Airplay, Towers joins six other artists outside the genre who have secured a No. 1 through a collab or as soloists in the last year.
Here’s the recap of those winners dating back to May 6, 2023:
Title, Artist, Date reached No. 1“El Merengue,” Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, Aug. 5, 2023“Bailando Bachata,” Chayanne, April 8, 2023“Así Es La Vida,” Enrique Iglesias & Maria Becerra, Dec. 9, 2023“Cosas de La Peda,” Gabito Ballesteros (with Prince Royce), Feb. 24“La Capi,” Myke Towers, May 18
“La Capi” also rallies 11-3 on the overall Latin Airplay chart, and gifts Towers his 13th top 10.
Beyond its radio popularity, “La Capi” debuts at No. 45 on Hot Latin Songs, the airplay-, digital- and streaming-combined chart, despite a 2% decline in streaming activity, which translates to 145,000 official U.S. streams logged during the same period. The song joins two other Tower tracks on the multi-metric tally, “Adivino,” with Bad Bunny, which drops 2-4, and “La Falda” dips 15-19.
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Anitta‘s Brazilian funk will take over The Voice when she performs on the singing competition Tuesday, May 14. The trilingual superstar is set to sing a medley of songs from her latest album, Funk Generation, which was released April 26. “I can’t wait to bring the Brazilian Funk to The Voice stage tonight,” Anitta tells […]
Mon Laferte has signed a record deal with Sony Music Latin, the company tells Billboard. In this “new phase” of the Chilean singer-songwriter’s career, Sony Music will continue to “enhance” her legacy and international visibility, according to the label. The Grammy-nominated artist is currently on her Live Nation-produced Autopoiética tour in the United States, taking […]
Just days after releasing sophomore studio album Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada, Grupo Frontera has unveiled dates for its upcoming tour, set to kick off Aug. 2 in Las Vegas. The Mexican-American group, known for megahits such as “No Se Va” — the Morat cover that catapulted them to stardom — “Tulum” and “un […]