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From the vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro to the spirited parades of Barranquilla, Colombia, Carnival is a testament to the power of music, dance and extravagant costumes, and comes together in a dazzling display of creativity and celebration.
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This year, Billboard Español presents a curated playlist that bridges the past with the present, featuring a dynamic mix of artists who capture the spirit of Carnival, from the legendary sounds of Celia Cruz with her timeless “La Vida es un Carnaval” to the invigorating rhythms of Brazilian powerhouse Anitta alongside DENNIS and Pedro Sampaio in “Joga Pra Lua,” and the energetic MPB rhythms of Ludmilla and Ivete Sangalo’s “Macetando.”
Adding to the mix, Colombian superstar Maluma’s aptly titled “Carnaval” and Cuban Latin Collection’s “Salsa Soca,” this collection of 22 songs pays homage to the artists who have helped shape the festival’s soundscape.
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Originating from ancient traditions that predate the arrival of Europeans to the Americas, Carnival has evolved over the centuries, blending European, African and indigenous cultures into a vibrant celebration that traditionally precedes Lent, a time of indulgence before the fasting period in the Christian calendar.
In Brazil, Carnival is synonymous with its samba schools’ parades, showcasing an array of dance, music, and elaborate costumes. Meanwhile, the Caribbean offers its own unique flavor, from Trinidad and Tobago’s calypso and soca festivities to Cuba’s vibrant comparsas, with Colombia’s Barranquilla adding its own electrifying twist.
More than just a party, Carnival stands as a beacon of cultural resistance, identity, and community spirit, inviting everyone to partake in its joyous revelry.
So turn up the volume and let the rhythms transport you to the lively streets of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the rhythms of Anitta, Ludmilla, Carlos Vives, Celia Cruz, Bomba Estéreo and many more to soundtrack your way.

The stars keep aligning for Jennifer Lopez, and the star is reflecting on her growth in her musical experience film, This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, which premiered on Tuesday (Feb. 13) just days before her long awaited new album arrives on Feb. 15.
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In the Dave Meyers-directed movie, the 54-year-old multi-hyphenate follows an astrologically charged journey to find love, which only comes to her once she learned to truly love herself and her inner child. “I was raised in a time of fairytales and Cinderella and Prince Charming and I’m just the type of person since I was very young that really believed in love and was a hopeless romantic from a very, very young age,” she tells Billboard of the inspiration behind the film’s concept, which features Lopez continuing to trust that love will come her way despite the heartbreak, all to the tune of her newest songs. “As I became an artist and started making music, love was my main subject.”
Love is certainly on the brain for Lopez, who rekindled her romance with Ben Affleck nearly two decades after they called it quits before their 2004 wedding. The duo tied the knot in July 2022, something the “Waiting for Tonight” star didn’t see coming, especially after having three marriages end in divorce. “I never thought that he and I would get back together,” she says of her relationship with the actor. “I just just couldn’t give up on idea that there was something amazing out there for me, even when it got really bad — and it did at times. I always believed deep, deep down to not give up completely. It wasn’t until I got to the point where I was really OK on my own and not having to be in a relationship when I feel like universe kind of opened up and said, ‘Well here you go.’”
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Another full circle moment is the upcoming release of This Is Me…Now, the sequel album to her 2002 album, This Is Me…Then — which just so happened to have been written at the time of her then-relationship with Affleck. “This Is Me…Then was something that I wrote at that point in time that wound up capturing a moment where I fell deeply in love for the first time in that way, and I didn’t know that I would look back and I think. ‘What a kind of poetic thing to say,’” Lopez reflects.
She continued, “Then to have this kind of crazy, strange, magical, surrealistic plot twist where I wound up back with that person, it was insane and it was also very inspiring. So I went back in the studio, and in the way that This Is Me… Then captured that first moment in time, I wanted to capture this moment in time. It’s even more beautiful and inspiring than the first time. I have something to say about love now that I’ve been looking for which is — I’m sure people wonder because I did — does true love exist? Is that type of love real? Does anything last forever? When I felt like I had the answers to that, I wanted to share that with all the people who’ve been on this journey with me, who watched me get up and fall down, in and out of relationships. It may not be a straight road, but the love is there.”
And of course, because the film features a guardian angel council of astrology gods and goddesses played by Trevor Noah, Sofia Vergara, Keke Palmer, Post Malone, Jane Fonda and more, Lopez had a lot to say about her own astrological sign (Leo) and its compatibility with Affleck’s (also Leo). “Let me tell you it’s fiery! It’s great,” she says of a two-Leo marriage. “And it’s challenging. We are both very willful. If you know what Leos are like, you know we’re passionate. Oh my God, so passionate, the both of us. One of us gets on a tangent about something, it’s like, ‘Just sit down and let him have his moment.’ Or he needs to sit down and let me have my moment. We know each other in that way and we’re getting to know each other again, which is really beautiful too.”
This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, a 65-minute musical film drops on Amazon Prime video on Friday (Feb. 15) alongside the album. The singer also announced a 30+ city tour in support of the project. Check out the full list of dates below.
June 26 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
June 28 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
July 2 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
July 3 — Edinburg, TX @ Bert Ogden Arena*
July 5 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
July 6 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
July 9 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
July 11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
July 13 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
July 16 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
July 17 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
July 19 — Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena
July 20 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena*
July 22 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
July 24 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
July 26 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
July 27 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
July 30 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
July 31 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Aug. 2 | Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena*#
Aug. 5 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre*#
Aug. 7 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Aug. 9 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
Aug. 10 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
Aug. 13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Aug. 14 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Aug. 16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Aug. 20 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
Aug. 22 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 24 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Aug. 25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Aug. 27 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Aug. 30 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
Aug. 31 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center*
*Verizon Up Presale Not Applicable | #Citi Presale Not Applicable
After joining forces with Keith Urban for the new Zorro series soundtrack, Carin León continues tapping into the country music realm by teaming up with Kane Brown for his next collaboration, Billboard can reveal.
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Marking León and Brown’s first collaborative effort, the pair will premiere their new single “The One (Pero No Como Yo)” on Thursday, Feb. 22, at 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro. The title indicates the song will be a heartfelt Spanglish bop. This also marks Brown’s second Latin effort after dropping “Lost in the Middle of Nowhere” with Becky G in 2019.
“After I recorded the song with Carin, he invited me to join him at the awards show to do the performance,” Brown tells Billboard exclusively. “I have never attended Premio Lo Nuestro, so I’m a little nervous and very excited … I see so many similarities between our fans and I’m incredibly grateful to be able to share my style of music with his fans and share Carin’s style of music with my fans.”
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Nominations for the 2024 awards ceremony were revealed in January, with 14-time nominee Maluma leading the pack. He’s followed by Peso Pluma (13), Grupo Frontera (10) and, with nine each, Karol G and Feid. Each of the leading artists are up for the coveted Premio Lo Nuestro artist of the year prize alongside the other top nominees, including León, Bad Bunny, Camilo, Ozuna and Shakira.
Meanwhile, Ana Barbara, Don Omar and Olga Tañon will receive this year’s Premio Lo Nuestro a la Trayectoria, Global Icon and Premio Lo Nuestro a la Excelencia special awards, respectively.
Co-hosted by Galilea Montijo, Clarissa Moline and Angélica Vale, the 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro will air live from Miami at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 22, via Univision.
The street that leads to Luna Líquida Hotel Boutique, above the center of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is steep and cobbled, ending in a modest gate painted sky blue with the number 409 embedded in a yellow tile on the wall.
It’s the kind of place you find only if you’re looking. And it’s exactly how Fher Olvera, lead singer of legendary Mexican rock band Maná, imagined it when he bought it in 1994, after the group’s first major hit finally allowed him to purchase the house of his dreams: a small, rustic property with an ocean view.
“When I bought the house, I asked the agent if it had any capital gains, and he asked, ‘What do you want it for?’ ” Olvera recounts as we chat on the rooftop of Luna Líquida, from which you can see the sea, the tower of the old cathedral [Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe] and the orange tile roofs of old Puerto Vallarta. “I told him I wanted it to make songs. He asked, ‘How many?’ I said, ‘Judging from the view, at least one album.’ ‘Buy it,’ he said.”
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Exactly 30 years have passed since Maná debuted on the Billboard charts in January 1994 with Dónde Jugarán los Niños, an album of songs about love and spite, set to rock and reggae beats that revolutionized what was known as rock en español. It peaked at No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart. As a result of that success, Olvera bought this house, and he and the rest of Maná — drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros — hunkered down here to write the albums that would cement their position as the most successful Spanish-language rock group in the world.
“Many Maná songs were born here,” says Olvera, standing in a sunny room painted light blue with tile floors, wooden beams and long, transparent gauze curtains. Olvera, who is wearing a necklace with a silver sea turtle, his favorite animal, lived here before buying the property next door and converting both homes into this 17-room hotel that’s filled with thousands of Maná’s stories.
“Here, I finished ‘Vivir Sin Aire,’ ‘Cómo Te Deseo,’ several songs. Then on the next album, Cuando los Ángeles Lloran, you can hear the church bells from the cathedral below. The next one, Sueños Líquidos, is very linked to Vallarta. In fact, the cover — the mermaid with four arms — is the sea of Vallarta. We made all that music here with our little tape recorders. The four of us slept here, some in double beds. We hired a woman to cook for us, and our routine was to be up very early drinking coffee and stay up very late drinking red wine. Then on Wednesdays, we would go to a club called El Cactus where women got in for free. It was…” he chuckles. “You can imagine.”
Fher Olvera of Maná photographed on Dec. 1, 2023 in Fresno, Calif.
Martha Galvan
It’s Olvera’s first interview in years, just days before the band’s México Lindo y Querido Tour, its first in Latin America in eight years. The act will play 16 dates, starting in Asunción, Paraguay, on Feb. 16 and including five at Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena and an appearance at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival. Maná will then headline the Bottlerock Festival in Napa Valley alongside Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks and Ed Sheeran before continuing to Spain for 11 additional dates and its first-ever London concert, at the OVO Arena.
“For me, it is a dream to play in London,” says Olvera. “Since I was a teenager, I saw The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and said, ‘Wow.’ ”
What was admiration is now, in a way, understanding. Like The Rolling Stones in the English-language market, Maná has kept its integrity and its production quality, and its live touring schedule has remained active through the decades. In 2023, the quartet played more than 55 concerts, including 16 as part of its residency at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, where it sold over 220,000 tickets, according to promoter Live Nation. (Maná does not report its sales numbers to Billboard Boxscore — a decision based on its philosophy of valuing the artistic over the monetary.)
“It feels incredible that the band remains relevant after so many decades,” González says. “Because the songs are so good, both lyrics and music. And also, because of the way Maná plays live. And third, and most important, is that our music has been handed from family to family, from grandparents to brothers to parents and children.”
“More than representatives of Latin culture, I think we’re one of many Latin colors and that through our music, people relate in many ways,” adds Vallín.
When it comes to staying power as a live act, “Maná’s connection and reach is undeniable,” Live Nation senior vp of global touring Jared Braverman says. “The band’s total commitment to their music, their stories and their passions have meant that they reach many generations and have an influence that never passes.”
Alex González of Maná photographed on Dec. 1, 2023 in Fresno, Calif.
Martha Galvan
In terms of recordings, Maná is the rock group with the most entries (33) and No. 1s (10) on the Hot Latin Songs chart, with the most albums (15) and No. 1s (eight) on Top Latin Albums and is the Latin band, of any genre, with the most No. 1s (eight) on Latin Pop Albums.
“They’re an iconic band,” says Warner Music Latin America president Alejandro Duque. “We’ve fallen in love, mended our broken hearts and celebrated our Latin culture with them. There is no other band like them. They’ve put Latin American music at the highest level on a global scale.”
Last November, the group achieved its first Regional Mexican Airplay No. 1 with its new version of 2011’s “Amor Clandestino,” alongside Edén Muñoz. The song will be part of a currently untitled covers album of Maná’s greatest hits reimagined as duets with Mexican influence. The collection will finally arrive later this year; the band has been releasing singles from it (including “Rayando el Sol,” with Pablo Alborán, and “Te lloré un Río,” with Christian Nodal) since 2019.
“Don’t scold me, don’t pressure me,” Olvera says sheepishly. “We have been lucky — because from the beginning, we said we’d release the albums when they were ready. Less money? Yes, it is less money. It’s not an album per year.”
His attitude reflects the ethos of Maná and its other three members, who remain united “like little brothers.”
Olvera spoke to Billboard Español about what’s next for Maná, the secret of its success and what he really thinks about reggaetón and the new wave of regional Mexican music.
This is exactly where you wrote or were inspired to write some of your most iconic songs, like “En el Muelle de San Blás.”
There’s a very interesting story in this room. We went to party at one of those dives where you stay out really late. We finished like at seven in the morning, and like good Mexicans, went to kill our hangover at a taco stand. I was with my buddies, and one of them says, “See that woman over there? They call her ‘the crazy woman from the pier’ because every Sunday, she dresses in white to wait for her betrothed. So I went up to her and asked, “Why do you go to the pier?” “To wait for my boyfriend, my betrothed.” “Where is he coming from?” “From the north. By boat.” “And when is he getting here?” “Tomorrow. He hasn’t come in many years, but he’ll come tomorrow.” Then she ignored me and left.
When I came back home to this room at 8 a.m., I grabbed a pencil and wrote on the wall: “She waited for him at the pier until her eyes flooded with mornings, and her hair, like the foam of [the] sea, white.” Every time I left the room, I would read that and think, “I have to write a song about that story.” I never found the woman again, but I did find out that there were no roads back then and many people arrived by boat. So probably everything she told me was true. I called it “En el Muelle de San Blás,” which is up north, because “Puerto Vallarta” didn’t fit the song’s meter.
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What other stories does this room keep?
Tons. If this bed could talk… Once I was with a girlfriend. We were already with the candles and everything, romantic, and — I swear it’s true — this is a tile roof, and something fell through the tiles and started to move. It was a snake. We’re like, “Aaahhhhh!,” and took off running. A snake expert had to come and take it out.
What moment are you at in life right now?
A great moment. I feel very whole. My voice is whole. Emotionally, I suffered a little crisis, I had a little depression. I had many blows in a row after my father died when I was little; then another sister died, about 20 years ago; then my mother and my sister both died in 2010. I found myself almost alone with my [last] sister. There were six of us, and now there’s two. So I did get a little freaked out.
On top of that, I had some complicated relationships, and we did not have good management. But thank heaven, I’m pretty well now. I’m no longer medicated, and I just have to worry about continuing to meditate, not getting too stressed and trusting the new management we have with Jason Garner and my sister, Lourdes. They’re like a Ferrari.
Maná was always a band that sang only in Spanish. Now that music in Spanish is global, do you feel vindicated in some way?
Actually, yes. We feel good, we feel proud that as Mexicans, as Latin Americans, we said, “We’re going to do it in Spanish,” and in Spanish, we’re bigger bosses than in English. And the truth is, a culture was created through this, where we spoke about the rights of migrants, the rights of people in the United States. It’s given us credibility and consistency, and we have license to talk about all this because from the beginning we did not betray our language.
Juan Calleros, left, and Sergio Vallín onstage at Toyota Center on March 30, 2023 in Houston, TX.
Juan Botero
Fher Olvera, left, and Alex González onstage at Oakland Arena on March 18, 2023 in Oakland, Calif.
Juan Botero
A band that stays together over 30 years is almost a miracle. What’s your secret?
One, we’re still very good friends, which is very difficult. It’s like a marriage, and we are truly like brothers. And second, we haven’t fallen into the clutches of drugs, alcohol, ego, which happens to many artists. It’s hard for one person to take on so much adulation. It’s very complicated.
How did you handle those challenges? Is that something you strategized as a band?
No. Otherwise, everyone would do that. I think we’ve been blessed because we’re people who love music, love what we do and truly give our all to fans. On the other hand, the rise of Maná was slow, and we were able to understand what was going on, and we didn’t go from one day a one-star hotel to another in a five-star hotel and a private plane. No. It was little by little, and we’re still very down to earth. I can tell you Sergio sometimes comes by bus because there are no flights. I just went to see U2 in Las Vegas, and I flew commercial. We’re pretty normal.
Sergio Vallín of Maná photographed on Dec. 1, 2023 in Fresno, Calif.
Martha Galvan
In fact, people may not be aware that you cap the price of your tickets.
Yes, it’s one of the things we like to do. We want everyone to have accessible ticket prices. We have tickets from $35 … Now, if you want to smuggle a little bottle of something, it’s up to you.
In all these years, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
First, let’s define success. Success is making a living doing what you like. Whether you’re a farmer, a musician or work in architecture or design, if you’re happy doing that, you made it. You don’t have to be a superstar. So what all this has taught us is, first, that friendship is worth a lot. And also, know that you can control your ego, that it has reins like a horse, and you tell him, “Wait a minute, cabrón, you’re getting out of hand.”
How do you control your ego?
I personally meditate and say, “OK, Fher, what have you done wrong? I haven’t been too tough on so-and-so. You need to relax and let people do their jobs,” because I’m a perfectionist and I want to do everything. We can’t be saying we’re the most important rock en español band; all those things are … a bother. We truly only want to feel that we’re musicians, and that’s what we have to give.
Maná could live on its catalog and never tour again. Why do you do it?
We still love going onstage. We go out as if Mexico or any other country was playing the World Cup against another team. Every concert, we give it our everything. Everything, everything, everything. We don’t hold back anything. To this day, when I’m waiting for the curtain to open, I’ll tell Sergio, “Feel my heart. It’s going tuck-tuck-tuck.” And Maná is a band that really likes to connect with their fans. Our fans are the fifth bandmember.
Fher Olvera onstage at Kaseya Center on April 15, 2023 in Miami, FL.
Juan Botero
This is the first time you’re playing Latin America in eight years.
And we’re also returning to Spain. For the production, we hired people from Belgium, Argentina, Mexico, the U.S., so they could create a fun, beautiful production in which music is the most important element. We really enjoy the island — the set we put in the middle of the audience. That makes things a little more democratic for people who don’t have enough money to buy expensive tickets.
Why is the tour called México Lindo y Querido?
The band has always loved Mexican culture, those magical aspects of Mexico. There’s so much joy; it’s something [filmmaker] Guillermo del Toro says: “We even party with death.” Mexico has many things. For example, José Alfredo Jiménez’s songs, like “El Rey,” all that ranchera music culture narrates what happened in Mexico. Mexicans are also melancholy, our hearts ache. José Alfredo used to say, “You’re born in tears and die in tears.” That culture is embedded in Maná’s lyrics: “I cried you a river, now cry me an ocean.”
They are all evocative lyrics. You have said in other interviews that you are not a fan of reggaetón lyrics.
They’re very violent and very repetitive lyrics and sometimes even lack respect for women. That’s my feeling. I think you are running out of literary resources if you resort to that type of lyrics to be able to release your song. I respect the genre a lot, but the lyrics are not lyrics that appeal to me. Most of them are quite empty, quite simplistic, and it doesn’t look like real work was put into them. That’s my point of view. There are some better lyrics in reggaetón, but I think most are pretty poor. I don’t know if many years from now these songs will still be heard. Probably not, because they lack literary strength.
I think there has been a lot of pressure from the industry itself for artists to release a lot of music and very quickly. But I feel like right now we’re going in the direction of more melodic and crafted songs. Do you feel that way?
I think there is a point where people are going to get tired. But hey, musical taste is up to each person. Sometimes I say, “Well, it’s great that there is reggaetón and that Maná sounds different. Now, whether I like it or like it enough to dance to…” The one I definitely can’t listen to much is Bad Bunny — and I really respect him! (Smiles good-naturedly.) He has reached places no other Latin artist has, and that has merit, on the one hand. But that doesn’t mean you have to like it. It’s great to have everyone do well, but we need to change that trend. If you write a letter to a girl, you’re not going to put that stuff in there. Where’s the romance for women? Or for men, for that matter?
What do you think of the new wave of Mexican music?
That’s interesting. For example, the way the guitars and bass intertwine, everything is very well done. And suddenly they switch from four-four to three-four [time]. They’re creative. I don’t like the lyrics very much either. Our country is already violent enough. But we go back to the same thing: I see them as authentic; they’re doing something from the heart. And there are good things in the music, in the guitarrón arrangements. There are very talented people.
Juan Calleros of Maná photographed on Dec. 1, 2023 in Fresno, Calif.
Martha Galvan
Do you see Maná as a Mexican rock band? Or simply a rock band?
Along those lines. A Mexican rock band, rock pop band or whatever you want to call it. There are many fusions. Alex is Cuban, and Maná is like mestizo music. Last Saturday, I went to see Carlos Santana, and it’s the same thing. Many say, “It’s not rock,” or “Yes, it’s rock.” At one point, some bands were looking down their noses at us, saying we weren’t rock. It really bothered Alex.
Did it bother you?
The answer I gave at a press conference was, “You’re right. We’re not a rock band.” If we were, we wouldn’t have made “Mariposa Traicionera” or “Te lloré un Río.” We’re more than a rock band because we broke down the walls of rock’n’roll and went further. This whole discussion of rock, no rock is pure blah-blah-blah. Pure bullsh-t. It’s music. And in the end, Alex also said, “OK. Yes.”
México Lindo y Querido is a big tour. How hard is it to travel with it?
We send cargo to South America ahead of time, some by boat, some by plane. We want to have the exact same show as the U.S. show. We don’t have a production A and production B. Many artists, especially non-Latin acts, travel to Latin America with a trimmed tour. We take everything with us and don’t cut any music out. And if people ask us for more music, we keep on playing.
You’ve spoken for years about migrant rights, and during the U.S. leg of the tour, you donated to many immigrant organizations. What’s your position?
More than a political position, it’s a humanitarian position. When we spent time with [President Barack] Obama at the White House, we weren’t supporting Democrats. We were supporting the people who work, who put food on the table for Americans. And Obama understood that perfectly. We’re not with Democrats or Republicans. We’re for the people. For human rights. The United States benefits from Mexican workers.
Fher Olvera at home in Mexico on January 31, 2024.
Paulina Pérez
We’re in Puerto Vallarta, which has a strong connection to your environmental foundation, Selva Negra, which you created back in 1996. The beaches where you hatch the sea turtles Selva Negra is so famous for are close by.
They’re toward Nayarit, on a large beach called Platanitos. The government has a reserve that is untouchable, and we partner with them to take care of the turtles in a very large area. In Platanitos, we have a conservation station where the biologists and people who take care of the turtles are. Last year, we released almost a million baby turtles into the sea, a record. We’ve been doing this since ’96, so there are many of my daughters in the sea. And we also have a nursery in Jalisco, where we plant trees and sell them to the government, which pays us very little, but we come out even. We’ve planted hundreds of thousands of trees.
Do you feel that now more than ever artists have social responsibility?
I believe that if it comes from the heart, it’s OK. If the artist doesn’t really feel it, there is no obligation to do it. The main obligation of an artist is to make good art. Their obligation is to give their best in the songs, in the lyrics, in the arrangements, in everything that makes up a song. Now, if you feel like talking about women’s rights or human rights, education, health rights, the environment, whatever you want, then all the better, I say, because music is very powerful and young people do listen. And I think that many people have been inspired by Maná to protect the environment or think globally and act locally.
Is it exciting for you to see a new generation of artists, like Christian Nodal and Edén Muñoz, sing your songs, as they’re doing on your duet album?
They’re paying homage to Maná’s songs even though they weren’t even born when the songs were made. There is “Eres Mi Religión,” with Joy [Huerta]; “Rayando el Sol” was beautiful with Pablo Alborán; “Clandestino” with Edén Muñoz is more reminiscent of Mexican music. Christian Nodal I think is a very authentic guy, a good singer who sings from the heart. And we knew that he really liked Maná. So in this album of duets, which is more focused on Mexican music, we invited him to sing “Te lloré un Río,” and the song was so beautiful because Sergio Vallín and Christian added all this Mexican instrumentation and fusion.
You’ve told me you would like to record a duet with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Who else is on your dream collaboration list?
Last Friday, I heard U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and Bono’s singing is amazing. That would be another one to tap into and see what happens. I love Bruno Mars, too. On the new album, we’re not doing many duets, just two or three. We’re writing. We’re addicted to making music.
The street that leads to Luna Líquida Hotel Boutique, above the center of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is steep and cobbled, ending in a modest gate painted sky blue with the number 409 embedded in a yellow tile on the wall. It’s the kind of place you find only if you’re looking. And it’s exactly how Fher […]
Colombian superstar Shakira will release her first new album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore), on March 22. The singer’s upcoming LP also marks her debut release on vinyl, featuring four distinct artwork editions, each paired with an exclusive colored vinyl variant (See the different covers here).
“Making this body of work has been an alchemical process,” Shakira said in a statement. “While writing each song I was rebuilding myself. While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength.”
The title of the album is a nod to the empowering lyrics from her Bizarrap session “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” where she declared, “las mujeres ya no llora, las mujeres facturan,” which loosely translates to, “women don’t cry anymore, they make money.”
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Speculation about a new album began when Shakira posted on a short video on Sunday that began with a shot of a diamond followed by clips from her previously-released singles, including “Copa Vacía” with Manuel Turizo, her Bizarrap-produced music session and “Monotonía.”
“Stay tuned,” she instructed her more than 90 million Instagram followers.
Shak’s new album follows her 2017 set El Dorado, which spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart, and included hit songs such as “Chantaje” with Maluma, “La Bicicleta” with Carlos Vives and the Prince Royce-assisted “Deja vu.”
Overall, the hitmaker has placed eight top 10 albums on the Top Latin Albums chart, six of those hit No. 1, including Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1998), Fijación Oral: Vol. 1 (2005) and Sale El Sol (2010).
Last year, Shakira released back-to-back singles, including her hard-hitting “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” the aforementioned head-bobbing “Copa Vacía,” “El Jefe,” a riveting polka-tinged ska with Fuerza Regida, and her poignant ballad “Acróstico.”
Shakira had been mostly mum about her new album, but in a candid interview with Billboard for her September cover story, the global superstar — who is also a single mother to two young boys — shared why it had taken her six years to release a new album.
“The last time I released an album was six years ago. Now I can release music at a faster clip, although sometimes I think being a single mom and the rhythm of a pop star aren’t compatible,” she explained. “I have to put my kids to bed, go to the recording studio; everything is uphill. When you don’t have a husband who can stay home with the kids, it’s constant juggling because I like to be a present mom and I need to be there every moment with my children: take them to school, have breakfast with them, take them to play dates. And aside from that, I have to make money.”
Karol G had three things to celebrate on Wednesday (Feb. 14): her 33rd birthday, Valentine’s Day and a new single. The Colombian superstar unveiled her new track, “Contigo,” her latest collaboration with Tiësto. This also marks the pair’s third effort together, following “Don’t Be Shy” (2021) and “Provenza (Remix),” part of Karol’s 2023 Mañana Será […]
If her debut album title is any indication, Karol G has been unstoppable — especially on the Billboard charts, where she’s earned eight No. 1 hits on the Hot Latin Songs list. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In celebration of her 33rd birthday Wednesday (Feb. 14), […]
Few artists blend the organic with the electronic as seamlessly and thoughtfully as Roberto Carlos Lange, known by his stage name Helado Negro. With his ninth studio album, Phasor, the Ecuadorian-American singer/producer embarks on a journey that transcends the boundaries of sound, technology, and nature. This voyage is underscored by an unexpected triad: the majestic Smoky Mountains, the humble mushroom, and a supercomputer.
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Following the success of Far In, which peaked at No. 85 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart in November 2021, Phasor emerges as a culmination of the creative’s evolving musical style and thematic exploration, from the drum and bass-leaning This Is How You Smile (2019) to the quarantine reflections of Far In.
Phasor defies easy categorization — a trait Lange himself acknowledges. “The main story can be so elusive,” he muses. “There’s intention, but there’s also obscurity and literal meanings.” This openness sets the stage for an album rich in multifaceted themes, from introspection and personal connection to profound engagements with the natural world.
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Echoes of the Smoky Mountains
The Florida-bred musician’s move from Brooklyn to Asheville, North Carolina, marked a significant shift in his creative landscape. “My connection was water, the beach and mostly city life,” Lange remembers about his upbringing, and evinced in “Colores del Mar.” The Smoky Mountains’ breathtaking beauty and tranquility offered a stark contrast to the urban environments he had previously inhabited. “The mountains are really spectacular. They surround you, going hiking, having all these views and being able to see so much. It really affected me,” the singer mentions, where the serene and the sublime merge, as his “mountainous muses.”
From Fungi to Frequencies
Ahead of Phasor‘s release, Lange piqued interest with a social media post on X displaying a collection of magic mushrooms, suggesting they played a role in the album’s creation. “This album was on heavy rotation while making my new album,” he wrote. While playful, this isn’t far from the truth: The album embodies a psychedelic exploration not just in sound but in spirit (listen to the exploratory sounds of “Out There” and “Echo Tricks Me”), drawing parallels between the mind-expanding journey of psychedelics and the boundless possibilities of musical exploration.
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“There’s this physical space and then this mental and spiritual space that gives me more freedom to feel a little more quiet in my mind,” he tells Billboard Español. “Also having a little more focus and deeper intention with my work.”
Bridging Histories Through Sound
Opening track “LFO” (Lupe Finds Oliveros) connects the legacies of two pioneering women: Pauline Oliveros, an Tejana avant-garde musician known for her philosophy of deep listening, and Lupe López, a Mexican-American Fender amplifier technician from the 1950s whose meticulous craftsmanship has resonated through time. Lange found inspiration in the intersecting stories of Oliveros and López, tying together their contributions to music and sound.
Oliveros’s work in deep listening — a practice of fully immersing oneself in the sounds of one’s environment — and López’s renowned precision in the Fender factory highlight a shared legacy of listening and creating with intention.
Lange was captivated by the narrative of collectors and niche enthusiasts who treasure the unique tone of amplifiers that bear Lopez’s signature “Her amp was on the assembly line where there were multiple workers making them. Each person wrote their name on a piece of masking tape, and put it inside the amp. They call them the Lupe amps,” he shares with admiration. “I think it’s really endearing, and I find it really amazing…the value is really in the appreciation for the care that she put into it.”
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Through “LFO,” the musician not only honors these two figures but also delves into broader themes of listening, identity and the enduring impact of those who’ve shaped the landscape of sound. “I really appreciated… how all those things connected between her, Lupe, and the people who are appreciating Lupe’s work,” Lange comments. This track, and the album as a whole, invites listeners to explore the deep connections between music’s history and its future, reminding us of the power of sound to bridge disparate worlds.
A Symphony with a Supercomputer
The album’s technological heart beats with the rhythm of the SalMar synthesizer, a unique instrument that encapsulates Lange’s fascination with the intersection of music and machinery. Corresponding with the archivist at the University of Illinois since 2019, he spent hours with the SalMar synth, finding inspiration in its capability to create music generatively, using a blend of old supercomputer brains and analog oscillators.
“An Italian-American educator and musician, Salvatore Martirano, invented it for himself to make generative music that constantly changes and evolves. It’s a one of a kind instrument,” he shares. “He would perform with it live, and listen, this thing is huge to travel with. One of the musical pieces he published at the time was ‘L’s GA, Ballad, Octet‘ short for Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, an anti-war piece against the Vietnam War. I thought it was cool to see all these deeper intentions with it, [denouncing] the corrupt mentality of violence, but then also pushing through with invention, creativity, and inspiration.”
“There’s such a uniqueness to it,” he says, underscoring the instrument’s influence on the album. The SalMar’s “loops, textures and ideas” permeate Phasor, serving as a bridge between the digital and the organic, the past and the present.
Performing Phasor Live and Beyond
As Lange looks ahead, the live performance of Phasor represents an exciting frontier. The dynamic nature of live music allows Phasor to evolve in real-time, offering audiences a unique experience that captures the essence of his creative vision. “Performing this music live has been so fun recently,” says the artist. “What’s really cool about that is that context can’t be changed. To experience live music, you have to be there in person.”
He adds, “I love it when people are able to determine their own [interpretation]. There’s no prescriptive way to listen to this record. I listen to it in so many different formats, at home, in my car, jogging. It’s really important to find connections where you can.”
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Tainy is not a new face for the Recording Academy. His work has been nominated in the past, and just last year, he won his first Golden Gramophone for his participation on Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, which won best música urbana album.
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But this year, the Puerto Rican hitmaker earned his first-ever nomination as a lead artist with his debut album as artist-producer called DATA — a nom he felt was “far-fetched.”
“It’s special. I’ve been working for awhile,” he tells Billboard. “In music, you always see the Grammys like a stamp. … This is my first project. I can’t say it’s overdue because it’s so new. For me, growing up in Puerto Rico, it wasn’t in our goals or in our minds of things we could accomplish. Just seeing the American Grammys seemed so far-fetched. It wasn’t even in my mind, and for it to happen, is not easy to digest and understand at the moment but I’m blessed to be around all these people who I admire and inspire me in a certain way.” (Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito won the 2024 Grammy, against DATA and Rauw Alejandro’s Saturno.)
DATA laces his unmatched skills, good music taste, and A-list artist friends such as Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, Julieta Venegas, and more. For Tainy, “it’s super personal.”
“When I started doing music, the people I admired growing up, that’s what they used to do,” he explains. “All these amazing producers would do their own albums and everyone would just hop on and try to do the best track possible. To me, as soon as I became a fan of music and beats, that inspired me so much. I came into the game getting opportunities and working with these artists, and as the genre evolved, those albums didn’t happen anymore. Music changed so much.”
In the latest Billboard News episode, Tainy shares his strongest song on the set, producing Selena Gomez’s first all-Spanish-language project, and helming his very own concert in Puerto Rico’s coveted Coliseo venue.
“I’m still growing, I’m still a student of what I do,” he notes. “There’s a lot of things I want to keep on tapping and trying, just give myself a shot and see what happens.”