Latin
Page: 157
On March 6, Brazilian powerhouse Luísa Sonza will be celebrated as a Global Force at this year’s Billboard Women In Music Awards.
As the only Brazilian being honored at the prestigious ceremony, Sonza told Billboard Brasil, “It’s very surreal. I would never have expected it, but I’m very happy to represent Brazil and that they look to Brazilian artists.”
This accolade comes on the heels of her Billboard Brasil Hot 100-topping success. Sonza first captured hearts in 2014 with her covers on YouTube and beguilingly earned the title as the Queen of Covers. In 2020, she made her debut on the Billboard charts and quickly became a global force, if you will.
With seven tracks on the Global Excl. US chart, including pop hits like “Modo Turbo” with Pablo Vittar, featuring Anitta (2020), “Cachorrinhas” (2022), and “Chico” (2023), her music continues to resonate worldwide. These tracks not only made waves internationally but also secured her spots on the coveted Billboard Global 200.
Furthermore, her impressive track record in her country, featuring 12 charted songs including three top 10s, is a testament to her homegrown appeal and artistry.
The singer also celebrated the fact that the industry is honoring Latin musicians. Colombian superstar Karol G is Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko will receive the Impact Award at Billboard Women in Music 2024. “I like this selection. In general, the [industry] was Americanized for a long time, and today I see the recipients — I have Latin friends who sing in Spanish, just as I mostly sing in Portuguese,” she reflected.
Her collaborations with international artists such as Demi Lovato, Marshmello and Katy Perry further highlight her global reach and influence in the music industry.
“I’m happy to be there [at this year’s ceremony] and what [my third studio album] Escândalo Íntimo has brought me. It was very special to have Demi Lovato sing in Portuguese (‘Penhasco2’) and to create a song with Marshmello (‘Sou Musa Do Verão’),” added Luísa Sonza.
Tickets to attend the Billboard Women in Music Awards presented by Marriott Bonvoy are available to the public. Fans can watch the show on Thurs, March 7 at 5pm PT/8pm ET on billboardwomeninmusic.com.
Andrea Bocelli‘s Viña del Mar debut was a grand affair, and the Italian tenor was awarded not only with the Silver Gaviota but also with the Golden one on Monday (Feb. 26). With more than 110 musicians on stage, Bocelli opened the second night of the week-long event, the 63rd edition of Viña’s International Song […]
Romeo Santos and Aventura are reuniting once again for their 2024 Cerrando Ciclos tour the pair revealed on Tuesday morning (Feb. 27).
Produced by CMN Events, the 20-date trek will kick off May 1 in Sacramento and wrap in Dallas on June 11, with two additional dates in Canada. The timeless bachata group — known for hits such as “Obsesion,” “Dile al Amor,” and “Un Beso” — will also make pit stops in key U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
“This year there is something I must accomplish and conclude,” Santos said in a press statement. “I want you to join me on a journey where I will be definitively closing cycles. Because it is not the same to remember beautiful times as it is to be a prisoner of the past. We cannot stagnate in the nostalgia of yesterday, but rather move forward, discover new horizons, and show other facets.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Santos and Aventura last joined forces just months before the Coronavirus pandemic for their 2020 Inmortal Tour, which grossed $25.8 million and sold 189,000 tickets among 15 shows between Feb. 5 and March 10, 2020, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Trending on Billboard
Tickets for Cerrando Ciclos go on sale at noon ET on Friday (March 1) via ticketmaster.com and axs.com.
See Cerrando Ciclos U.S. tour dates below:
May 1 — Sacramento, CAMay 2 — San Jose, CAMay 5 — Los Angeles, CAMay 8 — Ontario, CAMay 9 — Glendale, AZMay 11 — Houston, TXMay 16 — Charlotte, NCMay 20 — Chicago, ILMay 22 — New York, NYMay 26 — Washington, DCMay 27 — Hartford, CTMay 31 — Boston, MAJune 2 — Newark, NJJune 7 — Toronto, CanadaJune 8 — Montreal, CanadaJune 11 — Miami, FLJune 14 — Orlando, FLJune 17 — Atlanta, GAJune 19 — San Antonio, TXJune 21 — Dallas, TX
When ChocQuibTown –the seminal Colombian trio that fuses hip hop with Colombian rhythms and beats from the Pacific Coast — took a break late in 2022, co-founder Tostao decided to go back to his roots. Literally. The multi-time Latin Grammy winner (real name: Carlos Valencia) went back to his native Chocó, in Colombia’s Pacific Coast, and then to Medellín, where he and a group of producers, writers and artists began to create.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The resulting Exótico Pa’l Mundo (Exotic For the World), released late last year, is an album of “ritmo exótico,” a new genre little known outside Colombia that Tostao describes as “an urban fusion with elements of tropical Colombian music and folklore.”
You might think you’ve heard stuff like this before, but you haven’t. “Ritmo exótico” is vibrant and luscious and immediately danceable, mixing electronic loops with acoustic instruments and irresistible swagger and attitude. It’s underground but it could be mainstream (check out a taste here).
Trending on Billboard
Jankii Martinez
“It’s like you brought together standard Colombian reggaetón with a little bit of Joe Arroyo vibe and on top of that you put in a little bit of Petronio Alvarez, of that Blackness,” says Tostao, referring to the late Afrocolombian composer and singer, for whom Colombia’s biggest festival of Black Pacific music is named.
Like Alvarez, Tostao, who is also Black, has long been committed to celebrating his Afro Colombian culture, and with ChocQuibTown, he – along with ex wife Goyo and Slo — was able to create an international hip-hop sound that incorporated the most local subgenres of Colombia’s Pacific coast. Ritmo Exótico is also anchored in the music of Chocó and the Pacific, but it leans more folk and tropical.
“It’s like reggaetón with a taste of borojó,” laughs Tostao, alluding to a tropical fruit from Chocó.
To get his mix of sounds just right, Tostao moved from Miami to Medellín, which has world-class recording studios, but is also home to a big population of musicians from Chocó, all of them Black. Tostao joined them in a kind of collective that gave way to a first solo album that is anything but solitary.
Exótico Pa’l Mundo features up and coming ritmo exótico acts like Luis Eduardo Acústico, Robbie Vida (who Tostao describes as “the Kanye West of ritmo exótico”), Buay Press and Yilmar Dresan, as well as more established Afro Colombian acts like Mabiland and Los Dioses del Ritmo.
The project started as a songwriting camp with kids from the ritmo exótico movement. Young artists who’d gone viral on TikTok — like Los Dioses del Ritmo with their “Alo Michael (Rico Rico)” single. The idea, says Tostao, was to teach them how he worked in the industry.
“Turns out they were super-talented, super-hard working. So I spoke to my manager [Juan Diego Medina, who also manages Manuel Turizo and Nicky Jam] and I told him: ‘I know it’s not common to write and publish songs with kids no one knows yet. But I want to do this as my solo project.’”
Exótico Pa’l Mundo was released via Medina’s La Industria and distributed via Sony. And although Tostao sees it as a project born from love, he also wants it “to become commercially viable. It’s like we did with CocQuibTown, a black group playing in Bogotá who won a Grammy. If global platforms support a genre like ritmo exótico from Chocó, it has all the elements to go global. It’s not just about love. It’s about having been around the world and seeing the results.”
Tostao also knows this may be slow going — the artists of this scene are mostly unknown outside Colombia, after all — but he feels the change is there, right below the surface.
“This sound feels like a club sound. It feels big,” he says. “And it’s a movement, like a wave. When we had ChocQuibTown we were the only ones because the sound was so special. But when you’re part of a movement, the minute one stands out, others will follow.”
The best way for that to happen, Tostao admits, would be to have a big name like Farruko or Myke Towers jump and bandwagon. Meantime, he’s busy evangelizing for the music and the culture.
Late last year, he launched a projected titled Somos Grandes (We’re Big) together with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, which connects Afro Latino elements across Latin American countries. One of the chapters is focused on ritmo exótico in Chocó, and will feature six weeks of workshops, panels and production that will wrap up March 21.
“I want to open a door to show people El Chocó,” says Tostao. “My editorial line is the promotion of Afro Colombian music. Wherever I play, I’d like people to say, ‘A guy from El Chocó was here and left us with that Afro Pacific flow.’ I feel many things are happening now with our Afro Colombian culture. There’s far more presence. But I feel the moment, the big moment, hasn’t come yet. We still don’t have our Afro Maluma. But it’s coming.”
Christian Nodal is taking his mariacheño to Europe.
The Mexican singer-songwriter is set to kick off a eight-date European stint, as part of his Pa’l Cora Tour, that will begin June 28 in Zurich and visit other major cities including London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan. Nodal’s trek in Europe is a significant moment for regional Mexican music in general, and a nod to the globalization of the genre.
“When we performed our first concert in Madrid last May, at the WiZink Center, more than a goal a European tour was a dream and you, my fans, with that SOLD OUT ended up making it come true,” the 25-year-old artist said in a statement. “Thank you for loving my music as much or more than I do … I love you guys so much, see you soon, I will be visiting you in your city so we can dance, fall in love and also have a shot of Don Julio tequila in the name of heartbreak.”
Nodal’s Pa’l Cora Tour in Europe — a mix of theater, arena and festival shows — will follow his Foraji2 Tour, which he wrapped in December 2023. The 31-date arena run in the United States followed his 22-date 2022 Forajido Tour, which grossed $14.5 million and sold 147,000 tickets across 22 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. In 2023, he grossed $21.6 million and sold 259,000 tickets.
Trending on Billboard
Most recently, Nodal won his sixth Latin Grammy taking home best ranchero/mariachi album for Forajido EP2. To date, Nodal is the soloist with the most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, with 15 champs since the list launched in 1994.
The Pa’l Cora Tour in Europe is a JG Music production, Nodal’s father’s management, label and promotions company, in partnership with Spanish concert promoter Iglesias Entertainment. See the dates below for Nodal’s Pa’l Cora Tour dates in Europe:
There are certain qualities that turn a song into a soccer anthem. First, its sense of euphoria to match the game’s twists, turns and rollercoaster of emotions. Second, the song’s ability to get everyone on their feet. So, it makes sense that “Sacúdete” became the Major League Soccer’s (MLS) pick to soundtrack its latest Our Soccer Is Calling campaign spot.
The hypnotic electrónica track by Afro-Indigenous-Venezuelan producer and songwriter Gotopo alongside producer Don Elektron (of Mexican group Kinky) was an unlikely choice given that the song was released last year and Gotopo is a relatively newer artist. However, it was the song that caught the attention of the MLS.
“We fell in love with the energy of the song,” says Jesse Perl, MLS’ VP of brand marketing, who worked with indie label Waxploitation Records to license the track for the campaign. “We think it’s great to use our platform to work not only with an established superstar producer like Don Elektron, but also emerging artists like Gotopo. This year, we wanted to make sure that our commitment to Latin culture came to life through sound, it’s something we really wanted to be intentional about.”
Trending on Billboard
It’s not the first time that the MLS works with Latin acts for campaigns, Prince Royce and Miguel have been tapped in previous years, but this latest song and campaign captures the zeitgeist of the fútbol movement and excitement with the arrival of Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi to the league.
“Something really interesting is starting to happen, like it did back with hip-hop and the NBA in the 90s,” explains Perl. “There’s this marrying of Latin music and soccer in such an organic way. Peso Pluma is coming to games with Dr. Dre. Then you have Bizarrap is going to games in Miami. There’s all these people who are fans of the sport and now our league.”
It’s also a direct reflection of the league’s fans. According to data provided by the MLS, the league has the youngest and most diverse fans among the major sports leagues in North America with 30% of the MLS’ fanbase being Hispanic and 69% of the league’s fans are Gen-Z and millennial.
“Our soccer is calling is this idea of it being an invitation to bring people who are curious to discover, and we’re fortunate that there’s more curiosity about our league than ever before.”
Watch the “Our Soccer is Calling” spot, soundtracked by “Sacúdete,” below.
[embedded content]
Eight years after his last performance at Viña del Mar, Alejandro Sanz has once again won over the “monster” of Quinta Vergara on Sunday night, when he opened the 63rd edition of Viña’s International Song Festival.
The Spanish singer/songwriter delighted the event’s 15,000 attendees by performing live hits including “No Es Lo Mismo,” “Lo Que Fui Es Lo Que Soy” and “Deja Que Te Bese,” to name a few.
The set began with a video of Sanz, on the large screens at the back of the stage, narrating the beginning of his autobiographical song “Bio” before appearing live — dressed in black, with white sneakers and dark glasses — accompanied by a band that included about a dozen musicians among instrumentalists and backup singers. “Viña roars!” he yelled before starting singing.
Trending on Billboard
Sanz later greeted the audience in the Chilean coastal city: “How good to see you!” he said to the “monster,” as the festival’s audience at the Quinta Vergara is known as. “What a joy to return to this stage after a few years. This is a very special night for all of us here; I hope it is for you too. We are going to do absolutely everything to make it so.”
And they did not disappoint. For almost an hour and a half, Sanz and his band delivered hit after hit.
One of the most emotional moments came from “Looking for Paradise,” originally recorded with Alicia Keys, which Sanz performed this time with one of his backup singers. The artist dedicated the uplifting bilingual song to the volunteers working to help the victims of the fires that left 120 people dead and more than 15,000 homes affected earlier this month in Viña del Mar. “I want to dedicate it to them with all the love in the world and thank them. It is from those people that we, as humanity, can really nourish ourselves, because they are people who selflessly give everything,” he said. “So this is for you. ¡Viva Chile!”
Some of the songs that inspired a sing-along among the fans were “La Fuerza del Corazón”, “Cuando Nadie Me Ve,” “Quisiera Ser”, “Mi Soledad y Yo”, “Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?” and, of course, “Corazón Partío,” which the audience belted with Sanz wholeheartedly. Later, they awarded his art and his solidarity with a Silver and Golden Gaviota Awards, the highest honor awarded to the guest artists, as per the intensity of the audience’s ovation.
But Sanz wasn’t the only international star who performed on the opening night of the event. Colombian singer Manuel Turizo followed him with his Viña debut, performing an eclectic, colorful set that included ballads, urbano and tropical music, with songs from “Desconocidos” and “Déjala Que Vuelva” to “Vagabundo” and his biggest hits, “La Bachata” and “El Merengue,” which undoubtedly lit up the crowd. Turizo also received a strong ovation from the “monster,” and went home with his first Silver Gaviota Award.
Manuel Turizo performs during the 63th Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Viña del Mar, Chile on Feb. 26, 2024.
JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images
The Viña del Mar Festival 2024 takes place all week at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater and can be seen outside of Chile on the Star+ streaming platform and the festival’s YouTube channel.
The celebration continues Monday (Feb. 26) night with performances by Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli, plus Miranda! as the second act. Maná and Men at Work on Feb. 27; Mora and Anitta on Feb. 29; a night devoted to Chilean artists with Los Bunkers and Young Cister on March 1; and for the finale on Feb. 2, Maria Becerra, who took the place of Peso Pluma after the Mexican artist canceled his Latin American tour last week. Trueno will be the second artist of the night.
If you missed Sunday’s performances by Alejandro Sanz and Manuel Turizo, or want to relive them, you can watch them here below:
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
BMG announced on Monday (Feb. 26) an exclusive recordings agreement with the estate of the iconic Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía. In a partnership with the Paco de Lucía Foundation, BMG is set to release Pepito y Paquito, an album featuring 21 previously unreleased tracks by Paco de Lucía and his brother Pepe, in May 2024.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We are delighted that these very special recordings, completely unknown until now, will finally be released with BMG on such a special date as the 10th anniversary of Paco de Lucía’s departure,” representatives of Paco de Lucía’s Estate said in a statement. “These recordings are an extraordinary document that reflects the first steps in the career of Paco de Lucía and Pepe de Lucía, and they are already part of the history of flamenco.”
According to a press release issued by BMG, the recordings — which date back to 1959 and 1960 — give flamenco fans an insight into the “early musical endeavors” of Pepe and Paco at the ages of 13 and 11, respectively. AI was used to help restore the recordings from a vintage Grundig TK46 tape recorder.
Trending on Billboard
“I never thought these recordings would ever see the light of day, but thanks to the tireless work of the team that has been part of this process, the tapes have finally been restored and are ready to be released,” added Pepe. “When I listened to the tapes again, more than 60 years after their original recording, I couldn’t believe that those children were my brother Paco and me. It is a wonderful recording that brings back fond memories of the happiest time of our lives and serves as a fitting finale to our careers.”
“It has been a privilege to work hand in hand with Pepe de Lucía and the Paco de Lucía Foundation for more than a year to document, restore, and finally publish these tapes that showcase the genius of these two brothers who changed the history of music in Spain and around the world,” said Javier Doria, BMG director A&R Spain.
The deal comes on the heels of a Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival, which took place in New York from Feb. 20-24 commemorating the 10th anniversary of Paco de Lucía’s death. A historical figure in flamenco and a key figure in the globalization of the music, Paco de Lucía was honored by more than 30 flamenco artists at the four-day event.
L to R: Francisco Sánchez Gómez (Paco de Lucía) and José Sánchez Gómez (Pepe de Lucía) with their mother Lucía Gomes Gonçalves
© Family Photo Archive
Five months after Karol G and Peso Pluma’s “Qlona” concluded its fifth week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, the collab rises 2-1 to lead the Latin Airplay chart dated March 2.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Qlona” lands at the summit with a 17% gain in audience impressions, to 9.54 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 22, according to Luminate. It ousts Myke Towers’ “La Falda” from the top after one week in charge, dropping 1-2 with a 10% dip in impressions, to 9.5 million.
As “Qlona” reaches the summit in its 23rd week on the list, it wraps the longest journey to the top spot this decade, passing the 22-week trek that two Towers’ songs needed to their reign in 2020: “Bandido,” with Juhn, and “Bésame,” with Luis Fonsi. (The last song to take longer to reach No. 1 was Pedro Capo and Farruko’s “Calma,” which hit the top in its 24th week, on the April 13, 2019 chart.)
Trending on Billboard
With “Qlona” on top, Karol logs the 17th No. 1 in her Latin Airplay career. The new champ arrives five months after her own “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” reigned for two weeks last October. Peso Pluma, meanwhile, picks up his third, after “Ella Baila Sola,” with Eslabon Armado, ruled for one week last June.
Elsewhere, “Qlona” wins a first term at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay, marking a 16th win for Karol. It’s the second Latin rhythmic crown for Pluma, after the four-week champ “La Bebe,” with Yng Lvcas, in 2023.
Thanks to its radio haul, “Qlona” rebounds 5-4 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart — which blends airplay, streaming activity, and digital sales — after five weeks in charge.
[embedded content]
Karol G & Tiesto Enter Upper Region
In more Karol G news, “Contigo,” her latest collab with Tiesto, flies 48-3 on Hot Latin Songs in its second week.
The song, released via Bichota/Interscope, debuted Feb. 15 at No. 48 with only one day of activity, the last day of the previous tracking week. In its first full tracking week, “Contigo” rallies to No. 3 on the strength of streaming activity. The song generated 8.2 million during the same period, up 240% in U.S. clicks.
That figure is enough to debut at No. 44 on the overall Streaming Songs chart, and to yield a No. 5 debut on Latin Streaming Songs.
Sales too, assist in its second week at No. 1 on Latin Digital Songs, as the song logged 1,000 downloads after its debut week.
Notably, the new champ also secures a milestone achievement for Tiesto, who captures his first top 10 on Hot Latin Songs among two chart entries. The electronic DJ and record producer earned his first career entry on the multimetric ranking with a No. 36 high for “Provenza (Remix),” with Karol G, in Aug. 2023.
Beyond its No. 3 high on Hot Latin Songs, “Contigo” matches Karol’s previous Tiesto team-ups on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ranking, lifting 10-4, and mirroring the No. 4 high of “Don’t Be Shy” and “Provenza (Remix)” in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
[embedded content]
The new, March 2, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 27.
Tonight (Sunday, Feb. 25) is the kick-off of Latin music’s longest-running and most-watched music festival. More than 200 million people are expected to watch the television broadcast of the Viña del Mar Song Festival, which celebrates its 63rd year (uninterrupted, save for two years of Covid-19 shutdown) with performances by global music stars.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Alejandro Sanz and Manuel Turizo will open the festival at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater tonight. Then, the week continues with Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli on Monday, Feb. 26 (with Miranda! as the second act); Maná and Men at Work on Feb. 27; Mora and Anitta on Feb. 29; a night devoted to Chilean artists with Los Bunkers and Young Cister on March 1; and for the finale on Feb. 2, Maria Becerra, who took the place of Peso Pluma after the Mexican artist canceled his Latin American tour last week. Trueno will be the second artist of the night.
Although the artists, international and folk competitions, and comedy sets are the main attraction of the festival, the backbone is its hosts. Chileans María Luisa Godoy — who returns for the fourth consecutive year — and Francisco Saavedra, have the titanic task of literally “conducting” the festival six nights in a row, in marathon six-hour plus evenings. Saavedra and Godoy, both veteran journalists, presenters and commentators, not only host and introduce throughout the evening, but they must navigate the subtleties of many artists (and new artists who come to compete), comedians and the live audience at Quinta Vergara, known as “the monster” for their active involvement in what happens on the stage.
Trending on Billboard
This year, Godoy and Saavedra also have an additional challenge, as the city of Viña del Mar was severely affected at the beginning of the month by fires that left more than 120 people dead and more than 15,000 homes destroyed.
Just hours before they go on stage, we spoke with Godoy and Saavedra about what it takes to prepare to host the largest festival in the world.
The Viña del Mar Song Festival has been celebrated for almost 70 years. What is different this year?
Francisco Saavedra: It’s different because a tragedy occurred in Viña del Mar, more than 100 people died and there are many places that are badly damaged. Therefore, the festival took on a supportive tone. Throughout our broadcast, a QR code will be displayed from where everyone can donate for the reconstruction of Viña del Mar.
María Luisa Godoy: It’s a wounded city, and we want all of Latin America to help us in this reconstruction. Therefore, the more than 200 million people who watch the Viña Festival hope that you will collaborate with us. At the amphitheater we have a booth for donations, and also, we aim to heal with music, with entertainment.
How do these facts change your work as hosts?
Saavedra: We’d been rehearsing for eight months, and we had to change the tone of what we were going to say. The artist introductions remain the same, but empathy is what changes the tone of the scripts. We had to re-study.
Godoy: The first night is the big challenge, because it sets the tone. So much so, that we even changed the outside [Godoy will wear a white pantsuit, Saavedra will wear all black]. The festival has always started with a party, and the outfits were flashier, but we’re striking a more sober note out of respect.
This is not a normal hosting job. Literally everyone in Chile — nearly 90% of the population –watches this show at some point. How do you prepare?
Saavedra: There is purely editorial work. We had 18 rehearsals inisde a television studio where the producers gave us all sorts of prompts of what could happen: applause, booing, the teleprompter cutting out, delays. They wanted to see our ability to improvise. You know that the audience in Viña del Mar is very different from other countries. They like to participate, and they’re very radical. If they don’t like something, they’re ruthless. So one has to be prepared for that.
Godoy: It is the largest festival in the world. There are six nights, where there are two artists who sing, plus the competition, plus the comedian. So it forces us to learn the biography of each person in order to present them in the best possible way. And part of the identity of this festival is that it has the “monster.” And the monster is very unique. It’s an audience that can literally eat the artist who is on stage.
In your three years at the Festival, María Luisa, what moment stands out?
Godoy: There was a particularly difficult festival in 2020, during the country’s period of social unrest. They even put up barricades around the venue, and it was difficult for artists to get there. The opening artists couldn’t come because crowds were setting cars on fire outside the hotel and wouldn’t let them pass. And I want to tell you about Ricky Martin who saved the festival in 2020. Every night, we weren’t sure if we would have a show or not. When Ricky came to the venue, he had to lie down inside his SUV because protesters were throwing stones at the cars, not even knowing who was inside. Every international artist started calling Ricky to ask what the situation was. And Ricky, such a good and generous person, completely calmed everyone down, put them at ease, and helped the festival take place.
Saavedra: A similar thing that happened with Alejandro Sanz this year. He went to see some of the people who lost their homes in the fires. It was very emotional.
Francisco, it’s your first year. Did you long to do this?
Saavedra: I think it is the most important festival in Latin America, and for any Chilean television host being in Viña is a very important step in your career. You are seen by audiences from all over the world. You cross borders. To live up to this we’ve been studying and working. It’s a dream for me since I was little. Now being able to fulfill it excites me deeply.
María Luisa, and you? How did the opportunity come to you?
Godoy: It was a surprise because my career was in political journalism, so it was never something I thought I could do. It’s not the kind of thing you can say no to because it is like wearing the Chilean T-shirt for the world. It has simply been the most important thing that has happened in my professional career.
You are a mother of five children. How do you balance such a complex job with motherhood?
Godoy: As a mother, I can’t move without my puppies. I have from 1-year-old to a 10-year-old and they are all here with me. What makes me most happy is being with them and fighting for women. Ever since i hosted Viña while I was pregnant — there had never been a pregnant woman [as a host] — I always said, my dream is to ensure that having children is not an impediment to working, and that working is not an impediment to having children for a woman who wants a child. You have to break down barriers. Motherhood can be made compatible with work.
Pancho, you are also breaking parameters as a gay man with two children. Your little one is just months old…
Saavedra: Absolutely. My daughter Laura and my son Emilio and my husband are here. It is the first time, I believe, in these 63 years that Viña del Mar has been, [that it] has had [an openly gay host] and it has to do with the evolution of the world and how minds are opening. There is a lot of homophobia in the world. This is a great step forward. And the only thing I have received on the street is affection, love and empathy. Being able to do an interview and talk about my husband and my children, and not raise an eyebrow, is a huge step in the right direction.
The Viña del Mar Song Festival can be seen outside Chile on streaming platform Star+.