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Latin

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Playboy Australia issue has featured Fuerza Regida‘s Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP) on its November 2024 cover, alongside influencer Laci Kay Somers.
Captured by photographer Diego Farelo, the cover sees JOP in a calculated, businesslike attire, with his hair in cornrows and a cigar in his hand, alongside Somers dressed in black lingerie and sporting platinum blonde hair. The photoshoot depicts the pair in varied settings, such as a compromising pose with the model atop a pool table and another set in a poker scene.

The edition, titled “Unstoppable Force,” displays the SoCal frontman and businessman in a context somewhat unusual for a musician known primarily for his contributions to Mexican regional music: The cover and accompanying feature aim to showcase his broad appeal and versatility beyond traditional music circles.

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The shared Instagram posts by the cover stars and Playboy Australia have captions that detail their respective personas and contributions. The caption about JOP reads: “As the force behind Fuerza Regida, he’s redefining Mexican regional music, blending traditional sounds with hip-hop. A powerful voice and a bold style make him a true modern icon.” Meanwhile, the description for Somers notes, “Model, singer, and influencer, Laci commands attention with her beauty and confidence, bridging fashion and entertainment with her unique style and presence.”

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In related news, Sony Music Publishing Latin recently signed JOP and Street Mob Records, his indie label that puts out records in the música mexicana genre, which boasts a roster of more than 25 songwriters, producers and artists, including Chinco Pacas, Calle 24, Clave Especial and Miguel Armenta.

Fuerza Regida recently achieved significant accolades at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, winning Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, duo or group; Top Latin Albums artist of the year, duo or group; regional Mexican artist of the year, duo or group; and regional Mexican album of the year. JOP was also recognized on Billboard’s 2024 Latin Power Player list.

See the Playboy Australia cover below:

United Talent Agency has appointed Kirk Taboada, an industry veteran in the live Latin music scene, as an agent within its music division. Based in Miami, Taboada’s recruitment is part of UTA’s strategic efforts to solidify the company’s market-leading presence across the global Latin music genre. Taboada began his career in the music industry in 2005 […]

Don Omar is backing Vice President Kamala Harris and has officially endorsed her for presidential candidate.
On Tuesday (Oct. 29), the reggaetón superstar, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, shared a poignant message to his more than 12 million followers on Instagram. “Puerto Rico is my homeland and my identity, and today more than ever, I raise my island’s flag with pride,” the hitmaker wrote.

“Hearing such racist and disdainful words directed at my home and at Latinos is heartbreaking. Trump has shown us, time and again, what the thinks of us, and the thought of him and his administration back in power is deeply concerning. Words have weight, and as a community, we cannot tolerate language that seeks to devalue us. Latinos, both on and off our native lands, deserve respect and fair representation.”

His announcement comes just days after racist comments about Puerto Rico were made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Donald Trump rally in Madison Square Garden where he described it as a “floating island of garbage.” Since, a number of Puerto Rican artists, from Bad Bunny to Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez, have used their platforms to amplify Harris’ plan for Puerto Rico and call out Trump’s racist rhetoric.

Don Omar continues in his message: “With only one week until the election, let’s make sure our voices are heard loud and clear. This is why I’m supporting Kamala Harris. I trust she represents the respect and change our communities need and I believe she can pave a new path forward — one that uplifts, empowers and prioritizes dignity for all. It’s time to turn the page. We are not going back.”

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The U.S. presidential elections will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5, although early voting is underway across multiple states. Considered one of the most consequential elections in recent memory, an estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote this year, up from 32.3 million in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.

Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens, but their influence is undeniable and stretches onto the mainland, particularly in swing states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina where hundreds of thousands of people of Puerto Rican descent live, according to numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

See Don Omar’s message in English and Spanish below:

Jennifer Lopez and Maná are set to appear at a Kamala Harris rally and concert in Las Vegas on Thursday (Oct. 31).
The Puerto Rican superstar will speak at the event about the importance of voting and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, while the Mexican band will perform, according to the Harris/Walz campaign.

“These artists and public figures are trusted voices for millions of Americans, who listen to their music, follow them on social media, or otherwise are inspired by them,” a press release states. “The Harris-Walz campaign believes that by using their voices to lay out the stakes of this election, it will further encourage and mobilize people to go vote.”

Part of the “When We Vote We Win” series, the rally aims to mobilize young and nontraditional voters ahead of the last day of early voting in Nevada on Friday (Nov. 1).

Both Lopez and Maná have supported the Democratic candidate or Democratic causes and have been very vocal about the importance of voting on this election.

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Only last Sunday (Oct. 27), the singer and actress amplified Harris’ message about her commitment with Puerto Rico by sharing a video of the VP on her Instagram Stories, after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a racist joke at a Donald Trump rally in New York City, where he called the U.S. commonwealth a “floating island of garbage.”

Meanwhile, Maná has been a strong supporter of Democratic causes over the years, particularly related to immigration reform and other Latino related issues. “The way Trump expresses himself about Mexicans and the Latin community is incredible,” the band’s leader, Fher Olvera, tweeted in Spanish following a 2016 presidential debate. “Like a lot of people have perceived it, he is a racist.” The Mexican band also celebrated President Joe Biden’s 2020 win, writing on Twitter (now X), “Values won over perversity. There’s unity in diversity.”

Las month, the band even pulled its 2016 Nicky Jam collaboration “De Pies a Cabeza” from music streaming platforms following the reggaetón star’s endorsement of Trump. “Maná doesn’t work with racists,” the band wrote in Spanish on Instagram. “For the past 30 years, Maná has supported and defended the rights of Latinos around the world. There is no business or promotion that is worth more than the dignity of our people. That is why today Maná decided to remove its collaboration with Nicky Jam on ‘Pies a Cabeza’ from all digital platforms.”

DannyLux is expanding his management team, Billboard can confirm. The Mexican American singer-songwriter adds D Luna Music to VPS Music — his home label since launching his career in 2020 — in a new partnership. Under the leadership of José Luis Aguilar (VPS) Daniel Luna (D Luna), the deal “aims to elevate the artist to new […]

Bad Bunny has released a stirring video tribute to Puerto Rico after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to the U.S. commonwealth as a “floating island of garbage” during Donald Trump’s Oct. 27 rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden. The racist statement sparked widespread criticism, prompting Bad Bunny to respond not with words, but with a […]

Mexican singer Oscar Maydon claims his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs thanks to his Fuerza Regida collab, “Tu Boda,” which surges 8-1 on the list dated Nov. 2. As the song climbs seven spots, it marks the largest jump on the multimetric tally in almost two years.

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“Tu Boda” lands at the summit on Hot Latin Songs mainly on the strength of streaming data and sales. For the Oct. 18-24 tracking week, the song generated 15.2 million official U.S. streams according to Luminate, up 157% from the week prior. The growth pushes the song to a No. 14 debut on the overall Streaming Songs chart, for Maydon’s first appearance there. Fuerza Regida logs its sixth visit, where the group previously logged a No. 10 high with “Tu Name,” with Grupo Frontera, in October 2023.

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“Tu Boda” also registers enough streams in the U.S. for a 6-1 climb on Latin Streaming Songs where Maydon picks up his first visit and No. 1, while Regida secures its second champ.

Sales too, assist “Tu Boda’s” swell on Hot Latin Songs, which combines, airplay, streaming activity and downloads. The song sold 1,000 downloads in the tracking week, yielding a No. 1 debut on Latin Digital Song Sales.

As the song crowns Hot Latin Songs, it dethrones Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” from the lead after the latter’s 14 consecutive week atop (a three-way tie with Xavi’s “La Diabla,” and FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only,” for the longest-leading songs in 2024). “Si Antes” also adds a 15th week at No. 1 on the overall Latin Airplay, where it enters a tie with Don Omar and Lucenzo’s “Danza Kuduro” and Daddy Yankee’s “Rompe” for the 10th most weeks at No. 1 since the tally launched in 1994. There, Karol extends her record for the most weeks at the summit by a woman soloist, unaccompanied by any other act. (Among all women, Shakira holds the record, with 25 weeks atop through “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz.)

Back to “Tu Boda,” which was released Sept. 26 on Rancho Humilde/Sony Music Latin, the song’s 8-1 surge marks the biggest climb to No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs in a year and 10 months, after Shakira’s “Bzrp: Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” with Bizarrap, rallied 16-1 in its second week (Jan. 28, 2023-dated list).

On a global level, “Tu Boda” takes the Greatest Gainer trophy on both global charts: rushes to No. 4 (from No. 22) on the Billboard Global 200 with 75.1million streams worldwide. The song shows a similar success outside the U.S. where it blasts 17-5 on the Global Excl. U.S. tally with 60 million clicks. Thanks to the streaming splash, both Maydon and Regida pick up their first top 10 on both rankings.

Lastly, “Tu Boda” takes both collaborators to their highest charting performance yet on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it opens at No. 23.

Pop superstars Olivia Rodrigo and Justin Timberlake are set to headline the 14th edition of the Pa’l Norte festival, the massive music party held annually in the Mexican city of Monterrey. The lineup, announced on Tuesday morning (Oct. 29), includes other major international acts such as Charli XCX, Green Day, Massive Attack, Kings of Leon, Black Keys and Caifanes.
This will be the first time that Rodrigo and Timberlake, who have previously visited Mexico, will participate in a Mexican festival. Timberlake has already performed in the country and has two upcoming shows scheduled at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on Feb. 7-8. Rodrigo — who recently completed the 2024 dates of her Guts World Tour, which did not include Mexico — had not previously performed in concert in the country.

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The acclaimed festival will take place April 4-6 in Parque Fundidora in this city bordering the U.S.

SEVENTEEN, Garbage, Fall Out Boy, Benson Boone and electronic music stars Gesaffelstein, The Chainsmokers, Claptone, Sasha & John Digweed, and Deep Dish are also part of the Tecate Pa’l Norte 2025 lineup.

The 14th edition of the festival, one of the most acclaimed in Latin America, will feature more than 180 musical acts across nine stages, according to the organizers. The three-day event draws about 100,000 people per day, a few thousand more than the EDC electronic music festival, one of the most populous in the country.

In partnership with promoter Ocesa, acquired by Live Nation in 2021, Tecate Pa’l Norte has become one of the largest and most diverse festivals in Mexico. It annually attracts thousands of fans from around the world, with a capacity greater than other mega-festivals in the Mexican capital such as Vive Latino and Corona Capital, which gather about 80,000 people per day, according to their organizers.

Situated in Parque Fundidora, the festival’s lineup celebrates a rich fusion of genres ranging from rock and indie to regional Mexican music, reggaeton and electronic music, featuring some of the biggest international acts.

Its stages include Tecate Light, which hosts the main acts; Tecate Original stage, which embraces a mix of musical genres; Oasis Stage, dedicated to the popular genres of reggaeton, hip-hop, and trap; while Villa Maravilla offers the best in techno, afro house, and house music. The Club Social stage brings conventional sounds and EDM.

The Fusión stage is designated for Latin acts, and the Acústico stage offers a unique show with “unplugged” sets throughout the weekend, while the Sorpresa stage offers surprise performances and the Pilos stage, named after a legendary bar in Monterrey, has hosted the biggest stars of northern music since its inception.

In its 14 years of existence, Pa’l Norte has established itself as the “most important musical entertainment event in northern Mexico,” according to the Ministry of Tourism of Nuevo León.

In previous editions, the festival featured artists such as Billie Eilish, Foo Fighters, Caifanes, Maná, Tame Impala, The Killers, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and 50 Cent. The 2024 edition was headlined by Peso Pluma, Blink-182, Imagine Dragons, Maná, and Fuerza Regida.

Anitta, Edgar Barrera, Becky G, Eladio Carrión, Darumas, Emilia, Leonel García, Grupo Frontera, Danny Ocean, Silvia Pérez Cruz, Carlos Rivera, Pitbull, Reik, and Kali Uchis are expected to perform at the 25th annual Latin Grammy Awards. The Latin Recording Academy announced the new round of performers on Tuesday (Oct. 28) for the upcoming ceremony, which will broadcast from the Kaseya Center in Miami on Thursday, Nov. 14.
The newly announced artists join previously unveiled performers, including David Bisbal, Alejandro Fernández, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Carín León, Elena Rose, and Ela Taubert, in addition to the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Carlos Vives.

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For the second consecutive year, Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera leads the list of nominees for the Latin Grammy Awards, with nine nominations, including songwriter of the year and producer of the year. Brazilian superstar Anitta is nominated for record of the year for “Mil Veces,” and best Portuguese language urban performance for “Joga Pra Lua,” featuring Dennis & Pedro Sampaio. Becky G received a nod for best regional song for “Por El Contrario,” with songwriters Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz & Elena Rose, performed by her with Ángela Aguilar and Leonardo Aguilar.

Other mentions include Kali Uchis, who garnered four nominations, including record of the year for “Igual Que Un Ángel” with Peso Pluma; and Danny Ocean earned two for song of the year (“Caracas En El 2000,” written by Marvin Hawkins Rodriguez, Jerry Di, La Pichu, Danny Ocean and Elena Rose) and best pop song (“Amor” penned by José Andrés Benitez, Christian Bermudez, Richard Bermudez, Rodney Kumbirayi Hwingwiri, Juan Diego Linares, Luis Alejandro Márquez, Anibal Morin Diaz, Danny Ocean and Rafael Salcedo.

For the complete list of Latin Grammy nominations, click here.

The three-hour telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision, and will air live on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Just days before the Nov. 5 presidential elections in the United States, La Original Banda El Limón released a corrido inspired by and dedicated to Vice President Kamala Harris.

As is tradition, the corrido, titled “Señora Presidenta” (or Madame President in English), narrates the life story of Harris, who is the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. In the three-minute song, powered by banda instruments like trumpets and clarinets, the group sings about Harris’ humble background and the force she’s become as a political leader. “She comes from a humble place to fight for her people,” the song begins. “She was born in Oakland, daughter to immigrant parents. Madame President. Her name is Kamala Harris.”

Juan Barboza Lizárraga, leader of La Original Banda El Limón, explained in a statement about their decision to release a song for Harris and officially endorse a candidate for president: “Our culture, traditions and music are beautiful and powerful just like our community. We hope that in these final moments, the song inspires our community to embrace our strength and together to show up in a critical moment. This song reflects the values of our community and our vision for a future where people matter.”

It’s not the first time that a regional Mexican act has released a corrido in support of a U.S. presidential candidate. In 2016, ranchera icon Vicente Fernández endorsed then Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton through song. In “El Corrido de Hillary Clinton,” Fernández sings about Latin pride and urges the Latin community to vote for Clinton. “I remind you, brother, that we have to work hand in hand, until we assure the victory for Hillary Clinton.”

Even Donald Trump, who has in the past insulted the Latin community, launching his 2016 presidential run with racist remarks toward the Mexican community calling them “rapists” and “criminals,” got his own corrido. The accordion-powered song was released over the summer after Trump’s assassination attempt in July.

And it’s not just in the States that artists have been compelled to release songs for specific presidential candidates. In Mexico, Vivir Quintana released “Compañera Presidenta,” dedicated to candidates Xóchitl Gálvez and Claudia Sheinbaum, the latter won the presidency and became the first-ever female president of the country.

Whether these songs can help swing an election or inspire undecided voters to cast a ballot, that’s unclear. But as the race for president in the U.S. — one of the most consequential elections in recent memory — comes to an end, a number of Latin acts have been using their platforms to amplify candidates.

Below, a handful of Spanish-language songs that have been released over the past few years for presidential candidates in the U.S. and beyond.

“Señora Presidenta”