Latin
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With Hispanic Heritage Month culminating on Tuesday (Oct. 15), Fat Joe has tapped Nicky Jam as the latest ambassador for his Rewind It 10 beard dye brand. The Latin superstar’s dark brown beard dye coloring package is now available at CVS, Sally Beauty, Amazon and the Rewind It 10 website. Explore See latest videos, charts […]
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week is in full swing in Miami, where the 35th annual weeklong event is taking place from Oct. 14-18.The star-studded event kicked off Monday (Oct. 14) at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater with panels featuring Eden Muñoz, Feid, Kenia Os and Keityn, among many other Latin stars and industry leaders.
Stars like J Balvin, Peso Pluma, Eslabon Armado, Pepe Aguilar, Gloria Estefan, Thalia, Alejandro Sanz, Grupo Frontera and Young Miko are set to take the stage to speak in panels and/or Q&As this year. You can see the full schedule here.
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Throughout the years, it has taken place in Miami, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, returning to Miami Beach for a fourth consecutive year in 2024, and has welcomed some of the biggest Latin acts including Celia Cruz, Selena, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Jenni Rivera, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Bad Bunny, and Romeo Santos. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Below, the best photos from the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week (updating).
David Wild, Valentina, Bastian & Corina Smith
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
David Wild, Valentina, Bastian and Corina Smith during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Dascha Polanco
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Dascha Polanco in the green room at Billboard Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Nelson Albareda, Alex Gallardo, Leila Cobo & Alex Mizrahi
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Nelson Albareda, Alex Gallardo, Leila Cobo and Alex Mizrahi in the green room at Billboard Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
La Joaqui & Kenia Os
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
La Joaqui and Kenia Os during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
KEITYN
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
KEITYN in the green room at Billboard’s Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Atella
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Atella speaks onstage during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels held at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Kenia Os
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Kenia Os in the green room at Billboard Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Feid
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Feid during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Eden Muñoz
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Eden Muñoz in the green room at Billboard’s Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Erika Montes
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Erika Montes during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Nelson Albareda
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Nelson Albareda during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Raúl Alarcón
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Raúl Alarcón in the green room at Billboard Latin Music Week at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Alfredo Alonso
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Alfredo Alonso speaks onstage during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels held at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Sergio George
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Sergio George during Billboard Latin Music Week Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Leila Cobo
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero
Leila Cobo speaks onstage at the Billboard Latin Music Week held at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 14, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Unity, camaraderie and constant collaboration among Argentine artists have become a fundamental contribution to their success and globalization.
On Monday (Oct. 14) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024, Argentine rapper and singer La Joaqui and Mexican star Kenia Os discussed the importance of friendship and support among colleagues within the industry, particularly for women.
La Joaqui and Kenia Os, who have released two collaborations together this year — “Kitty” and “San Turrona RMX” — participated in the “Entre Amigas” panel, moderated by Flor Mauro, editorial content director of Billboard Argentina.
“We are in an industry where, especially if you are a woman, media wants you to treat each other as competition — ‘Such female artist surpassed another female artist’ — when both surpassed 10 male artists,” La Joaqui said. “However, many women are making noise.”
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“It brought me a lot of relief when I collaborated with Kenia,” she added, mentioning that she was already her “No. 1 fan” when she wrote to her hoping to meet, and the Mexican artist replied that she was in the studio recording an album and immediately invited her to collaborate in it. “She opened the doors of her kingdom to me, let me enter this world so new to me. I was very afraid of these kinds of connections, but […] it was a genuine connection, that’s why I think we did so well.”
or Kenia, who also declared herself a fan of La Joaqui, collaborating with another woman was something refreshing because it doesn’t happen often among female artists in Mexico, where “the media pits women against each other a lot,” she said.
“My first collaboration was with La Joaqui […] and from day one it was a beautiful connection. It was incredible,” she said, noting that it not only gave her entry into a difficult market for Mexicans like Argentina, but led to new opportunities to collaborate, including with Mexican artists like Peso Pluma, with whom she recorded the hit “Tommy & Pamela.”
For both, authenticity is a priority in their careers. “It’s super important for artists who are starting out,” said Kenia Os, recalling that it took her a while to find her own voice because she started young in the business, going from teenager to adulthood in the public eye and being influenced by other people’s opinions. La Joaqui, who started as a rapper, said she found her authentic place in RKT, a subgenre of cumbia villera characterized by its influences from cumbia villera, reggaeton, and electronic music.
To sum up the importance of friendship in music, La Joaqui said it is “crucial” in a world where artists are constantly mistreated on social media, and called for “more friends and less business.”
“We move in an environment where there is impunity,” said the Argentine star. “Where it’s normal for people to tweet: ‘Your music is crap… I hope you die.’ It’s no longer an opinion, it’s abuse. And you are simply getting up and doing something you like.”
“There are times you pretend so much madness that you become mad and you need a friend to simply ask you, ‘How are you? Are you okay? How do you feel?’” she continued. “Most of the time I’m not okay, I cry once a week, and having friends in the industry has allowed me to cry in private. I recommend making real friendships to make songs. That integrated feeling is a sure hit.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Three “OGs” from the Latin music industry converged on Monday (Oct. 14) at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, where they discussed the challenges they face today from the perspectives of recording, management and live entertainment.
During the “Power Players: The OGs” panel — moderated by Billboard‘s Leila Cobo — Alex Gallardo, president of Sony Music Latin; Alex Mizrahi, CEO of OCESA Seitrack; and Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live, agreed that while today’s music offerings are more diverse and democratic than ever, all sectors of the business face significant challenges for this very reason.
From standing out and conquering the market, to the importance of building a career step by step, here are some of the best quotes from these Latin Music Power Players.
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Gallardo: “From the label’s point of view, something that we find very interesting now is the variety of genres that are working, that are emerging. Three years ago, there was one dominant genre which was more urban; now we see cumbia, salsa, Argentine music, regional Mexican, and I find that very interesting and a great opportunity. [But] now it is more difficult for an artist to conquer all of Latin America because, for this very reason, it becomes more local. Making that regional conquest is a bit more complex.”
Mizrahi: “I would add that, from the recording point of view, it is easier to generate a hit today more than ever because the platforms are more democratic than ever. The artist’s access to the fans is direct. From the live music side as management, the biggest challenge is that the artists reconcile their repertoire, that they generate enough hits to make their fans want to buy a ticket. Today I feel there are more successful artists than ever before and I don’t see many artists selling tickets. For me, that’s the biggest gap between recorded music and live shows.”
Albareda: “From the live point of view […] ticket sales are not what they used to be. You have 20 markets, and now not all of them sell, especially this year. Before the covid pandemic, artists didn’t have to work much, they posted something and it sold. Even the price, if we were selling a ticket at $110-120, now it’s at $80. I would say we have to work even a bit more than before the pandemic.”
Gallardo: “Twenty years ago, for an artist to access a studio there were a series of filters, a label would have to be interested, etc. Now it’s a beautiful era where any kid at home can create […] That means there are more potential artists, but also the offer is much greater. The last data I was told about is 120,000 songs a day. When there is such much offer, what does the audience stick with? That’s our job.”
Abareda: “There are so many artists, how can we give them the opportunity to play live? There is also a saturation of the live show. Streams themselves are not hurting you because you are already paying for a subscription to a platform, but when you have to pay for a ticket…”
Mirzrahi: “When people leave their house (to go to a show), they don’t go alone; they have to pay for parking, they go to eat something. The live concert is an experience. We as management have to say, ‘this artist has to have the power in the music, the personality, the speech to get you out of your house […] and bring you to this world, to this experience. And you should leave saying, ‘It was worth it.’ What is our challenge? Building the experience with repertoire, with personality.”
Gallardo: “Something that never goes out of style for an artist is to work your repertoire in the best way possible, make the best songs possible, and raise the bar. There’s more competition. How do I stand out? By raising the bar in my songwriting, and then, once I have this song, seeing how I release it, how I tell the world about it. Releasing a song is not something you can do one day to the next.”
Abareda: “We have to do a reset. Artists want to go out and sell arenas, but you have to start small, grow and build an audience. If you want the money today, you’re not building a career […] You have to build an audience, invest in a career, and take the long road.”
Mizrahi: “The role of the manager is sensibility, he has to talk to his artist. The industry is undergoing a revolution on all sides. These mega hits that are made on Spotify and Youtube with millions of streams and views […] that’s good news, but from there to be releasing 100,000 songs every Friday, wow! The algorithms (shoot up the ticket prices)… artists want more, and you have to have the sensibility to talk to the artist, explain things.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Four influential Latina executives from diverse sectors of the music industry — including marketing, legal, artist, and label — spoke about how they bossed up and assumed their own power in leadership roles during Billboard Latin Music Week.
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The panel She Runs the Boards took place on on Monday (Oct. 14) during the annual event, and was moderated by Billboard‘s social media manager/staff writer Ingrid Fajardo.
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Fajarado was joined by Apple Music’s music marketing lead Andrea Portela, Dominican actress/artist Dascha Polanco, Rostrum Records president Erika Montes, and Protege Tu Música’s music & entertainment attorney Yira Santiago. During their discussion, the four panelists spoke about the strategies for overcoming challenges, building meaningful connections and thriving in a competitive landscape.
Below, find some of the best and most memorable quotes from the She Runs the Boards panel:
Andrea Portela on the power of authenticity: “Es más fácil subirte en un trend. Authenticity plays a big role in who you are as an artist. It’s easy to follow the noise. The artists who go far are those who are true to themselves. Your team is a big reflection of an artist; be authentic in every aspect. Don’t just follow the trend because there are 500 artist trying to do what you’re doing. Success doesn’t come quick and easy, invest in yourself. Know your audience is Marketing 101. Social media is such a powerful tool but it only resonates if you’re authentic.”
Dascha Polanco on the importance of the team: “The most essential thing an artist must have is a team that supports and protects you legally. Many artists have gone through problems in a contract. We believe in dreams and we are very busy being creative, seeing the vision more than you […] I’ve been working in music for eight years, time waits for no one. I have a dance project with a lot of Latin music essence. I went to Berklee College of Music online. I do my engineering and record myself. Educate yourself and invest in yourself. Letting yourself be guided, trusting the process, is a very magical thing for me.”
Erika Montes on artist development: “I look for two things when I see an artist: You have to want it more than me. Secondly, always make an assessment, what can you do well? If you’re a good songwriter, but not good at production. Know what you’re good at and look at what to build. Focus on who your audience is and not on a look. When I start with artists I let them know this is a grind. Relationships are key. We’ll do everything we can, shake hands and kiss babies. [Success] doesn’t happen overnight, be patient.”
Yira Santiago on the importance of education and transparency in music: “Opening a YouTube channel to protect your music came about when I noticed that certain information was being kept and I felt the need to share it. There were lawyers withholding this information and not sharing it on to the public. It was important for me to share this, to establish that relationship with myself and the law, and how I monetize my music. It’s also crucial to manage relationships with record labels, marketing and handlers, in addition to assistance in all other areas. To take your career to a higher level and turn it into a business, you need a team to support you. It’s essential that the team aligns with your visions.”
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Who gets songwriting credit on a song and who doesn’t can sometimes lead to an uncomfortable conversation. But at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, that topic took the spotlight in the riveting (and informative) Why Are There 50 Writers On My Song? panel on Monday (Oct. 14).
Moderated by Pierre Hachar, managing partner at The Hachar Law Group, panelists included regional Mexican singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz, renowned producer-songwriter Sergio George and Colombian hitmaker Keityn. At one point during the conversation, the group reflected on why, today, even managers can get a songwriting credit.
“I think it is clear that the composers deserve the credit,” said Keityn while discussing the subject. “The credits go to the one who deserves it and that is the actual composer.”
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The conversation also touched on how nuanced the concept of songwriting credit can be, particularly when someone is in the studio who doesn’t technically write the song but contributes somehow to the idea or inspiration of the lyrics.
Below, find the best quotes from the panel:
Eden Muñoz: “The credit has to go to whoever participates in the writing process. When you’re in a studio, you know who is a composer and you know who is not. It’s something that you can almost feel. You can’t just be sitting around in the session and expect credit. It’s extremely important to set limits in the studio. It’s how I work today. I separate the songwriters and take them to a different table and they are the only ones in that room.”
Sergio George: “In my opinion, anyone who contributes to the process should have songwriting credit. I remember I was in a songwriting camp, there were like four to five people, and there was one person who gave some ideas of how the song could be. That person actually had nothing to do with my music, but got credit because if it wasn’t for her, the song would not have been made. That’s true of the arranger, because some arrangements are so emblematic and make the song. We should be fair all around.”
Keityn: “The 50 songwriters thing is not even about the artist, songwriter or producer, to be honest. Platforms like Spotify, when they do the breakdown of who gets credit on their platform, it is always based on the actual split, and they label them as songwriters. I don’t understand why everyone who is in the split [gets listed as] as a songwriter.”
Muñoz: “Today, we are in a business where managers [have the] sin of arrogance and want to be everywhere and get songwriting credit. I remember back in the day, the manager would sometimes even hide, but now it seems like they are glued to one another. Sometimes the manager acts more like the artist.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Feid, one of the biggest artists in the música urbana movement today, participated in the panel From Clubs to Stadiums Featuring Feid. Presented by Live Nation, the conversation — which also featured his manager, Luis Villamizar, and Hans Schafer, SVP of global touring for Live Nation — took place on Monday (Oct. 14) during Billboard Latin Music Week 2024.
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Moderated by Alejandro Marin — a radio DJ, writer, podcaster and music analyst — together they offered perspectives on the Colombian star’s rise to the top. Here are the best quotes:
“For me, the most special thing is to work as if it were the first day, with the same enthusiasm; I don’t like to just wait,” said Feid. “There are many of us who are part of the team. It has been a daily process, dreaming about everything we are achieving. I strive every day to be better than yesterday in every possible aspect. I live intensely in the present, and this helps us stay alert.”
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He mentioned that he started as a composer from his home and how his team gradually grew. “At the beginning, we were one, two, three, four — and now we are 140! We focus on organizing all aspects, improving concerts, music production and emphasizing the importance of the live show,” he said. The musician also talked about a trip to Europe, where he performed in front of only six people in nightclubs, and how he never got discouraged despite difficulties. “There is a very interesting theory that says that, although sometimes something may be tedious, we always celebrate our triumphs,” said Feid.
“When we opened for Karol at the Bichota Tour in Bogotá and Cali, we broke records in Colombia, but when we started on the West Coast, we had to learn how to manage an audience that had no idea who we were,” Feid continued. “In one way or another, that broadened our view of how tours are managed in the United States and Europe, and how to navigate those worlds.”
“There is a secret magic in our team, including the executives and everyone involved in every aspect: recording, lighting, screens and sound,” said manager Villamizar.
Schafer mentioned what he considers Feid’s most important qualities: “Being patient, hardworking, having a lot of empathy, optimism, being a person who accepts failure, not as a bad thing, but as a way to change, to adjust. The setlist was not perfect; it needed to be adjusted. I always believe that money follows success. The things that move you, motivate you, inspire you. Money is not going to solve everything. Like turning this stone into a diamond.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Latin music has gone global and its revenues have now surpassed the $1 billion mark, which means the business of Latin music has evolved.
The New Latin Music Business panel, which took centerstage on Monday (Oct. 14) at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, was moderated by Rancho Humilde’s CEO and founder Jimmy Humilde, and featured panelists Atella (producer and songwriter, head of music, Zumba and ZML Records), Cris Falcão (managing director of artist & label strategy and GM Latin, Virgin Music Group) and Txema Rosique (senior VP of A&R, Sony Music U.S. Latin).
Humilde kicked off the conversation acknowledging the globalization of Latin music, adding that labels, whether indie or not, have had to adapt to a new way of doing business with artists who now want to be more involved in that aspect and are looking for different types of deals — from record, distribution or even single-track deals.
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“Our challenge is to make the new artists understand what labels have to offer, from A&R, marketing, business development, they can make use of all those resources, that’s the challenge we have as a label now,” said Rosique. Alternatively, Atella added that “some artists arrive with the idea that the label is going to do everything for them, but the artist has to give 100% — they can’t stay at home and think that the label is going to do everything for them.”
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Falcão explained that at Virgin Music Group, they have focused on deals that are “tailor-made” for each artist. “We’re not just truck with boxes anymore, we offer something different for each partners, all types of services, depending on trends, product management or marketing.” Humilde said he’s following a similar approach. “I sit with the artist and ask what they’re looking for, what deals they feel most comfortable doing. In the near future, the artist will be making their own deals, so really we’re open to take any deal that come our way.”
The panelists also spoke about the importance of both the artist and label or management company being happy with whatever type of deal they land on. “Today, the artist is clear that their patrimony is their music, their masters, every time we see more artists that are clear about what they want to give to the company and what they don’t, and obviously that depends on the commitment from both parts. This is a business where everyone needs to be happy with the deal, all parties involved. You cannot have a depressed artist.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
The future of radio may be difficult to predict, but one thing is clear: Radio is in a good position and adaptable — it’s what makes it ubiquitous, says Raúl Alarcón, chairman and CEO, Spanish Broadcasting System. During a Q&A titled The Future of Radio and moderated by Billboard‘s Leila Cobo that helped kick off day one of the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week on Oct. 14, Alarcón was candid about the status of radio in the United States and the impact it has on an artist’s career today.
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“It’s been around 100 years, and that’s not a coincidence,” the executive says categorically. “It will always be with us, it’s ubiquitous, it’s free, you don’t need an external way to receive it. Radio is in a good position.”
SBS, a family-owned company around for more than 40 years and has endured the force of the streaming era, is home to radio stations such as Mega 97.9 (New York), 97.9 La Raza (Los Angeles) and La Ley 107.9 (Chicago), to name a few. “We always have to keep adapting, fixing, refining, but radio allows us to do that more than any other medium. Radio is also super local and that’s important.”
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Below, find some of the best quotes from The Future of Radio Q&A with Raúl Alarcón.
Is there a threat to radio?
“There was, there is and there will be, so one must always be evolving. We were the first to put comedy in the morning. I remember when the morning show started, that was innovation. We took a risk, but that’s what it’s about — always evolving and, after a while, adapt again.”
Catching trends
“We can perceive trends because radio stations are hyperlocal. Like corridos tumbados or bélicos, we were able to catch that trend as it was happening, we saw indications of the trend and we were able to adapt quickly because radio is local. People will tell us right away if they like it or not — it’s one of our strengths. We adapt to what our listeners want.”
Artists still want a No. 1 on radio
“Artists have told us, ‘You makes the hits, you sell tickets, run promotions.’ People are now realizing that radio was a discarded … this medium, like it’s been discarded before when TV came, now I have noticed that there’s a resurgence. Radio is important, radio is everything, it’s the connection with the local public, it adapts to trends, it’s entertainment. It’s not just a repeater, few people can create, and creativity is adaptation.”
Does radio inform streaming or vice versa?
“The two are not mutually exclusive — what we’re implementing is just another adaptation. They are both different, but can be conjugated together. But while digital expands, it doesn’t give you that immediate local fanbase.”
A new network
“We’re launching a network over the air and digital, for that new fusion of regional Mexican with urban, because we’ve seen that the music is appealing. And La Privada is not just a station, it’s a whole network. We’re still in preparations, but in the next 90 days, we’ll launch in Chicago, New York and other major cities.”
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
Corina Smith, Bastian, Valentina and David Wild came together at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 for “The Role of Music Publishers in Cross-Cultural Collaborations” panel presented by Rimas Publishing on Monday (Oct. 14).
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Moderated by Billboard’s Pamela Bustios, the conversation with the A&R, artists and producers focused on how publishers help bridge the cultures and facilitate cross-border hits. Below, read some of the memorable quotes from the panel.
Corina Smith: “There is a great art to performing songs that are not your own, but there is also the side of singing what you wrote. There is an exciting feeling of creating a song from scratch. When you sing it live and the audience sings it with you, it is the most beautiful thing about being an artist.”
David Wild: “It’s not a work where we’re thinking about whether a song is going to be a hit. Whether it’s a hit or not is decided by the audience. As a team, we deliver that production to the public. Sometimes the song you don’t expect is a hit or vice versa. You put a lot of faith in a project and maybe it doesn’t connect with fans. We have to trust in what we do in the studio. We don’t limit art to a hit.”
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Valentina: “I got my first hit in Mexico. I already had a community there. In 2022, I traveled there and started knocking on doors on radio and television. One super random day, my manager told me that a friend of a friend of a friend could help us promote my song on a digital billboard that lasts 24 hours. And in those 24 hours, someone who worked at Universal Music Mexico saw it, wrote to me, connected with my team, and today, I am signed with Universal Music Mexico.”
Bastian: “The best producer has to have a lot of discipline. It’s about taking advantage of the tools you have in your favor to become a good business. The world is changing very quickly and we can’t be left behind. I think it’s important to find a way to combine AI with your work because if not, you’ll be left behind.”
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.
Throughout the years, it has taken place in Miami, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, returning to Miami Beach for a fourth consecutive year in 2024, and has welcomed some of the biggest Latin acts including Celia Cruz, Selena, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Jenni Rivera, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Bad Bunny, and Romeo Santos. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.