Latin
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In early 2018, the future looked bright for corridos singer-songwriter Codiciado. Grupo Codiciado, the band he’d co-founded three years prior, was rapidly rising: After breaking onto Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2017 with “Gente de Accionar,” the act reached No. 8 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart with Miro Lo Que Otros No Miran (I See What Others Don’t). And with its success, the group was helping define the urban style of Rancho Humilde, the Los Angeles-based label known for its modern take on música mexicana.
Then, on a cannabis possession charge, Codiciado’s visa was revoked at the U.S.-Mexico border that April. He’d migrated to the States in 2016, working in Southern California’s agricultural fields to support himself as he tried to get his music career off the ground. Now, the physical walls along the border of his native Tijuana — and the legal restrictions preventing his reentry — stood in his way.
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It was a devastating turn of events. “I really wanted to stop. I didn’t want to make music,” the 31-year-old artist (born Erick de Jesús Aragón Alcantar) admits today. “I had a hard time when I left. I had no work; I was making my whole career in the United States. I thought that something divine wanted me to leave, like someone didn’t want me here. Then I put on my pants and said: ‘Well, if I’m here [in Mexico], I have to give it my all.’ At the end of the day, I was very hopeful [about] getting my visa back.”
Instead of letting the visa revocation end his career, Codiciado built a new one. Driven by a reborn creative conviction and fans’ support, he split from Grupo Codiciado and went solo. “The people gave me encouragement to say that it wasn’t over, that it was just a stumbling block,” he says. “I had to keep going.”
Growing up in Tijuana’s Villa del Real III neighborhood — an impoverished place, but one rich in Mexican music — Codiciado absorbed the culture of his surroundings. Influenced by icons like Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Explosión Norteña, he began writing songs as a teenager and channeled his environment’s chaos into his music.
Codiciado’s first songs were inspired by the infamous drug kingpins of Sinaloa and written in part out of financial necessity. Drug lords often pay songwriters to have corridos written about them, and though Codiciado notes that he “didn’t know about cartels in those days, just what I heard on the street,” getting the work marked a career turning point for him. As he honed his musicianship, he teamed with longtime friend and drummer Giovanni Rodríguez to form Grupo Codiciado in 2015, recruiting four more members in Tijuana.
The group organized and recorded a concert by the end of the year, drawing millions of views on YouTube; one of those videos amassed 233 million views alone. Its frequent new releases helped it cultivate a loyal fan base, and soon the band was headlining festivals throughout Tijuana. The following year, Rancho Humilde signed the act and it came to the U.S.
“Erick was the first artist who brought this new style to Mexican music eight years ago with Grupo Codiciado,” says Fabio Acosta, who is part of Codiciado’s four-person management team. “They were pioneers in changing the genre’s style, shifting from very decorated suits with fine stones to incorporating streetwear.”
Codiciado’s sense of style, now common among modern corridos acts like Natanael Cano and Fuerza Regida, was ahead of its time. “I had disagreements with older colleagues,” he recalls. “Many took it as an offense, saying, ‘No, man, we’re the same, and you’re wearing do-rags, caps and sneakers, while we’re here with cowboy hats and boots.’ ”
“He was at the forefront of this new wave of corridos,” says Chris Den Uijl, another member of Codiciado’s management team. “He was one of the first to show up in Air Force 1s and have a more progressive style.”
Codiciado performing at Toyota Arena on May 3, 2024 in Ontario, Calif.
Lalo Gonzalez
Since late last year, Den Uijl has overseen Codiciado’s touring strategy alongside Aaron Ampudia, with whom he co-founded festivals including Baja Beach Fest and Sueños. In fact, Ampudia, who has roots on both sides of the border, was the first of the current management team to connect with Codiciado, through a mutual friend. Ángel del Villar, founder of corridos label DEL Records, rounds out the team. “[My managers] are helping me to give structure to my work, to my company, to my band, to my music,” Codiciado says. (He releases music independently and has a distribution deal with Warner.)
As Codiciado’s career blossomed and he debuted on the Billboard charts, his life took a sudden turn. In 2018, while crossing into the United States from Mexico, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused him of residing stateside on a nonresidential visa and sought to revoke it. “I kept saying I had a work visa and traveled back and forth frequently,” he says. “Then, upon checking my bag, they found less than a gram of marijuana that I don’t know how the hell got there. I was detained for 12 hours without [access to] a lawyer. They had me sign for voluntary deportation, renouncing my visa and rights. A lawyer would have told me not to sign and to go to court.”
Back in Mexico, Codiciado felt “frustrated and alone” as he watched música mexicana move on without him. Rancho Humilde founder and CEO Jimmy Humilde “started signing new acts like Fuerza Regida,” Codiciado says from his home in Riverside, Calif. “One year went by, two years went by, three years went by, and nothing happened [with getting my visa back].”
Finally Codiciado decided, he says, “to get my act together” — including formally separating from Grupo Codiciado, which disbanded in 2021 and released its last single as a band, “Maquinando,” in February 2022. He doubled down on his solo songwriting and in 2023 put out his first solo album, Golpes de la Vida (Blows of Life), distributed by Virgin Music U.S. Latin; he wrote and produced 17 of the set’s 20 songs himself.
The album kept the essence of his sound intact, while recent singles like 2024’s “Gabachas” have embraced the rising trend of electrocorridos — electronic music with corridos instrumentation woven and sampled throughout. As he’s chronicled the monumental shifts in his life amid his visa struggle (including becoming a father for the second time; he has a 10-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son), his lyric writing has deepened as well. “The biggest lesson was that I had to keep pushing and not wait around. If I had waited, I wouldn’t have grown. Despite leaving the group, I can say I made it. I returned a different person.”
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With legal assistance and the proper paperwork, Codiciado returned to Southern California with a new visa (he declines to specify what type) in 2023. Earlier this year, he completed the aptly named — and very successful — five-date Ando Enfocado (I’m Focused) tour; Live Nation is producing a second, eight-date run that will take Codiciado from coast to coast in September and October.
“He’s touching the young corridos kids [with] this new generational sound,” Den Uijl says. “He has a large fan base of regional Mexican fans that are showing up in cowboy hats and are going up to him saying things like, ‘You helped me get through my hardest times.’ Grown men crying to him saying, ‘You gave me the strength to stick through it when I lost my job to find the next one.’ Things like that really touched me watching it at his first wave of his shows.”
Meanwhile, Codiciado has returned to the Billboard charts. He made his solo debut in February 2023 with “V.A.M.C. (Vamos Aclarando Muchas Cosas En Vivo),” which peaked at No. 31 on Hot Latin Songs; the track also reached No. 29 on Regional Mexican Airplay. And “Gabachas” debuted at No. 41 on Latin Airplay and hit No. 9 on Latin Pop Airplay.
“I’m an artist with eight years [of experience]. Maybe many have come up faster and achieved what I haven’t yet in less time. But I’m the only one who has done it this way,” Codiciado says. “Maybe I bring two, three, four hits a year, but they are hits that are staying with the people and have a message.”
But now, his ambitions go beyond achieving commercial success. Codiciado’s work with La Fundación UFW, founded by civil rights activist César Chávez, underscores his dedication to the immigrant community at large. “We as a society have to be more noble and empathize more with people who don’t have,” he says. In April, KNAI (La Campesina 101.9) Phoenix, the radio station Chávez founded in 1983, announced a collaboration with Codiciado to deliver hot lunches to local farmworkers. “We should help people if we have the means,” Codiciado says. “God gave [to] us to give back. The more I have, the more I help.”
And as his influence grows, Codiciado wants to effect broader change, too. “I want to change minds. I can’t change everyone, but [artists] do have the influence to make big changes, just like a politician,” he says. “Our audience is very large, and revolutionarily speaking, that’s what I aspire to be.”
This story appears in Billboard‘s Rumbazo special issue, dated Sept. 14, 2024.
Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
Regional Mexican music continues to surf a wave of unprecedented global popularity and expansion, with names like Peso Pluma, Luis R Conriquez, Edén Muñoz, Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera crowning Billboard’s global and U.S. charts.
Yet women in the genre are almost nowhere to be found. Just one female artist-led song appeared among the 50 on Billboard’s year-end Regional Mexican Airplay Songs chart: Yuridia and Angela Aguilar’s “Qué Agonía.” And among the regional Mexican acts dominating the Hot Latin Songs chart, only one female name comes up: pop singer Kenia Os as a guest on Peso Pluma’s “Tommy & Pamela.”
Behind the scenes, it’s a different story entirely. In what had long been a world of male dominance in the C-suite of música mexicana, women are now powerhouses. María Inés Sánchez, formerly head of marketing for regional Mexican indie label Afinarte, is now the West Coast vp for Sony Music U.S. Ana Luisa Gómez, who has worked with Alicia Villarreal and Sergio Vega, among others, now manages superstar Muñoz. Rosela Zavala manages Ana Bárbara, and Adriana Martínez manages rising trio Yahritza y Su Esencia.
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And they’re just a few among a growing group of women that also includes Ana Martínez (leading Fonovisa/Disa’s U.S. division), Delia Orjuela (head of creative for música mexicana at Warner Chappell) and managers for some of the most visible artists on the charts, like Ivan Cornejo, Xavi and Eslabon Armado.
Billboard gathered four of these executives for a candid conversation about how they’ve managed to make their marks in a complex genre they readily admit is “full of men” — and the unique skill set that it has taken.
“I’ve always said that I’m one person at home, and another when I leave my house and I become that other person that everyone says, ‘Oh, she’s super angry, super hysterical,’ ” Gómez says with a smile. “Yeah. I’m super all that because if I wasn’t, I think I wouldn’t have made it.”
Spanish singer-songwriter Natalia Jimenez (left) and Gómez
Courtesy of Ana Luisa Gómez
How did you get your start in the world of regional Mexican music?
Ana Luisa Gómez: I graduated from the University of Monterrey [in Mexico] in communications and started working in television, where I spent 14 years producing entertainment and musical programs. Fifteen years ago, I left that and started managing Sergio Vega, “El Shaka,” may he rest in peace. [Vega was murdered in 2010.] Then I started my advertising agency, offering a 360 model of booking, promotion, radio, television. Later I decided to focus more on management, and I’ve been with Edén Muñoz for three years.
María Inés Sánchez: I also started years ago at PolyGram, Sony, Universal, Machete, always in marketing, and when I moved to Los Angeles I started doing public relations. Later, [my client] Chiquis Rivera recommended me to run PR for DEL Records [in 2016], and that’s how I started in the Mexican music genre. I worked with Régulo Caro, Gerardo Ortiz, Ulices Chaidez, Los Plebes del Rancho [de Ariel Camacho].
Rosela Zavala: Like María Inés, I got my start through Chiquis. I came from the pop world, working with Paulina Rubio and later with Gloria Trevi. And from Gloria I went to Chiquis and landed in a completely different world, the regional Mexican music world. I co-managed Chiquis, and Ana Bárbara is the first artist I fully manage.
Adriana Martínez: I’ve only been doing this for two years. The role of manager fell on me. My brothers, Yahritza y Su Esencia, began to be recognized, and since they always turn to me, I had to get a lawyer and all that. When I said, “OK, now you can fly alone,” they said, “No, please don’t leave us.” The truth is I started in this with zero experience.
What has been the most difficult thing about being a manager?
Martínez: Being siblings, and then transitioning into manager mode. At first, the guys didn’t take me very seriously when I said, “We need to do this.” The seriousness of things was there, but it was easier for them to procrastinate because I was the one in charge and I was their sister.
Gómez: The most challenging thing for me is working with men. They’re all men. There are no women, at least not in the teams I have worked on, starting with Sergio Vega. It’s not easy for men to accept that someone is telling them what to do and how, although it’s not a mandate. But I understand. It’s machismo. So the most challenging thing is to deal with that and develop a strong character.
Zavala: I have found it difficult to get Ana’s music heard on the radio. We bring songs and they say, “Oh, the traditional mariachi isn’t playing now. It’s grupero.” So Ana says, “Let’s do grupero,” and they say, “Ah, grupero sounds old.” In Mexico we get played much more, but in the U.S., with so many men on that chart, it’s difficult to get in. Also, in the beginning with Ana, I wrote to a couple of concert promoters that I knew, and they weren’t interested in her tour. A few years later, those same people wanted to work with her. I love making that happen. But I always looked for the people who told me they believed in her, let’s do it. And there are many people, even men, who told me, “Yes, we will give it our all.”
Ana Bárbara (left) and Zavala
Courtesy of Rosela Zavala
Do you remember the first time you had to lay down the law to be taken seriously?
Gómez: With Sergio Vega, of course. I met him through Oscar Flores, a super-renowned concert promoter, and we clicked. But Sergio was a man without reins. He did what he wanted, how he wanted. He was a great talent looking for the right direction, but he didn’t know how to do it. When I said left, he said right. And one day, after an event in Sonora [Mexico], where everything I told him not to do, he did, I grabbed my suitcase, knocked on his hotel room door and told him, “That’s it. I don’t have to deal with you or your people or your party.” I took my bags and flew home to Monterrey. After five days, he came to see me and said: “I am in your hands. What do we do?” And from there, we became family.
Do you think of one moment in your career as particularly defining? María Inés, I remember meeting you when you were a junior publicist, and then seeing you become a powerful executive at the Afinarte label…
Sánchez: That’s where I started, from ground zero. When I began working at Afinarte, they didn’t have a company email, for example. The first year, they uploaded the music to TuneCore and I made the pitches to the platforms. They didn’t have a distributor. I came from working at multinationals, which of course are highly organized and have departments for everything. Here we had to assemble everything, and I was the only woman: The bosses, the musicians, even the photographers were men. So it was a challenge, but I thank them because not many companies would have given me that much autonomy.
Zavala: Working with Paulina was like getting a master’s degree. [Initially], I was the president of her fan club, and she gave me the opportunity to be her personal assistant. Then I finished my “master’s degree” with Gloria. I spent eight years with her. I saw her struggle at the beginning with her shows, and then saw her grow to play arenas. She gave me that opportunity to grow and learn more and do day-to-day management. It was scary at the beginning. When you go from being a fan to being an assistant, you are no longer the friend. Everything becomes much more serious.
Martínez: I graduated [with a degree] in psychology. I worked as an outreach coordinator [for a health provider], and I already had my life planned. [When I started working with my brothers], the most important thing was to make sure that the values that our parents had taught us — keeping our feet on the ground, not forgetting where we came from, manners — were maintained. But there have also been times where I’ve said, “This is as far as it goes; I’m their sister, but if they don’t have respect for me as their manager, then that’s it.” After that, things calmed down and thank God, we are all moving together. But sometimes you have to have those talks or pack your bags and leave. All these battles have made us realize that family is important but also the respect we have as business partners is important.
Yahritza y Su Esencia with their sister and manager Martínez (second from left).
Jesse Sandoval
Aside from the difficulty of being taken seriously, what is most challenging for you on a day-to-day basis?
Martínez: We work with a major label [Columbia] and an indie label [Lumbre Music]. It’s good to have the macro view and the micro view, but our work doesn’t end there. It’s always been super important for us to have that relationship with the fans, to reach a point where they know the artist as people. And we didn’t receive much support in that respect. We said, “If we show people who we are and where we come from, our hearts will connect,” and sometimes big companies don’t understand that.
Gómez: Above all, the people that surround the artist but aren’t part of the music industry and love to mess things up. Going back to something that María Inés said, the daily challenge to be validated.
Are there certain advantages you do have as women in this business?
Martínez: I think we have that emotional balance, and we can see that in our empathy. The balance we give our artists with that empathy is super important, and it helps them know that they can trust us and that we are here to play any role.
Gómez: I am neither Edén’s mother, grandmother nor cousin, but you have to be all of that for him. Understand if he’s had a bad day, if his child is sick that day. A man also understands, but I think that a man has less sensitivity than us, he doesn’t have that sixth sense we have where as soon as I see him, I know what’s up. I think that as a woman you can dig in a little bit further than a man would dare to.
Zavala: The sensitivity we have with them and putting ourselves in their shoes. Even if you’re having a bad day, you still have to get onstage, sing. So the ability to support them from behind, be a cheerleader and look them in the eyes and giving them that support they need at that moment is very important. Because although you’re not family, you become family.
From left: Sony Music Latin president Alex Gallardo, Mexican singer-songwriter Ramón Vega and Sánchez at Sony Music Latin’s 2023 Música Mexicana Celebration in Los Angeles.
JC Olivera/Getty Images
What advice would you give to anyone starting out in the music business?
Gómez: You have to be passionate. If you go for the money or for the “I’m the manager,” bye. The money will come. It’s about fighting to place the artist at the level [they are] and being clean and honest. And don’t be a fan. It’s one thing to admire your artist, but don’t fall into fandom. You won’t be able to help them.
Sánchez: Don’t give up and be patient. And be empathetic. Be attentive. Be a little more human and don’t look at artists as a money machine. And speak up. Before, I stayed back and swallowed a lot of things. You have to raise your voice in the moment. Go for it. If you don’t agree with something, say so.
Zavala: Don’t take things personally. I was 22 when I started. I was so very young. Now that I’m older, I think back to how sensitive I was. Because it’s not about you. You grow thick skin. And, I’d say, speak up. Present your ideas, articulate them and land them as they should be.
Martínez: Be patient. Love, passion for your work, is what will lead you to do a good job with your artist. And most of all, don’t throw in the towel so soon. And ask. I would always hold back. I would talk down to myself. Ask for help, ask questions. I always thought that they were going to see me as “How could you not know that?” But all questions are good.
This story appears in Billboard‘s Rumbazo special issue, dated Sept. 14, 2024.
Karol G leads the list of finalists for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with 21 nods in categories including artist of the year, tour of the ytear, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and top Latin album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), Billboard and Telemundo announced Thursday (Sep. 12).
For the third consecutive year, the Colombian star garners the greatest number of entries for a female artist, after achieving 15 in 2022 and 13 in 2023. Her song “Qlona,” with Mexican star Peso Pluma, competes for six awards — including Hot Latin Song of the year, Global 200 Latin Song of the year and Sales Song of the Year — while her hit “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” garners two nods, for Latin airplay song of the year and Sales Song of the year.
Following Karol G are Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma with 15 nods each. Bunny competes, among others, for Artist of the Year, Global 200 artist of the year, and tour of the year. His song “Perro Negro” with Feid, including Global 200 Latin song of the year, Hot Latin Song of the Year, and Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event. His album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana competes for Top Latin Album of the Year and Latin Rhythm Album of the Year.
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Pluma, meanwhile, is up for Artist of the Year, Global 200 Artist of the Year, songwriter of the year, and regional Mexican album of the Year for Éxodo. In addition to his six entries with Karol G for “Qlona,” his hit “Lady Gaga” with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H competes for two awards: Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event and Streaming Song of the year.
Feid boasts 11 entries. In addition to the five he achieved for “Perro Negro” with Bad Bunny, he also competes for Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and Latin rhythm album of the year for Ferxxocalipsis.
With eight entries are regional Mexican acts Fuerza Regida and Junior H, both artist of the year finalists. The group also competes, among others, for Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event for “Harley Quinn” with Marshmello, as well as Top Latin Album of the year and regional Mexican album of the year with Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada. Junior H is also a Top Latin Album of the year and regional Mexican album of the Year finalist for $adBoyz For Life II.
Other artists with multiple mentions include Xavi (7), Grupo Frontera y Mike Towers (5), Aventura, Gabito Ballesteros, Kali Uchis, y Shakira (4), Cris Mj, Eslabon Armado, FloyyMenor, Julión Alvarez y su Norteño Banda, Marc Anthony, Prince Royce, Rauw Alejandro y Young Miko (3), ATL Jacob, Edgar “Edge” Barrera, Grupo Firme, JOP, Luis Figueroa, Maná, Marshmello, Natanael Cano, Piso 21, Reik, Venesti and Wisin (2).
The 31st annual Billboard Latin Music Awards will be broadcast on Telemundo on October 20 at 9pm ET from Miami. It will simultaneously be available on the Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, on Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
This year’s awards will be presented in 49 categories spanning major Latin music genres, from Latin pop to tropical, and Latin rhythm to regional Mexican.
The Latin Billboard Music Awards are the only ones that recognize the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music, according to Billboard‘s weekly charts. Produced by Telemundo and MBS Special Events, they coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Beach Oct. 14-18 with a roster of star speakers including Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan, Danny Ocean, Peso Pluma and many more. Get your tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 here.
See the complete list of finalists below:
OVERALL ARTISTS CATEGORIES
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Fuerza Regida
Junior H
Karol G
Peso Pluma
Artist of the Year, New
Gabito Ballesteros
Oscar Maydon
Tito Double P
Xavi
Young Miko
Tour of the Year
Aventura
Bad Bunny
Karol G
Luis Miguel
RBD
Crossover Artist of the Year
ATL Jacob
Cardi B
Marshmello
Rema
Tiesto
Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Feid
Karol G
Peso Pluma
Xavi
SONGS CATEGORIES
Global 200 Latin Song of the Year
Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
Feid & ATL Jacob, “Luna”
FloyyMenor & Cris Mj, “Gata Only”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Myke Towers, “Lala”
Hot Latin Song of the Year
Bad Bunny, “Monaco”
Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
FloyyMenor & Cris Mj, “Gata Only”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Xavi, “La Diabla”
Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event
Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
FloyyMenor & Cris Mj, “Gata Only”
Fuerza Regida & Marshmello, “Harley Quinn”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballesteros & Junior H, “Lady Gaga”
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Male
Bad Bunny
Feid
Junior H
Peso Pluma
Xavi
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female
Anitta
Karol G
Kali Uchis
Shakira
Young Miko
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Firme
Grupo Frontera
Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda
Hot Latin Songs Label of the Year
Double P
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Warner Latina
Latin Airplay Song of the Year
Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
Karol G, “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Myke Towers, “La Falda”
Myke Towers, “Lala”
Latin Airplay Label of the Year
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Warner Latina
Sales Song of the Year
Bad Bunny, “Monaco”
Karol G, “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Karol G, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Xavi, “La Diabla”
Streaming Song of the Year
Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
Calle 24, Chino Pacas & Fuerza Regida, “Qué onda”
Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballesteros & Junior H, “Lady Gaga”
Xavi, “La Diabla”
ALBUM CATEGORIES
Top Latin Album of the Year
Bad Bunny, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
Fuerza Regida, Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada
Grupo Frontera, El Comienzo
Junior H, $ad Boyz For Life II
Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)
Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Male
Bad Bunny
Feid
Junior H
Peso Pluma
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Shakira
Young Miko
Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Aventura
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Grupo Marca Registrada
Top Latin Albums Label of the Year
Double P
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
LATIN POP CATEGORIES
Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Solo
Enrique Iglesias
Kali Uchis
Luis Fonsi
Sebastián Yatra
Shakira
Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Camila
La Oreja De Van Gogh
Maná
Piso 21
Reik
Latin Pop Song of the Year
Danny Ocean, “Amor”
Maná & Edén Muñoz, “Amor Clandestino”
Piso 21 & Wisin, “La Misión”
Reik, “Abril”
Venesti, Nacho & Maffio, “No Es Normal”
Latin Pop Airplay Label of the Year
AP Global
Intercope Capitol Label Group
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Warner Latina
Latin Pop Album of the Year
Chayanne, Bailemos Otra Vez
Jay Wheeler, Música Buena Para Días Malos
Kali Uchis, Orquídeas
Kany García, García
Shakira, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran
Latin Pop Albums Label of the Year
Columbia
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Warner Latina
TROPICAL CATEGORIES
Tropical Artist of the Year, Solo
Juan Luis Guerra
Luis Figueroa
Marc Anthony
Prince Royce
Romeo Santos
Tropical Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Aventura
Gente de Zona
Grupo Niche
La Sonora Dinamita
Monchy & Alexandra
Tropical Song of the Year
Luis Figueroa, “Bandido”
Marc Anthony, “Punta Cana”
Myke Towers, “La Capi”
Prince Royce & Gabito Ballesteros, “Cosas de la Peda”
Víctor Manuelle feat. Frankie Ruiz, “Otra Noche Más”
Tropical Airplay Label of the Year
Interscope Capitol Label Group
Magnus
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Warner Latina
Tropical Album of the Year
Aventura, Generation Next
Camilo, Cuatro
Marc Anthony, Muevense
Prince Royce, Llamada Perdida
Tropical Albums Label of the Year
Discos Fuentes
Sony Music Latin
The Orchard
Universal Music Enterprises
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
REGIONAL MEXICAN CATEGORIES
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo
Carin León
Ivan Cornejo
Junior H
Natanael Cano
Peso Pluma
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Firme
Grupo Frontera
Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda
Regional Mexican Song of the Year
Alejandro Fernández, “Difícil Tu Caso”
Banda MS, “Tu Perfume”
Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga, “Dios Bendiga Nuestro Amor”
Banda Los Recoditos, “Vas a Querer Volver”
Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda, “Buscándole a la Suerte”
Regional Mexican Airplay Label of the Year
Afinarte
Azteca
Grupo Frontera
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Regional Mexican Album of the Year
Fuerza Regida, Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada
Grupo Frontera, El Comienzo
Junior H, $ad Boyz For Life II
Natanael Cano, Nata Montana
Peso Pluma, Éxodo
Regional Mexican Albums Label of the Year
Double P Records
Grupo Frontera
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Warner Latina
LATIN RHYTHM CATEGORIES
Latin Rhythm Artist of the Year, Solo
Bad Bunny
Feid
Karol G
Myke Towers
Rauw Alejandro
Latin Rhythm Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Baby Rasta & Gringo
Jowell & Randy
Mambo Kingz
Wisin & Yandel
Zion & Lennox
Latin Rhythm Song of the Year
Aaantonio, “El Hotel”
Daddy Yankee, “Bonita”
Natti Natasha, “Ya No Te Extraño”
Venesti, “Umaye”
Wisin & Mora, “Bien Loco”
Latin Rhythm Airplay Label of the Year
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Warner Latina
Latin Rhythm Album of the Year
Bad Bunny, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
Feid, Ferxxocalipsis
Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)
Rauw Alejandro, Playa Saturno
Tainy, Data
Latin Rhythm Albums Label of the Year
Interscope Capitol Labels Group
Neon 16
Rimas
Sony Music Latin
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
WRITERS / PRODUCERS / PUBLISHERS CATEGORIES
Songwriter of the Year
Alexis Armando Fierro Román
Edgar Barrera
JOP
Peso Pluma
Xavi
Publisher of the Year
Double P Publishing, BMI
Prajin Music Publishing, BMI
Street Mob Publishing, BMI
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp, BMI
Universal Music, Inc., ASCAP
Publishing Corporation of the Year
Downtown Music Publishing
Kobalt Music Group
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music
Warner Chappell Music
Producer of the Year
Edgar Barrera
Ernesto ‘Neto’ Fernández
JOP
MAG
Ovy On The Drums
Superstars Thalia, Eden Muñoz and Yandel have been added to the lineup of Billboard Latin Music 2024, taking place October 14-18 at the Fillmore in Miami Beach. The three stars join a group of more than 50 speakers and performers now confirmed for the five day event that kicks off Oct. 14 and runs through Friday, October 18, with the 35th anniversary celebration gala. Previously confirmed speakers include fellow superstars J Balvin, Peso Pluma, JOP, Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan, Young Miko, Lele Pons, Eslabón Armado, Danny Ocean, Yahritza y su Esencia, Belinda, Bad Gyal, Mon Laferte, Fat Joe, , Keityn, Kunno, Luis Alfonso, Lupita Infante, Majo Aguilar, Marko, Mau y Ricky, Mon Laferte, N.O.R.E., Omar Courtz, Paola Jara, Peso Pluma, Pipe Bueno, Sophia Talamas, Yeison Jiménez, Yeri Mua, Zhamira Zambrano, and many more.
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The three new additions represent three distinctly different subgenres of Latin music.
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Global sensation Thalia returns to Billboard Latin Music Week for an open discussion about mental health and stardom with previously confirmed Argentine superstar Maria Becerra. Celebrated Regional Mexican artist Eden Muñoz will take part in the “Why Are There 50 Writers on My Song?” panel alongside songwriter Keityn, producer Sergio George, and moderator Pierre Hachar. The panel will provide an insider’s perspective on how much a hit song is worth and who gets songwriter credit. Urban music icon Yandel will participate in “ELYTE: The beginning and future of the genre,” with Yandel and friends panel presented by Warner Music.
“We are thrilled to welcome Latin icons Thalia, Eden Muñoz, and Yandel to Billboard Latin Music Week as we celebrate our 35th anniversary,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s Chief Content Officer for Latin/Español. “These artists and their trajectories embody the energy, diversity, and impact of Latin music today. We look forward to hosting meaningful conversations and unforgettable experiences that will resonate with fans and industry professionals alike.”
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Billboard Latin Music Week is the longest-running and biggest Latin music industry gathering in the world—a must-attend event for new, established, and upcoming artists, executives, and industry leaders alike. The 2024 edition will feature exclusive panel conversations and performances by Latin music’s biggest stars, as well as workshops, showcases, networking opportunities, and more.
To register and access the full schedule of events, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
Billboard Latin Music Week sponsors include Azzaro Parfums, Cheetos, Chevron, DoorDash, Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, Smirnoff, Smirnoff Ice, Ulta Beauty and Walmart. This year, for the first time, attendees can purchase weeklong and day passes to tailor their experience at Latin Music Week.
On a balmy May evening in 2023, the Glasshouse — a neon-lit venue six stories above the Hudson River in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood — buzzed with excitement. A music-industry crowd of hundreds had gathered for a private Telemundo Upfront event and its featured performance by Nicky Jam. And from the moment the seminal reggaetón star stepped onstage, clad in his signature baseball cap and an athletic Amiri ensemble beneath a wool trench coat, he showcased why he’s not just part of the genre’s history but also a vital architect of its present and future.
As Nicky sang 2003’s “Yo No Soy Tu Marido,” a bold attendee leapt onstage to dance alongside him. “Oh, ella quiere perrear!” (“She wants to twerk!”) he exclaimed, happily engaging with his unexpected partner as she enthusiastically began to grind on him. For about two hours, Nicky commanded the spotlight with that kind of effortless swagger, cycling through his expansive catalog of hits, from his 2014 international breakout smash, “Travesuras,” to the pulsating beats of “Hasta El Amanecer,” to the pop-reggaetón banger “El Perdón,” to the groundbreaking collaborative track “Te Boté (Remix).”
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Two decades into his career, Nicky is still vital onstage — which made it all the more shocking when, last October, he told his more than 40 million Instagram followers that he was “retiring soon.” He paired his social media announcement with footage from his 2018 Netflix bio-series, Nicky Jam: El Ganador, which chronicled how he’d recovered from a turbulent past marked by drug addiction (and a stint in prison) to become one of Latin music’s most illustrious figures. “I’m not going to be a singer for the rest of my life,” he tells Billboard today over Zoom from his Miami home. “I think I’ll probably retire soon… Well, not retire. Singers never retire. You just tone it down.”
Nicky Jam will headline Rumbazo on Sept. 13 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. For more information, go to rumbazofest.com.
Offstage, the 43-year-old born Nick Rivera Caminero certainly doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. He’s channeled his creativity into a burgeoning business empire, running a chic Miami restaurant, La Industria Bakery & Cafe, and a few boutique hotels in Colombian cities including Cartagena, Guatapé and Medellín. “I have another hotel in Tierra Bomba that we’re almost finishing. It’s on an island resort [in Colombia] that I bought,” he mentions casually, then adds with a grin: “I’ll probably come out with weed too.”
In addition to these ventures, he’s recently launched his own lines of vape products (NickyJam x fume) and energy drinks (Athon) and even dipped his toes into the media world as host of The Rockstar Show (which streams on his official YouTube channel as well as all podcast platforms), where he’s interviewed Latin music stars including Karol G, Rauw Alejandro and Tainy (not to mention Billboard’s own chief content officer of Latin/Español, Leila Cobo). “We’re coming out with the third season right now,” Nicky says. And he also just signed his first full management client, up-and-coming Bronx rapper Axel Leon. (Nicky is also part of the management team for Manuel Turizo.)
However, for the moment, Nicky continues to find music creatively fruitful. The artist has been open about his battles with addiction, but when speaking with Billboard, he also reveals that he’s grappled with anxiety and depression for the past two years. That emotional turbulence — and the sleepless nights that came with it — inspired his sixth studio album, one of his most personal to date. Insomnio, out Sept. 6, delves into his personal reflections and nocturnal musings, while musically blending the sounds of Afrobeats, soul, trap and reggaetón.
For the project, he enlisted a range of talent from all over the world including Jamaican dancehall veteran Sean Paul, Puerto Rican trap star Eladio Carrión, Italian DJ-producer Benny Benassi, Argentine rapper Trueno and Colombian reggaetón star Ryan Castro. “It’s crazy to collaborate with a person you grew up listening to on the stoops of your neighborhood, the cars blasting his music in your city,” says Trueno, who guests on the classically reggaetón single “Cangrinaje.” “It’s like being able to transcend the line from being an admirer to being able to collaborate with that influence. Nicky Jam, without a doubt, was one of those visions that has stayed with me.”
“Having a track with Nicky for his latest album is very special to me because I watched him perform in nightclubs in Medellín,” says Castro, who’s listened to Nicky since he was a kid. “Seeing him overcome everything he went through in life and achieve what he has is the ultimate inspiration for me. Nicky is a star, and since I met him, we’ve developed a great friendship. I feel like he’s one of our own in Colombia.”
KSUBI shirt, Amiri pants and Louis Vuitton glasses.
Devin Christopher
Before his resurgence in the mid-2000s, however, Nicky faced significant struggles on his native island. “In Puerto Rico, I wasn’t booking any shows. Nobody wanted to deal with me — I had a bunch of problems on the streets, I was into drugs, I was a mess. Back in Puerto Rico at that time, I was the embarrassment of reggaetón music,” Nicky told the podcast Drink Champs last year. “But in Colombia, I was a legend,” he added, noting that Colombians appreciated both his hits and the songs that weren’t popular back home.
When Nicky moved to Colombia in 2007, he experienced a rebirth. “He arrives from Puerto Rico to Colombia con una mano atrás y otra adelante,” says his longtime manager Juan Diego Medina, using the Colombian expression for arriving with nothing. “In Colombia, he went through an entire musical process. He says that he learned to be human there, in the city [of Medellín] and country.” (In July, the two amicably parted ways after 13 years but remain close friends.)
“Moving to Colombia gave me the mojo to do the music,” Nicky says. “I got to Colombia in a moment when I desperately needed to work. They were listening to my old songs; they said they were classics. It changed my way of thinking and my way of writing music. I just sat down and I said, ‘If I make a No. 1 hit in this country, that would mean a lot of views on YouTube.’ With 45 million people [back then in Colombia], I was motivated. So I did a No. 1 national hit in Colombia, then four, five more. I became the new Colombian sound.”
In Colombia, Nicky embraced local culture while leveraging then-emerging digital platforms to reach a wider audience. “He had his whole trajectory in Puerto Rico and went to Colombia to try to reinvent himself, to find that audience that would give him a second opportunity,” says Stephanie Carvajal, artist relations and development, Latin lead at YouTube. “What allowed him to break beyond was a platform like YouTube. Nicky Jam was one of the pioneers in understanding and harnessing the power of YouTube to extend his music to audiences worldwide.”
Released in February 2015, “El Perdón,” Nicky’s game-changing collaboration with Enrique Iglesias, was a pivotal moment in reggaetón’s evolution from crude barrio genre to global juggernaut. “Nicky Jam was blowing up in Colombia, and Enrique had just put out ‘Bailando,’ ” recalls industry veteran Gerardo Mejía, who had worked closely with the Spanish pop superstar at Interscope Records and remained in close contact with him. “I said to Enrique, ‘Bro, you got to do something with Nicky.’ Nicky sent us ‘El Perdón.’ I said, ‘Wow, this is a hit.’ We saw how the [reggaetón] crossover began to happen through Enrique’s pop strength. All reggaetón started becoming more [mainstream] — it wasn’t so street anymore.”
But Iglesias’ pop-oriented style initially gave Nicky pause when he first heard it. “I felt the song was too pop-ish,” he admits. “I was worried about my street community. My urban community. I thought they were going to criticize me, so I put out the song without him. Then the record label, Sony, was like, ‘Yo, bro, we need you to put Enrique back on that track because it will be the best move you would do.’ We did the video and the version with Enrique, and that became a global hit.”
Louis Vuitton glasses, Gucci belt, Amiri pants and Palm Angels shoes.
Devin Christopher
Almost a decade later, Nicky Jam is one of YouTube’s most watched Latin artists of all time, boasting seven videos in the platform’s Billion Views Club. On the Billboard charts, “El Perdón” began a run of nine entries on the Hot 100 for him, and two of his albums, 2017’s Fénix and 2019’s Intimo, charted on the Billboard 200.
His Insomnio singles have also fared well: The 2023 Feid collaboration “69” climbed to No. 41 on Hot Latin Songs, No. 37 on Latin Airplay, No. 18 on Latin Digital Song Sales and No. 10 on Latin Rhythm Airplay; “Calor,” with Beéle, reached No. 20 on Latin Airplay and No. 6 on Latin Rhythm Airplay; and the title track, released in August, soared to No. 9 on Tropical Airplay.
And as he prepares for Insomnio’s release and contemplates what might come after, Nicky is well aware of his influence. “I came out exactly at that moment where everything happened,” he says. “For some weird reason, me being an old-school singer, I started what’s going on right now. I’m lucky to say I’m from the old school. I did a lot of hits back in the days, but when it came to the new stuff and the new movement, I’m one of the creators and pioneers of that moment, too.”
Insomnio is an evocative title. What inspired it, and how does it relate to the music’s themes?
I’ve been having two crazy years. I was struggling with anxiety and depression. A lot of the problems from the past were catching up to me. It led me to drink a lot. I had problems with drugs in the past, but never with alcohol. Alcohol is something legal that you find anywhere you go. I started drinking a lot, and it took me to a dark spot where I was feeling like it wasn’t the Nicky people are used to. I was partying too much, going out and I wasn’t sleeping. The crazy thing is sometimes, out of bad things, good things come. I did badass songs for this album during this dark moment. The reason why the album is called Insomnio is because most of the songs [were written, recorded and] take place at night.
How did the nocturnal songwriting process influence the album’s overall tone and message?
Remember, music is the art of expression, and I’m expressing myself. I’ve always been that type of person who’s very transparent. I never hide who I am or what I do. If you listen to “3 a.m. y yo en la cyber truck, pensando cuando contigo me daba los shot” [from “La Cyber” featuring Luar La L], “Exótica” [with lyrics] like “ver el sol caer,” most of the songs talk about me in full self-destruction mode, partying and not giving a f–k about life and just going crazy. If you listen to “Insomnio,” the merengue song, it’s a very sad song [lyrically].
Louis Vuitton glasses, Gucci belt, Amiri pants.
Devin Christopher
Merengue is usually joyful, but “Insomnio” takes a darker turn. How did you balance its upbeat rhythm with its somber themes?
If you listen to “El Perdón,” it’s a sad song. But you put that beat [on it], it automatically becomes a happy song. I think that’s part of my magic. I can make a sad song sound happy. That’s part of my creation mode. I really like that people can sing a sad song not even known as a sad song. That’s magic! If I were to sing that with low, dark chords, you automatically would have been like, “Damn, this motherf–ker is sad as f–k.” The reality is I was sad when I wrote that song, but in the production moment, I said, “I am not going to make this a sad song, I want this upbeat.”
Every album has its own unique creation journey. How would you differentiate Insomnio from Infinity, Intimo or Fénix in terms of the creative process?
I’m going to be honest with you. Fénix is an album that you can realize is Nicky Jam in his prime, doing his comeback and very happy about life. It was a different moment in my life. These other two albums, it was just working. I was touring so much and I just did music and put the [album] name after. These other two albums have no meaning for me. Insomnio has more meaning than any of these albums because I’m telling the people how I felt in one of my darkest moments.
On Insomnio, you navigate between trap, merengue, reggaetón, Afrobeats and electronic music. Can you talk about exploring a wide spectrum of genres?
I’m not this guy that stays in one corner. I could sing R&B, hip-hop, trap, reggaetón, merengue, whatever. The merengue thing is something I’ve never done. That’s why I wanted to do it. That’s funny because I’m half Dominican. Merengue right now is doing really good. Karol G came out with a merengue, Manuel Turizo, and a couple of others. I wanted a part of it. But the whole trap song thing was because Eladio Carrión sent me the [beat]. Then the Afrobeats is something that’s really going on right now. Quería cubrir todas las partes — I wanted to have every corner block. That’s what I did with the album.
Alongside your music, you’ve ventured into business, investing and launching restaurants and hotels. How do these fit into your long-term plans?
I’m not going to be a singer the rest of my life. I’m 43 years old. In a [few] years, I’ll be 50. A 50-year-old reggaetón artist; I don’t know if that looks so good. Daddy Yankee retired at 47, 48. I think I’ll probably retire soon, too. Not now, but probably in seven to 10 years. Well, not retire. The word “retire” for a singer does not make any sense. Daddy Yankee said he retired, and he came out with a song [“Loveo”] a couple of months ago.
There are a lot of new kids, and you’re not going to compete when you’re almost 50 with a 20-year-old that has that brand-new sound, that new vibe that kids like. The reality is this is young people’s music. I’m not saying older people don’t listen to it, but if you see the list of the people, you’re going to see that it’s mostly the youth that listen to this music. You can’t compete with that. So I prepared myself businesswise.
When people say, “OK, Nicky, you’re too old for this,” I’ll be like, “All right, but I’m rich, baby. I got businesses that take care of me and [I] still live the lifestyle.” That’s what you want, to capitalize so many businesses that you don’t even have to perform and do music to live the lifestyle. I worked hard for it. That’s why I do businesses on the side, where I could profit enough that I can keep living that good life.
Faith by Luis hat.
Devin Christopher
How do your restaurant, La Industria Bakery & Café, and your hotels reflect your personal interests?
La Industria is mostly a brunch place. You get your pancakes and French toast. It’s that type of vibe. Here in Miami, I used to go to a lot of these spots, but I recognized there wasn’t a Spanish one. So I came out with the bakery, and it’s been a boon. It has my DNA everywhere. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, but I lived in Puerto Rico most of my life. At the end of the day, it’s a sweet pancake spot — but the bestseller is a hamburger called La Boricua. Everybody goes and gets that hamburger. They love it. You have a knife right through the middle.
You recently signed a management deal with hip-hop artist Axel Leon. What qualities do you look for in artists you mentor?
They got to be talented, disciplined, versatile and have a lot of charisma. That charisma goes crazy with the people. Just with that, you could conquer the world in the music industry. Talent is something, but if you have charisma and you’re hungry to work…
What led you to start The Rockstar Show?
I was in pandemic [mode]. Bored. I wasn’t doing anything. I was in my house and I said, “I got to work.” So I got a studio and I started interviewing artists. It started with a couple of interviews. From there, we went to The Rockstar Show. We’re coming out with the third season right now.
You took The Rockstar Show to Billboard Latin Music Week in 2023, and during your onstage interview with Ivy Queen you started beatboxing. What was that about?
I’m from the old school. Back in the day, we were MCs and we did everything. We’d rap, beatbox and dance. I used to breakdance. I used to [freestyle] battle in the corners like they do in the Red Bull Batalla. I’m very good. Believe me, ain’t nobody f–king with me.
As you continue diversifying your career, are there any other new avenues you’re looking to still explore?
Mostly hospitality, hotels. That’s what I’m really doing. I’ve done acting [in movies like 2017’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage and 2020’s Bad Boys for Life], I’ve done music, I’ve done it all.
Everything I do is to inspire people. Yes, it’s business, but at the end of the day, I come from a black hole most people don’t come out of. A lot of people that were raised with me, they’re dead right now. I’m not talking about one or two, I’m talking about hundreds of them. There’s a chance. There’s hope. If I did it, you could do it. That’s my philosophy.
This story appears in Billboard‘s Rumbazo special issue, dated Sept. 14, 2024.
On a balmy May evening in 2023, the Glasshouse — a neon-lit venue six stories above the Hudson River in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood — buzzed with excitement. A music-industry crowd of hundreds had gathered for a private Telemundo Upfront event and its featured performance by Nicky Jam. And from the moment the seminal reggaetón […]
Bad Bunny is on to his next movie adventure, joining Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2 — the sequel to the cult-classic sports comedy film released in 1996 — The Hollywood Reporter revealed Tuesday (Sept. 10). There are no details yet about Bad Bunny’s role. The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio made his acting […]
Mexican singer-songwriter Codiciado has postponed six of the 14 dates initially announced for his Ando Enfocado U.S. tour, reducing it to eight for the time being, Live Nation confirmed to Billboard Español.
The tour is still scheduled to kick off on September 27 at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York. However, performances in Charlotte, N.C. (Oct. 3), Miami (Oct. 4), Atlanta (Oct. 6), and the Texas cities of San Antonio (Oct. 11), Hidalgo (Oct. 12) and El Paso (Oct. 18) have been suspended.
Representatives from Live Nation expressed their ongoing commitment to the artist via email, describing Codiciado as “a great partner and a super-talented artist.” Live Nation added, “We are still in the planning stages for 2025, so we do not have anything about the tour that we can share yet.”
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The Tijuana-born artist returns to the U.S. stage after more than five years, a hiatus due to visa issues. The Ando Enfocado U.S. tour kicked off with five dates, the first of which took place on April 26 at the Hard Rock Live in Sacramento, California, where he broke attendance records for the venue, according to a press release.
Recently, Codiciado (real name Erick de Jesus Aragon Alcantar) was honored with a special proclamation by Mayor John McCann of Chula Vista, Calif. The award, presented at City Hall last Wednesday (Sept. 4), recognized his “outstanding career and invaluable artistic contributions to the San Diego community and beyond,” said a press release.
Codiciado and Mayor John McCann
Pedro Torres
The musician, who was Billboard‘s Latin Artist on the Rise in June, continues to make waves on stage. Last weekend, he performed at the Arre Festival in Mexico City, and next weekend he is poised to appear at Rumbazo 2024, the two-day Mexican Independence Day weekend fiesta taking place Sept. 13-14 in Las Vegas, where he will be one of the main artists on the bill.
See below for the updated schedule of the second leg of his Ando Enfocado U.S. tour:
Sept. 27 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ BK ParamountSept. 29 – Rosemont, Ill. @ Rosemont TheatreOct. 10 – Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory Oct. 13 – Houston, Texas @ 713 Music Hall Oct. 20 – Palm Desert, Calif. @ Acrisure Arena Oct. 24 – San José, Calif. @ San Jose CivicOct. 25 – Inglewood, Calif. @ YouTube Theater Oct. 26 – Reno, Nev. @ Grand Sierra Resort*
*Not A Live Nation Date
The finalists for the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards are set to be announced on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. ET on Billboard.com and Telemundo.com.
This year’s finalists will be recognized in a wide range of award categories, including top Latin album of the year, artist of the year, Hot Latin Song of the year, tour of the year and songwriter of the year, among others. Additionally, the show will honor a few select artists with Billboard‘s special awards, which will be announced soon. The finalists, as well as the eventual winners, will be determined based on their performance on Billboard‘s albums and songs charts from Aug. 19, 2023, to Sept. 7, 2024.
Produced and broadcast by Telemundo, the Billboard Latin Music Awards stands as the only awards show that recognizes the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music, as determined by Billboard‘s weekly charts. The awards ceremony will take place in Miami and air on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 9 p.m. ET.
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The awards will culminate Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Oct. 14-18, celebrating Latin music, cultur, and entertainment all week long with exclusive performances, one-of-a-kind panels, workshops, showcases and exclusive fan experiences. The star-studded event, taking place at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, will feature Latin music’s biggest stars, including Peso Pluma, Alejandro Sanz, Young Miko, J Balvin, Gloria Estefan, among many others in its lineup.
Learn more about Billboard Latin Music Week and register at billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
One year after she agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities to settle her $15 million for tax fraud case, Shakira is telling her side of the story. In an over 1,000-word op-ed published in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the Colombian singer penned strong declarations about her war with Spain’s tax agency. “In 2023, […]