Warner Music Latina
The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation has joined forces with Warner Music Latina for a 2025 scholarship that will be good toward a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music, Billboard can announce.
The four-year Prodigy Scholarship, which will cover tuition and room and board for the 2025 fall semester, as well as wrap-around services provided by the foundation, marks the first time a Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation scholarship has been sponsored by a record label.
“This partnership embodies one of our core values: to cultivate intellectual and artistic potential by removing barriers that often impede exceptional musicians from realizing their vision,” said Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America, in a statement. “Through strategic educational support we’re not just investing in individual careers, but in the broader cultural landscape of musical innovation.”
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Roberto Andrade, MD at Warner Music Latina, added: “At Warner Music Latina, we’re proud to support young talent through this scholarship. By empowering aspiring musicians, we’re investing in the voices that will shape tomorrow’s soundtrack. This is more than an opportunity — it’s a commitment to creativity, talent and the future of music.”
In addition to the Prodigy Scholarship, three other scholarships — from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, the Gil Family Foundation and Gibson Gives — will be available for music students between the ages of 17 and 25 with financial limitations who have a passion for Latin music.
“The support of our donors makes the fulfillment of our mission to provide educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage a reality,” added Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director at the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful to Warner Music Latina, Frost School of Music, Gibson Gives and the Gil Family Foundation for hosting these scholarships, providing opportunities to aspiring Latin music creators in need of financial aid to pursue their dreams.”
Applications for all of the scholarships will be open between now and 11:59 p.m. ET on April 10, 2025. For more information and to apply, click here.
Rising Puerto Rican rapper Clarent has signed a global recording deal with Warner Music Latina, the company tells Billboard.
The signing comes on the heels of Clarent’s success with the single “IA” alongside Puerto Rican urban artist Mora. The track has amassed more than 40 million streams on Spotify alone and topped Spotify’s Top 200 chart in Spain.
Born in Caparra Terrace, San Juan, Clarent (real name Fabián Cartagena Torres) began putting out music independently just last year. Since then, he’s amassed millions of streams thanks to tracks that sound raw and real and connected to life on the streets. His song “Traqueto” alongside iZaak has nearly 26 million streams on Spotify, while his solo track “Enzacio” has nearly 14 million.
“Ready for this new season — big thanks to the Warner fam for keeping it real. This is where boys become men,” said Clarent in a statement.
“We are thrilled to partner with Clarent and his team to help build on his unique vision and take his career to new heights,” said Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America. “Clarent is a perfect example of how genres get disrupted and authentic sounds emerge and pave new roads in music.”
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Signing Clarent was a months-long process for Warner, added Roberto Andrade, MD of Warner Music Latina. “This isn’t just another record deal — this is an alliance,” he said in a statement. “We crafted a partnership out of months of mutual understanding, collaboration, and shared vision.”
Andrade and Duque worked closely with Clarent and his manager, Jonniel (Jadiel Nuñez Olivera) of Rythmz51, on the deal. On Dec. 13, Clarent is releasing a new track under Warner titled “Babayaga,” a moody trap song.
“Shoutout to the team at Warner Music Latina for believing in this vision and backing us all the way,” said Jonniel. “This is just the kickoff to something amazing. Clarent’s got that raw, undeniable talent, and I’m stoked to be on this journey with him.”
Pipe Bueno has inked a deal with Warner Music Latina, becoming the label’s latest signee deriving from Colombia’s música popular scene, the company tells Billboard.
The agreement was made with Bueno’s management companies Ocesa Seitrack, where he’s represented by Alex Mizrahi and Octavio Padilla, and JB Management, where he’s represented by Juan Guillermo Ballesteros. He signed with both companies last year. Campaigns for the 32-year-old Colombian artist will be managed and operated from the Warner Música Mexicana division in Los Angeles, with the support of Warner Music Mexico.
“At some point, I envisioned being backed by one of the best record labels in the world, and without a doubt, Warner Music is one of them,” said Bueno in a statement. “I am excited to know that today I am signing with a company that has begun to believe in Colombian regional music, and has its eyes set on our genre. I have high expectations, and Warner Music’s support will be crucial in achieving everything I have in mind.”
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“For us, making this signing happen was very important,” added Ballesteros. “We have achieved an incredible partnership with a total focus on everything that surrounds Pipe Bueno…his music and all his projects as a brand. We want to elevate the Colombian genre to another level, and we are confident we have found the best way to do it with Warner Music.”
Under the new deal, Bueno announces his upcoming album. According to a press release, it “promises a unique fusion, showcasing his Colombian regional music while honoring and celebrating Mexican regional music.” His debut single under the label, “Una Pregunta” featuring Gerardo “El Jerry” Coronel, premieres Thursday (July 25).
“We are delighted to welcome Pipe Bueno to the Warner Music family,” said Roberto Andrade Dirak, MD of Warner Music Latina. “His dedication and passion for Colombian popular music are inspiring, and we are proud to be part of this new stage in his career.”
Rubén Abraham, GM of Mexican music at Warner Music Latina, added: “He’s an artist who respects and deeply understands the essence of Mexican regional music. His upcoming album is a great opportunity to continue boosting Pipe’s career in Mexico and the United States; it features high-level collaborations that reinforce Pipe’s credibility and respect in Mexican music.”
The artist born Andrés Felipe Giraldo Bueno launched his self-titled debut album in 2008 and has since risen to pioneer “la música popular Colombiana,” a musical genre that fuses traditional folk music from the Paisa Region with Regional Mexican elements, such as mariachi and ranchera. The genre is locally known as “música de cantina” and is played at every parranda, parties that feature local music and food. Bueno has since laced the genre with urban and pop rhythms by teaming up with artists such as Wisin, Zion and Darrel. He has also collaborated twice with his good friend and colleague Maluma on the tracks “La Invitación” (2014) and “Tequila” (2020). The former track peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay chart in 2017.
Tokischa will launch her own record label called SOL under a new global partnership with Warner Music Latina, Billboard can exclusively announce today (May 23).
The Dominican artist (born: Tokischa Altagracia Peralta Juárez) will release her own music and sign new artists under the new deal that’s in partnership with her manager (and SOL co-founder) Angelica Piche within WML and supported by Atlantic Records.
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“We are thrilled to launch SOL, a label that will be a home for misunderstood artists,” Piche, who’s in charge of the project’s development, said in a statement. “It’s very important for us to give a voice and a space to people who, like us, started from scratch.”
Both teams at WML and Atlantic are excited to form part of Tokischa’s new career era.
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“She is an artist who takes counterculture to its highest and best expression. It is a privilege to help expand her global impact and support her limitless creative vision,” adds Alejandro Duque, Roberto Andrade Dirak, and Natalie Cotton of the Warner family.
Since kicking off her music career in 2018, the 28-year-old artist has shined with her groundbreaking and unapologetic music, bringing to the forefront the Dominican Republic’s thriving local underground scene, known as “el bajo mundo.”
“For me, when I feel free is when I’m myself,” she previously expressed during the women on the rise panel at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week. “For me, freedom is to feel comfortable with what surrounds me, with what I do, to feel unique. To feel special and loved by myself because one of the steps toward freedom is self love, and if I love myself and understand and know myself, and know what I need, I know where I’m going to walk and how I’m going to do it.”
With the new partnership, Warner Music Latina—alongside its international team and record labels—aims to introduce Tokischa’s “music to fresh audiences, bolstering her presence across diverse countries and cultures, and ultimately establishing her as a true global star,” noted the press statement.
Tokischa
Courtesy of Warner Music Latina
Warner Music Latina has appointed Brenda Carrasco as vp of marketing and artist strategy. According to the label, in her new role, Carrasco will be responsible for overseeing the marketing strategy and career development for Warner Music Latina’s roster — tasked with providing creative direction and tools for campaign development and setting short and long-term […]
Warner Music Latina has named Francisco Granados the label’s new senior vice president of A&R, Billboard has learned. Granados, who previously served as director of A&R at Warner Music México, will be responsible for spearheading Warner Latina’s artistic discovery and nurturing musical talents in the U.S., according to a press release issued Thursday (Oct. 12). […]
Yandel has signed with Warner Music Latina, marking his first deal with a major label after releasing his latest albums (Quien Contra Mi 2 and Resistencia) via his own company, Y Entertainment. The signing took place at the Empire State Building in New York City, where Yandel kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month festivities by leading […]
Maria Becerra has signed a deal with Warner Music Latina in a new joint venture with 300 Entertainment, Billboard can exclusively announce today (May 10).
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Warner Music Latina family,” Becerra said in a statement. “I know that together we will achieve incredible things and that this union will allow me to go even further in my career and solidify my global expansion. I’m honored to be part of their roster and look forward to working with such a skilled and talented team.”
For Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America, having the Argentine singer-songwriter on the roster is an honor.
“She’s a standout artist with a strong team behind her, and her past successes are a testament to that. We’re excited to continue the path that was started by 300 Entertainment and Kevin’s team, and are very excited for our future together,” he added.
The news of the signing comes on the heels of Becerra receiving the Visionary Award at the inaugural Billboard Latin Women in Music gala.
Maria Becerra at Billboard Latin Women In Music held at the Watsco Center on May 6, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida. The show airs on Sunday, May 7, 2023 on Telemundo.
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To date, the YouTuber-turned-artist has achieved three entries on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, including her hit “Qué Más Pues?” with J Balvin, as well as two top 10 entries on Latin Airplay (the No. 1 hit “Te Espero” with Prince Royce, and “Éxtasis” with Manuel Turizo at No. 9), and five entries on Latin Rhythm Airplay.
In 2021, Becerra was nominated for best new artist at the Latin Grammys, and her latest album La Nena de Argentina (2022) has garnered more than 300 million plays on Spotify alone, to name a few career highlights. Additionally, she signed with 300 Entertainment in 2020, becoming the first Latin artist to join the label’s roster.
“We are very happy and deeply grateful to 300 Entertainment, Kevin Liles, and his entire team, for the support they have provided Maria since the beginning, because due to their dedication, efforts, and teamwork, Maria has been able to achieve the success she celebrates today, which leads us to this important next step with Warner Music Latina, spearheaded by Alejandro Duque, to continue growing with the next albums,” noted Jose Levy, Becerra’s manager.
Kevin Liles, chairman and CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment, added: “It’s been amazing to see the growth of Maria as an artist, and I’m so proud of everything that we’ve been able to accomplish together so far. Tapping into the vast, global reach of our Warner Music Group family with the addition of Warner Music Latina to the team behind her, there is absolutely no limit on where she can go.”
Up next, Becerra is working on new music to be released under the Warner/300 venture and is expected to announce a tour.
Maria Becerra signs with Warner Music Latina.
Miguel Valencia/Warner Music Latina
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