Vives Agrees to Global Deal with Kobalt Music Publishing & Kobalt Neighbouring Rights

Carlos Vives has a new publishing partner…

The 55-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter has agreed to a global deal with both Kobalt Music Publishing and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights.

Carlos Vives

The deal, effective immediately, includes Vives’ past hits, as well as future songs.

Vives’ latest hit “La Bicicleta,” with Shakira, is at No. 2 on this week’s Hot Latin Songs chart. It is also nominated for a Latin Grammy for Song and Record of the year.

The Kobalt deal, with its neighbouring rights services, is practical for an international artist like Vives, whose music tops many international charts.

Vives has had five No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, dating back to 2000’s “Fruta Fresca” and up until 2012’s “Volví a Nacer,” which marked Vives’ return to recording after a nearly decade-long hiatus.

“I’ve always admired Carlos Vives’ extraordinary creative talent,” said Nestor Casonú, managing director for Latin America at Kobalt. “I value the authenticity he brings to the music of his country and the other native cultures, daringly incorporating contemporary instruments to his songs.”

When Casonú ran EMI’s Latin publishing operation, he signed Vives and worked closely with him on his 2001 album, Dejame Entrar, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. Vives also topped the chart with his two most recent albums, his 2013 comeback, Corazón Profundo, and 2015’s Mas + Corazon Profundo: Tour.

Vives’ credits the friendship as one of the reasons he decided to go with Kobalt when his contract with Sony/ATV ended.

“One of course comes to a company for the advantages and possibilities they offer to us as artists, but fundamentally one joins a company for the people, for the admiration they awaken in us and for the passion and mysticism with which they do their job,” he said in a statement. “It was with Nestor Casonu, a long time industry friend, that I found the motivation, the joy and the enthusiasm to continuously write new, quality songs. We are very happy to form part of the Kobalt family and we are fully committed with them.”

Vives was most recently signed to Sony/ATV as a songwriter. He is signed to Sony Music Latin as a recording artist.

Vives Makes First Appearance on YouTube’s Music Global Top 100 List

Carlos Vives is celebrating a YouTube first…

The 54-year-old Colombian singer has made his first appearance on YouTube’s Music Global Top 100 list with his collaboration with Shakira.

Carlos Vives & Shakira

Vives and Shakira’s music video for their single “La Bicicleta,” shot in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, debuted at No. 8 on the Music Global Top 100 list.

During its first week on YouTube, it logged more than 20 million views. It’s now at 30 million views and counting.

According to YouTube, the video is most popular in Vives and Shakira’s native Colombia and it is the second track — first being Jennifer Lopez‘s “Ain’t Your Mama” — to debut in the top 10 on the YouTube charts since they were launched back in February.

Other popular Vives videos on YouTube include “El mar de sus ojos” featuring ChocQuibTown, “Cuando nos volamos a encontrar” with Marc Anthony, and “Volví a nacer.”

All three have more than 40 million views.

Vives’ “Las Cosas de la Vida” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

It’s Lucky No. 11 for Carlos Vives

The 54-year-old Colombian singer/composer leaps 12-1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart (dated March 5) with “Las Cosas de la Vida,” giving him his 11th career No. 1 on the list.

Carlos Vives

The song soars by 83 percent to 12.3 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music, earning Greatest Gainer honors.

Vives is now tied for the third-most No. 1s in the chart’s history with Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan and Romeo Santos. Enrique Iglesias leads with 25 toppers, followed by Ricky Martin (15).

Vives’ chart victory follows a star-studded performance on Univision’s awards show Premios Lo Nuestro (broadcast live Feb. 18), on which he was honored with the award of excellence. The singer invited several surprise guests to accompany him for a medley of his hits, all fellow Colombian musicians, including Juanes, J Balvin, Maluma and Fonseca.

Vives achieved his first No. 1 on Latin Airplay in 2000 with his longest-leading hit to date, “Fruta Fresca” (six weeks on top). 2001’s “Dejame Entrar” is his second-longest-ruling No. 1 (four weeks).

Following a seven-year absence from Billboard‘s charts (2005-12, as he took a hiatus from music), Vives returned with a No. 1 debut on Hot Latin Songs for “Volvi A Nacer” (Oct. 13, 2012), his fifth (and most recent) song to top the airplay/sales/streaming chart.

Vives’ “Cuando Nos Volvamos a Encontrar” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay Chart

Carlos Vives is back at the top of the tropical music charts…

The 52-year-old Colombian singer has earned his fifth No. 1 single on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, as “Cuando Nos Volvamos a Encontrar” rises 2-1.

Carlos Vives

The track features Marc Anthony, who concurrently scores his record-extending 25th chart topper, moving him further ahead of Victor Manuelle with 23.

The song climbed three percent in airplay spins at the format (660 in the week ending July 27), according to Nielsen BDS.

Vives last topped the chart with “Volvi A Nacer” in 2012, which spent four weeks at No. 1, the most of any of his leaders.

Vives Leads The Pack of Latin Grammy Nominees

Carlos Vives is one of this year’s Latin Grammy darlings…

The 52-year-old Colombian singer, composer and actor leads the pack of Latin Grammy nominees with five nods.

Carlos Vives

Among his nominations, Vives’ latest album Corazon Profundo is up for Album of the Year, while his hit single “Volví a Nacer” is nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Illya Kuryaki & the Valderramas, a duo who take their name from the fictional television spy and former Colombian soccer player Carlos Valderrama tied Vives with five nominations, landing nods at Latin music’s top honors for best urban song and best alternative album.

Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz and Caetano Veloso, the 71-year-old pioneer of Brazil’s Tropicalia music genre, each earned four nominations.

Sanz’s album La Música No Se Toca was nominated for album of the year and best contemporary pop vocal album, while his song “Mi Marciana” was nominated for song of the year and record of the year.

Veloso, who earned a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award last year, earned record of the year and song of the year nominations for the song “Um Abraçaço.”

Natalie Cole, whose first Spanish-language album debuted at No. 1 on the Latin Albums chart, and Draco Rosa, whose Vida marked a spectacular return for the artist from his battle with cancer, earned three nominations each.

Spanish singer and actor Miguel Bosé, 57, will be honored as the person of the year for lifetime achievement. His album Papitwo is also nominated for album of the year and best contemporary pop album.

The Latin Grammys will take place November 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The awards show will be broadcast live by Univision.

Click here for a complete look at this year’s nominees.