The Juan Gabriel Estate Teaming Up with Cirque Musica for Special Cirque-Style Show Inspired by His Iconic Music

Juan Gabriel’s beloved music will be celebrated in a special way…

The late Mexican singer’s estate and Cirque Musica have announced the production of Cirque Musica Presents Querida: The Official Celebration of Juan Gabriel, which will kick off in Mexico City in October.

Juan GabrielAccording to a press release issued by Cirque Musica — which produces cirque-style shows featuring acrobats, aerialists and “daredevil” athleticism combined with the “greatest music of all time” — the company has signed a global rights deal with the late Mexican artist’s estate for the creation and production of the show “with the purpose of bringing the joyful legacy of the singer to the fans.”

The first iteration will take place on October 22 at the San Rafael Theater.

“We will continue his legacy in every way we can so his work and art can reach a new generation,” said Ivan Aguilera, Juan Gabriel’s son, in a statement. “I am thrilled to work with Cirque Musica to bring this spectacular interpretation of my father’s legacy to his amazing fans. My father was a natural entertainer and I know he would be very pleased with this production.”

Added Stephen Cook, president of TCG Entertainment, creator and producer of Cirque Musica, “Cirque Musica is honored to be working with Juan Gabriel’s estate to bring this production to the stage. Our goal is to be the biggest and the best show in the world and this is the next step. We understand the importance of Juan Gabriel and the impact his music made, and we are excited to bring this celebration to his loyal Mexican fans.”

According to a description of the production, Cirque Musica Presents Querida will interpret the music of the legendary recording star and prolific songwriter with “an extraordinary cirque presentation to include breath-taking aerial performances and acrobats; creating an artistic spectacle in tribute to the beloved Mexican icon.”

News of this project comes months after the estate signed an exclusive global agreement with Virgin Music US Latin and UMPG that includes “never-before-released” material.

The deal will represent the singer’s post-2008 catalog and future recordings, and also extended its publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, which will exclusively represent Gabriel’s extraordinary catalog of songs worldwide.

Gabriel died of a heart attack the morning of August 28, 2016, in Los Angeles following a show at The Forum. At the time, the then-66-year-old singer and icon was at the peak of his career in the midst of the U.S. leg of his MeXXico Es Todos tour, a 22-city arena trek that had him playing 360 stages to accommodate sold-out crowds.

Juan Gabriel’s Estate Signs Exclusive Worldwide Agreement with Virgin Music US Latin; New Music Releases Expected

There’s new Juan Gabriel music heading your way…

Six years after his death, the late Mexican superstar’s estate has signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with Virgin Music US Latin, which will represent the singer’s post-2008 catalog and future recordings, and has also extended its publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, which will exclusively represent Gabriel’s extraordinary catalog of songs worldwide.

Juan GabrielThe deal is particularly important because unbeknownst to many, Gabriel left behind dozens of new recordings, including brand new, never released before material and re-recordings of old songs.

As one of the most recorded songwriters in Latin music and one of its biggest stars, the potential for those works is immense.

“We have a lot of material in different stages,” says Victor Gonzalez, president of Virgin Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.

This includes a third duets album (Gabriel recorded two prior to his death, both of them hits) featuring six or seven tracks with artists including Mon LaFerte and Gloria Trevi; additional, posthumous duets (which will use Gabriel’s previously-recorded vocals) will be included as well.

Gabriel died of a heart attack the morning of August 28, 2016 in Los Angeles as he readied for a flight to El Paso following a show at the Forum.

At the time, the 66-year-old singer and icon was at the apex of his career, enjoying a spectacular second act. He was in the midst of the U.S. leg of his MeXXico Es Todos tour, a 22-city arena trek that had him playing 360 stages to accommodate sold-out crowds.

He ranked at No. 18 on Billboard’s 2015 Money Makers list (just below Ed Sheeran and just above Florida Georgia Line).

He also scored the year’s highest-grossing Latin tour (bringing in $31.8 million) as well as the year’s top-selling Latin album, Los Duo.

The week before his death, his latest album, Vestido de Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallanes, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. A TV series based on his life was slated for the fall.

“He was at the height of his career. He was happy, happy, happy,” says González. “He was recording while he was on tour and because he was so healthy, we were able to re-record old songs and new material, and none of that saw the light of day, because he died.”

It was Jesus López who signed Gabriel to a 10-album contract with Universal Music Mexico in 2008, in a deal with a long back story. Gabriel signed his first label deal in 1971 with RCA in Mexico when he was 21 years old, at a time when publishing was typically included in recording deals.

In 1986 — after he became a major star and RCA was acquired by BMG — he famously stopped recording for seven years in protest of his original deal, under which the label owned not only his recording masters but also his songs.

Gabriel’s recorded music output resumed in 1994 when Jesús López (now the chairman of Universal Music Latin America/Iberian Penninsula), who had just been named president of BMG Latin, personally met with Gabriel and convinced him to record again after agreeing to give him ownership of his songs.

The first album under that arrangement was 1994’s Gracias por Esperar.

Gabriel’s recording deal eventually went to Sony after it acquired BMG; when that deal expired in 2008, González approached him with a new proposal.

“I suggested 10 albums that included a live album, a banda album, duets albums and three albums of new material,” says González. The first album under the deal — Juan Gabriel — was released in 2010. In an innovative twist, Universal agreed to let Gabriel retain ownership of his masters.

After Gabriel died in 2016, it took several years to untangle his affairs. Now, with his son Iván Aguilera the sole beneficiary of his estate, his legacy is ready to move on.

In 2020, Aguilera announced a partnership with Jampol Artist Management (JAM), a company that specializes in managing, preserving and developing artist estates whose clients include the estates of Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. Gabriel is their first Latin client, but he fit the company’s philosophy, says founder and CEO Jeff Jampol.

“When we talk about these huge legacies, they’re important not only artistically, of course, but sociologically and culturally and they mean a lot to a lot of people. Successful artists have magic,” says Jampol. “Juan Gabriel stands for something. The secret to my business is figuring out what that magic is and exposing it credibly and authentically.”

In 2020, Jampol and Gabriel’s estate — working with Melinda Zanoni of Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group and business manager Louis Barajas of the firm LAB — announced plans to release a documentary filmed during Gabriel’s last concert on Aug. 26, 2016, in Los Angeles, as well as a merchandise line, television series, feature film, theatrical stage show, books, tribute shows and a wax figure with Museo de Cera.

But having new music and new recordings to draw from pushes the value of the new deal to another level. Says Jampol, “These two deals [recorded music and publishing] combined are probably one of the highest valued deals I’ve made in the history of the company.”

In terms of publishing alone, “Juan Gabriel is one of the most important songwriters and artists in Latin music history,” says Alexandra Lioutikoff, president of UMPG for Latin America and U.S. Latin. “His catalog of music across 45 years is proof that great songs stand the test of time and continue to live on. Juan Gabriel is one of the strongest examples of a Latin music legacy catalog that is thriving through generations of fans around the world.”

For González, the deal will bring to life music he was personally close to.

“He was in the middle of a very creative period [when he died],” he says. “I spent some time with him in Playa del Carmen, for example, where he had a recording studio in his home, and he’d wake up and say, ‘I want to record!’ I lived it with him. I saw the day to day. He’d write and say, ‘Come and see me!’”

Durcal Among Artists to Perform at Special Tribute Concert for the Late Juan Gabriel

Shaila Durcal is paying tribute to a Mexican legend…

The 37-year-old Spanish Grammy nominated singer-songwriter will perform at a special tribute concert for the late Juan Gabriel.

Shaila Durcal

The homage, entitled Eternamente Juan Gabriel, will take place on February 18 at Foro Pegaso in the State of Mexico, with tickets going on sale in January.

The concert details, revealed four months after the death of Mexican music icon, were announced by Gabriel’s son Iván Aguilera during a press conference in Mexico.

Aguilera said the ambitious tribute concert will the first of many they plan to produce in Mexico and other countries.

“We are here to announce the first official concert that our family is planning in honor of my father Juan Gabriel. We have the support of Mexico’s government to produce something of high quality, just like the concerts my father gave us … It will be something very special where people will be able to relive the experience of watching their idol Juan Gabriel.”

In addition to Durcal, the daughter of the late Rocio Durcal, who collaborated with Gabriel several times throughout their music careers, artists set to participate include JuanesJesse & JoyDavid BisbalNatalia Lafourcade and Aída Cuevas, among others. Gustavo Farias will serve as musical producer.

“During performances, we will be showing images of Juan Gabriel but we have a very very big surprise. I can’t say much yet but we will be using high quality technology,” Farias said hinting at a possible Juan Gabriel hologram for the concert.

Eternamente Juan Gabriel follows the special tribute that took place back in September in Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes just days after the “Amor eterno” singer passed away in Santa Monica, California at the age of 66 on August 28.