Wisin Launches Own Record Label, La Base Music

Wisin is set to help new Latin artists… 

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper, singer and record producer, one half of the Wisin & Yandel, has launched his own record label, La Base Music, in an effort to support up-and-coming Latin talent.

Wisin

Wisin says he was inspired to become a resource for young talent and help foster their careers following his stints as a coach on reality television shows La Voz and La Banda.

“There is so much talent out on the streets and there are artists who don’t have the tools to achieve great things or don’t have any direction in their career,” says Wisin. “It was just a matter of time for me to do something like this and I have been working on creating a top-level studio that can compete with any other studio around the world.”

Headquartered in Wisin’s native Puerto Rico, La Base Music launches with new signees Chris Andrew and Abdiel Larralde, who will soon release new music under the label.

“Our new artists have potential and the hunger to grow,” adds Wisin. “That’s the most important thing for us here at La Base. Attitude is everything. I’m looking for people who want to grow but also listen. We are here with the intention of making good music. And it’s not just new artists we are collaborating with. We actually just finished Ozuna‘salbum at La Base and we’re almost done with Wisin & Yandel’sforthcoming album.”

La Base Music’s resident engineer and award-winning producers include Hyde Quimico and Los Legendarios who have worked with Latin superstars like Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and Reik.

Although La Base Music will be distributed by The Orchard via WK RecordsWalter Kolm‘s recently-launched imprint (Kolm’s WK Entertainment manages Wisin), all artistic decisions will be taken independently.

“All the decisions and everything that has to do with our artists, I will be in charge of that,” Wisin explains.

Wisin says he doesn’t take this new venture lightly as it comes with great responsibility. “I’m grateful that life has given me the opportunity to become a resource for artists who maybe in three or four years will be great musicians. It’s very fulfilling and it makes me proud that I can still contribute to music in that way.

CNCO to Headline This Year’s Billboard En Vivo Concert Series

CNCO are headed to the Big Apple…

The Latin American boy band, formed on the first season of Univision’s La Banda, will headline Billboard En Vivo.

CNCO

Billboard and Pepsi will co-produce the latest edition of Billboard En Vivo, now in its fourth year, as the program celebrates emerging LatinX music by giving passionate fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see chart-topping artists at private concerts in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. 

In addition to CNCO, additional local supporting artists will be announced for each of the three tour stops.

CNCO is currently in the studio finishing their upcoming new album set for release in September. 

“We’re proud to give a platform to exciting LatinX artists through our continued partnership with Pepsi and best-in-class branded entertainment events,” said Leila Cobo, Vice President and Latin Industry Lead at Billboard. “It is really powerful to have our two iconic brands support artists and bring our community — and their most passionate fans — together with these dynamic and engaging concerts.”

Since their formation in 2015, the Latin Grammy-nominated band has dazzled the music industry as one of Latin pop’s most influential and prolific hit-makers. Comprised of five young Latinos from different nationalities –- Christopher (Ecuador), Erick Brian (Cuba), Joel (Mexico), Richard (Dominican Republic) and Zabdiel (Puerto Rico) –- the group emerged from Univision’s musical competition La Banda.

Camila Cabello: The Highest Ranking Hispanic Artist on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 List

Camila Cabello is making her mark before she’s even legal to drink…

The 20-year-old Mexican and Cuban singer has landed in the Top 5 of Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list, the highest-ranking Hispanic artist on the list.

Camila Cabello

Following her December 2016 departure from successful girl group Fifth Harmony, Cabello has already managed to land six songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including her debut solo track “Crying in the Club,” a preview to her in-the-works debut LP.

In addition, she’s managed to land major endorsements, including a bilingual campaign with Skechers.

Billboard‘s annual ranking of powerful young voices includes arena headliners and promising new talent, familiar names and new musicians quickly rising toward the mainstream. For groups, if most members are under 21, they were considered eligible.

Coming in behind Cabello, the young men of CNCO, at the No. 9 spot.

The victors of reality show La Banda’s inaugural season have been learning about pop stardom while on tour with Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Ariana Grande.

Their international hit “Reggaetón Lento” has racked up over 300 million plays on Spotify and 1 billion YouTube views. And the single recently got a massive push, thanks to a remix featuring Little Mix.

Meanwhile, Becky G maintains a presence on the chart for another year.

The 20-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper comes in at No. 14.

“What empowers you is acknowledging, ‘I am who I am’ — I feel like that’s the influence I want to be making,” says Becky G, who followed up 2014’s career-launching hit “Shower” by honing in on her Mexican heritage.

In 2016, she kicked off a run of Spanish-language singles with “Sola,” which landed on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and her new Bad Bunny­collaboration “Mayores” reached No. 10 on the September 30 chart — her highest peak yet.

Brandon Arreaga rounds out the list at No. 19, as a member of the boy band PRETTYMUCH.

With One Direction’s hiatus, Arreaga and his fellow members of PRETTYMUCH are aiming for the crown with 1D guru Simon Cowell in their corner.

Debut single “Would You Mind” recently bowed on the Mainstream Top 40 chart; a full-length is in the works with contributions from Ed Sheeran and French Montana, plus a choreography-heavy live show to go along with it.

CNCO to Release Remix of “Reggaeton Lento,” Featuring Little Mix

CNCO is ready to (little) mix it up…

Little Mix has confirmed the British all-girl group will be releasing a remix of the Latin boy band’s “Reggaeton Lento.”

CNCO

The collaboration, which has been kept under wraps until today, was announced by both groups on their social media accounts and will feature Little Mix singing in Spanish on the track.

It will be their first new material since 2016’s Glory Days.

“We couldn’t keep this quiet anymore,” wrote Little Mix in a tweet that was soon followed by a video phone call between the two groups. “We’re so excited to be signing with you on the reggaeton Lento Remix!” say Little Mix in a video call with the CNCO guys.

“Can’t wait for everyone to hear the new remix,” said CNCO.

The group’s original version of “Reggaeton Lento (Bailemos)” reached  No. 6 on Hot Latin Songs on April 8, 2017. It hit No. 1 on the Latin Pop Songs airplay chart dated February 25.

The song has generated 99.8 million on-demand streams in the U.S., through Aug. 10, according to Nielsen Music.

CNCO, the first group spawned from the Univision reality show La Banda, won best new artist at this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Iglesias to Co-Headline Summer North American Tour with Pitbull

Enrique Iglesias is heading back on the road… And, he’s bringing along some old and new friends.

The 41-year-old Spanish superstar will join forces with Pitbull to co-headline a summer North American tour.

Enrique Iglesias

Iglesias and the Cuban-American rap superstar will kick off the tour on June 3 in Chicago’s AllState Arena, playing a total of 16 cities and ending in Toronto’s Air Canada Center on July 6.

Iglesias and Pitbull’s opening act will be CNCO, the Latino boy band growing in popularity after winning Univision’s reality show La Banda.

Last time Iglesias and Pitbull toured together, in 2015, J Balvin was the supporting act. He would go on to become a massive name in his own right, which should bode well for CNCO.

Tickets for the tour, presented by Live Nation, will go on sale on March 24.

Pitbull and Iglesias last toured together in 2015, as part of their successful North American jaunt which got extended from 2014 to 2015.

Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias Live! With CNCO:

June 3 — Chicago @ Allstate Arena
June 6 — Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
June 8 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
June 9 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
June 10 — Los Angeles @ STAPLES Center
June 14 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena
June 16 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
June 17 — San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
June 18 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
June 22 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
June 23 — Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
June 25 — Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Center
June 28 — Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
June 30 — New York City @ Madison Square Garden
July 5 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
July 6 — Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

CNCO Launches CNCOGo to Encourage Its Fans to “Catch” the Band’s New Music

CNCO is embracing the Pokemon Go craze in a special way…

Inspired by the location-based augmented reality game, the Latin American pop boy band is sending its fans to the streets to catch some of CNCO’s new songs from its upcoming album Primera Cita.

CNCO

The boy band, which was formed in December, 2015 after becoming the winning members of the first season of the La Banda singing competition series, invited their fans to play CNCOGo and locate hotspots in their hometown where they will be able to listen to some of their new tracks.

“Are you ready?” CNCO tweeted to their more than 100,000 followers.

From Puerto Rico to Mexico and Spain, fans started hunting for the new tracks on Tuesday.

The new song “Cometa” was unlocked by fans in Ecuador.

CNCO’s first album is set to drop Friday.

La Banda Winners CNCO Releases First Original Single “Tan Facil”

CNCO is ready to take the Latin music world by storm…

The musical group, the winners of Univision’s La Banda reality singing competition, have released “Tan Fácil,” CNCO’s first original single, a catchy up-tempo, urban track.

CNCO

The group, comprised of Christopher Velez, Erick Brian Colon, Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho and Zabdiel de Jesus, not only signed a record deal with Sony Music Latin. They also performed at New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve and will be opening up for Ricky Martin on his “One World Tour” in Latin America.

The fourth leg of the tour launches in February in Puerto Rico and will continue in Argentina and Chile.

Sanz Teams Up with Alejandro Fernandez for New Single “A Que No Me Dejas”

Are two Alejandros better than one? The answer is yes if you’re talking about Alejandro Sanz and Alejandro Fernandez.

The 46-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter has joined voices with the 44-year-old Mexican singer for his new ballad, “A Que No Me Dejas.”

Alejandro Sanz & Alejandro Fernandez

It’s the second single from Sanz’s latest album Sirope, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart upon its release in May, and topped a nine-year-old sales high in his native Spain.

“Aside from flamenco, some songs have a touch of folk or R&B. It’s a very eclectic sound,” Sanz recently told Billboard about his new album. “It’s a mix of many styles, searching, perhaps, for different path by mixing sounds. I’m looking for each song to tell me something and have a sense. The sound is completely at the service of the songs.”

Sanz shared a 40-second teaser of the video for the soon-to-be-released track.

Sanz’s tour in support of Sirope kicks off July 30 in Córdoba, Spain. He’ll pause from the tour to serve as one of the judges (along with Laura Pausini and Ricky Martin) on Univision’s new reality talent competition series, La Banda, premiering this September. Following his run on the show, Sanz will embark on a tour of Latin America and the U.S. in the summer of 2016.

Martin Featured in Time Magazine’s “Letters From Dad” Series

Let(ter) Ricky Martin entertain you with his words of wisdom…

With Father’s Day this upcoming Sunday (June 21), Time magazine has revealed its annual Letters From Dad series, with the 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter participating in the project.

Ricky Martin

The magazine typically asks several influential dads to write open letters to their children — and this year, Martin was among them.

In his heartfelt letter, former member of the all-boy band Menudo starts off by telling his twins Matteo and Valentino, now six, that being a father was something he always dreamed of. He also credits them with positively changing his life.

“Above all, my beautiful sons, your love gave me the strength to live an honest life,” writes Martin, who came out as a gay man in 2010, after years of scrutiny about his sexuality. “A life of courage and transparency, which fills me with great pride and peace. What an amazing gift you have given me, and I’m forever thankful to you.

Before signing off, Martin adds, “If there is anything I want you to live with, aside from knowing that you are unconditionally loved and adored by me and our family and friends, it is that you can be YOURSELF. Don’t ever let anyone or anything make you feel like you can’t be your true self.”

But Martin isn’t the only Latino dad participating this year.

In an equally sweet letter, Colombian superstar Juanes goes through the emotions he felt when each of his children came into this world and what they have taught him.

“I would feel a mixture of joy and nerves come over me that I could not describe with words alone,” writes Juanes to Luna, Paloma and Dante, his three children with TV personality Karen Martinez. “And then, in the blink of an eye, as when a candle is lit in the darkness, you would appear, illuminating the whole place.”

Later in the piece, he writes, “At first, I imagined that my mission as a father would be to teach you everything I knew about life: the physical, the intellectual, the spiritual. But as the days passed, I realized that I would be learning from you. Yes, you read that right—I would also be your student. The purity of your souls, your innocence, reminded me that I, too, one day came to this world like you, innocent and with a pure soul. I felt myself reconnecting with my father and mother, completing this mysterious and magical circle of existence.

Juanes’ letter is also available in Spanish. As the Colombian rock star’s short bio points out, he is about to head on his Loco de Amor tour, for which he is currently rehearsing.

Martin is getting ready for Univision’s La Banda, a new reality singing competition series airing in September in search of the next big Latin boy band. Martin will serve as a judge, along with Alejandro Sanz and Laura Pausini, and he is also credited as a producer.

Other musical figures invited by Time to pen letters for their kids this year include Pete Wentz and Russell Simmons.

Click here to read the letters in full.

Espinoza Hosting Simon Cowell & Univision’s Latin Boy Band Reality Show “La Banda”

It’s all about the boys for Alejandra Espinoza

The 27-year-old Mexican beauty-queen-turned-television-presenter is hosting Simon Cowell and Univision’s La Banda, which “aims to create the world’s ultimate Latino boy band through the largest Latino talent search in U.S. TV history,” according to an announcement from the Spanish-language network.

Alejandra Espinoza

The search for contestants for La Banda, which was developed by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment with Univision Communications and Saban Brands, is officially underway.

Boys (to men) ages 14 and older living in the United States and Puerto Rico are invited to audition online for La Banda. The search for potential Latin stars to compete on the upcoming Univision reality show has begun at LaBandaOficial.com.

“I’m very excited about this show,” says Simon Cowell, a producer on the show. “There is a huge amount of talent out there and La Banda is going to give five guys the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Co-produced with FremantleMedia Latin America, the show is set to premiere in fall 2015 on the Spanish-language network.

Winners of the competition — who will inevitably be compared to the Puerto Rican pop group Menudo, which started in the ’70s with a rotating cast of young singers and disbanded in 2009 — will receive a recording contract with Sony Music Latin and Syco Music, home of One Direction.

To be considered, potential participants should go to LaBandaoficial.com and upload pictures, videos or music files. After creating their online audition profiles, selected contestants will receive a “golden ticket,” which will allow them to participate in a private audition with the production team. The online casting will be followed by casting events across the United States and Puerto Rico in the spring of 2015.

“We are proud to start the search for the next great Latino boy band,” said Alberto Ciurana, president of programming and content for Univision Communications Inc. “There is vast talent in our community, and with La Banda, we will find and launch the next generation of musical superstars.”