Romeo Santos is pledging support for Puerto Rico…
The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer-songwriter, known as The King of Bachata, will donate $100,000 for Puerto Rico hurricane relief.
Santos made the announcement during his Superstar Q&A at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week, after learning that Billboard had partnered with the Red Cross to raise funds for Puerto Rico.
Billboard VP/Latin Industry Lead Leila Cobo initially asked Santos if it was true that he had pledged to donate $20,000.
“That’s very generous,” said Cobo.
“Puerto Rico has given a lot more than $20,000,” said Santos. “Let’s step it up. Let’s give $100,000!” he said, to loud applause. The amount will include $30,000 pledged by his business partner, Artie Pabon.
Billboard’s chief marketing officer, Dana Droppo, announced on Monday, at the start of Latin Music Week, that Billboard would support disaster relief and recovery efforts from the hurricane in Puerto Rico by backing the American Red Cross with a donation using proceeds from Billboard Latin Music Week.
Brand partners, artists and executives were invited to donate, with Billboard’s parent company, Penske Media Corporation, matching donations up to $50,000.
Santos, who was born in New York to a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, heard about the donation efforts while he waited to take the stage for his Q&A session on Tuesday afternoon.
Before taking the stage, he informed his team that he was in for $20,000. Then, within minutes, he told Cobo he would up that sum to $100,000.
Hurricane Fiona teared through Puerto Rico last week, leaving millions without power or drinking water.
As recently as September 26, more than 700,000 people in Puerto Rico, nearly a fourth of the island’s population, still had no power, according to a report on newswire Reuters.
