Santana to Appear at This Year’s Billboard Latin Music Conference

Carlos Santana is ready to talk about his supernatural career…

The 61-year-old Mexican musician has been added to the list of speakers at the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Conference.

Carlos Santana

Santana, a multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, will have a one-on-one conversation with Billboard’s Leila Cobo on Wednesday, April 29 as they discuss his 40-plus years in music.

The open Q&A session will give the audience a chance to get up close and personal with the legendary guitarist and relive his journey — from his humble beginnings in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico, to his teenage years in the Mission District of San Francisco, to selling out arenas worldwide, reaching more than 100 millions fans.

“One of the great guitarists, Carlos’ style is so identifiable and relevant to pop culture; his influence is seen in varying music genres worldwide,” says Cobo. “There is no better way to end the Billboard Latin Music Conference and kick off the Awards than with this incomparable artist.”

The ‘Legends’ session is the culmination of the 26th annual Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards, running from April 27 to 30 at The Ritz-Carlton South Beach in Miami.

CNN en Español host Ismael Cala will deliver the opening keynote of the three-day conference, while bachata king Romeo Santos will participate in an exclusive Q&A. Additional panels and sessions will feature some of Latin music’s biggest names, including J Balvin, Ivy Queen, Luis Coronel, Nicky Jam, Kevin Ortiz and Jorge Valenzuela.

Coronel Among Speakers at the Billboard Latin Music Conference’s “Mexican Millennials” Panel

Luis Coronel is reporting for Millennial duty…

The 19-year-old Mexican American singer will appear at the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Conference as part of the new “Mexican Millennials” panel discussion on April 29 at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.

Luis Coronel

Coronel, named Newcomer of the Year at the 2014 Premios Los Angeles, will be joined by Kevin Ortiz, Jorge Valenzuela, Remmy Valenzuela and Eden Muñoz of Calibre 50 at what is being heralded as one of the first panels of its kind.

The discussion will focus on the genre’s influence and success while shining a spotlight on some of regional-Mexican’s young stars who are impacting the way this genre is seen and heard in the new millennium.

Digital engagement will be a major component of the panel, as will discussions on musical styles and content, including narcocorridos, and the development of new fanbases in both the U.S. and Mexico.

The “Mexican Millennials” join a roster of speakers at the conference which includes Romeo Santos and a number of top new urban acts, including J Balvin, Nicky Jam and Farruko.

To register for the Billboard Latin Music conference, visit BillboardLatinConference.com.

Santos to Participate in Exclusive Q&A at This Year’s Billboard Latin Music Conference

Romeo Santos is ready to open up about his career successes…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican/Dominican American singer-songwriter, who ended 2014 as Billboard‘s Latin Artist of the Year thanks to sustained sales, airplay and a strong social presence, will take part in an exclusive question-and-answer session at the 26th annual Billboard Latin Music Conference taking place April 27-29 at the Ritz-Carlton Miami Beach.

Romeo Santos

Santos will sit with Billboard’s Leila Cobo on a session April 28 to discuss the success of his album Formula, Vol. 2, his appearance in the films Furious 7 and Angry Birds, his social strategy, his two sold-out Yankee Stadium shows, his appeal as a bilingual Latino and his upcoming tour, among other subjects.

Santos has redefined the term crossover with his groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Drake, while performing his contemporary take on bachata, the traditional music of the Dominican Republic.

With more No. 1 chart hits than any other Latin music artist this decade, according to Billboard, Santos closed out 2014 with his 10th No. 1 single as a soloist; this in addition to previous hits as the lead singer of Aventura.

“This has been the year of Romeo Santos,” said Cobo. “He’s an extraordinary songwriter, performer and artist who has carved out his place as one of the most distinctive acts of his generation.”

The Billboard Latin Music Conference is the longest-running event dedicated to Latin music. Every year, the conference draws hundreds of industry executives, top Latin music artists, leading brand marketers, national radio programmers, prominent producers, and many more for four days of provocative presentations and panel discussions, exclusive Q&A’s, compelling case studies, cutting-edge artist showcases, and exclusive networking events.

The Conference culminates with the Billboard Latin Music Awards, a three-hour multi-million dollar production that will broadcast live on Telemundo on Thursday, April 30 at 8:00 pm ET.

Santos joins a growing roster of stellar speakers and artists that also includes J Balvin, Justin Quiles, Plan B, Luis Coronel and Farruko.

Registration information can be found at BillboardLatinConference.com. You can follow the event on Twitter via the hashtag #BBLATIN.

Coronel Releases Inspirational Holiday Single “Feliz Navidad”

Luis Coronel is spreading a little love this holiday season…

The 18-year-old Mexican American cantante, who was named to this year’s Billboard‘s 21 Under 21 list, has released the lyric video for his brand new Christmas song “Feliz Navidad.”

Luis Coronel

The clip for his acoustic accordion-and guitar-accompanied inspirational ballad, not to be confused with the Jose Feliciano classic of the same name, shows Coronel greeting his female fans, and giving the luckiest of the girls a kiss on the cheek.

The lyric video was released this week, already garnering 14-thousand views on YouTube.

In October, Coronel became the youngest solo artist in 13 years to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with his sophomore album Quiero Ser Tu Dueño. Tenerte,” the first single from that album, rose to the top of Regional Mexican Songs, where it currently stands at No. 12.

An artist for a new Latino generation with ranchera roots and pop appeal, Coronel will be up for the Male Artist of the Year at Univision’s Premios Nuestro Awards in Feb. 2015. He’ll end this year with an appearance on Azteca America’s Christmas special Navidad Azteca, and be the subject of a mun2 special, Estrellas de Reventon: Luis Coronel on December 14.

“Feliz Navidad” is available for download on iTunes.

Fifth Harmony Named to This Year’s Billboard 21 Under 21 List

Ally Brooke Hernandez, Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui are hot young stars

The Latina singers and their fellow Fifth Harmony members have earned a spot on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list, the annual ranking of music’s most powerful minors.

Fifth Harmony

Fifth Harmony, the all-girl group created by Simon Cowell on the second season of The X Factor, has moved up from No. 21 last year to No. 5 on the 2014 list.

Since their formation, Hernandez, Cabello, Jauregui and the gang have earned love from a million Harmonizers, one of the most passionate online fanbases today, helping the ladies of Fifth Harmony continue to thrive a few years removed from their X Factor introduction.

Following their debut EP release last October, Fifth Harmony has spent much of 2014 on the road supporting artists like Demi Lovato and Austin Mahone on tour, winning over new fans while preparing for the release of their debut full-length album, Reflection.

The first single, “Bo$$,” flaunted a rhythmic new sound and became 5H’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit to date, ahead of Reflection’s November release.

Recently, Fifth Harmony has added some impressive honors to their list of accomplishments, earning the MTV Artist to Watch award at the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as the Favorite Band on Social Media award at the Shorties.

They recently released the second single from Reflection,Them Girls Be Like.”

But Fifth Harmony’s Latina singers aren’t the only Hispanic artists on the list…

Becky G makes her first-ever appearance on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list.

The 17-year-old Mexican American singer, rapper, actress and CoverGirl model comes in at No. 9 on the list.

The L.A.-born Gomez has continued to build momentum since her Dr. Luke-produced debut single “Shower” reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2014. “Can’t Get Enough,” featuring Pitbull, spent a week at No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart in June and recent TV performances on the Today show and the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, among others, have brought even more attention to the Latina teen queen. Her strong social media following (she’s quickly approaching 5 million Facebook likes) has continued to rise as she tours with Katy Perry, Demi Lovato and Jason Derulo. With her debut full-length album set for release later this year, Becky G is on her way to becoming a bona fide power brand.

Meanwhile, the first Latino on this year’s list is Luis Coronel.

The 18-year-old regional Mexican singer, who comes in at No. 11, hadn’t even finished high school before he was trending on social media and showing up on the Billboard charts in 2013. One year later, he has a major teen following in the U.S. and beyond, as well as a thriving career under his belt.

The Del Records artist spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart with Con La Frente En Alto in October 2013 and his single “Tenerte” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay charts earlier this year.

He’s also had two top 10 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart, has won trophies for new artist of the year at the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards and social media sensation on Telemundo‘s Premios Tu Mundo awards show, has served as a judge on the Mexican singing competition show La Academia Kids and has toured with major recording acts Julion Alvarez to Gerardo Ortiz. Next up for Coronel: a new album, Quiero Ser Tu Dueno, due on September 30.

Last, but certainly not least, Scotty McCreery comes in at No. 16 on this year’s list, down eight spots from his No. 8 position last year.

The 20-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer has come a long way since winning season 10 of American Idol. The past year has seen the North Carolina native continue to grow his career. “See You Tonight” became his first top 10 hit on the Billboard charts, and became his third gold single. His sophomore album of the same name topped the Country Albums chart upon its release in October 2013, and also became his third straight song to hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200.

McCreery is also proving himself as a live commodity — his See You Tonight tour put him in front of thousands of fans each night, and continues to roll across the country through December. As he approaches 21 in just a few weeks, this will be Scotty’s last appearance on our 21 Under 21.

Coronel Named Newcomer of the Year at the Premios Los Angeles

There’s no denying including Luis Coronel is a rising star in Latin music… And, now he has the goods to prove it.

The 18-year-old singer Mexican American singer was crowned the newcomer of the year at the inaugural Premios Los Angeles, which awarded trophies to some of the most trending musical acts in Mexican music.

Luis Coronel

“I want to thank all of the L.A. fans,” Coronel said, as he picked up his trophy during the pre-taped ceremony. “You’ve never failed me. I live through you.”

Coronel has posted a number of his singles on the iTunes and Billboard charts, including “Mi Niña Traviesa,” “Será Mas Fácil,” and “Escápate.” He released his debut album, Con la Frente en Alto, in September 2013. The album reached the top spot on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart within three weeks of its release.

The Premios Los Angeles, which opened with a performance by the Grammy-winning band La Santa Cecilia during the live taping, was hosted by singer/songwriter Aleks Syntek. The program will air June 1 on MundoFox.

The awards, which included an online voting system available to fans, included 10 other winners including Spanish Latin singer Enrique Bunbury for best pop/rock album, Regulo Caro for best regional Mexican artist, La Arrolladora Banda El Limon for best banda artist and El Trono de Mexico for best artist tierra caliente.

Alex Rivera took home the prize for composer of the year, Buknas de Culiacan won for best altered movement artist, Amantes de Sinaloa took home the prize for best Los Angeles underground artist, Eddie Sotelo “El Piolin” won for radio announcer of the year and Elisabeth Espinoza took home the prize for crossover TV personality.

The program, which was taped at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, included performances and tributes to boxing champ Julio Cesar Chavez, L.A. politician Gil Cedillo, radio pioneer Pepe Garza and veteran regional Mexican singer Ramon Ayala.

“We are proud to have created a platform that spotlights and rewards the impressive work that our Latino artists are contributing to the world,” said Humberto Valencia, president of HUMA Productions and creator of the event. “We look forward to continuing to recognize talented Latino artists and leaders through ‘Premios Los Angeles’ in the years to come.”

The awards show will air on MundoFox and Ocho TV on June 1 at 7 p.m. (PT). The program is also scheduled to air in Mexico.