Mana to Headline This Year’s BottleRock Napa Valley Festival

Mana is preparing to (bottle)rock in Napa Valley.

The legendary Mexican Grammy– and Latin Grammy-winning pop-rock will headline this year’s BottleRock Napa Valley, alongside the likes of Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran and Stevie Nicks.

ManaThe Northern California music and culinary festival will take place May 24-26.

But they aren’t the only Latinx act set to perform…

Columbian pop star Kali Uchis, Latino American singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez and Colombian musical ensemble Monsieur Periné will also perform at BottleRock..

Other performers include rapper Megan Thee Stallion, desert rock outfit Queens of the Stone Age and The Kid LAROI, along with Dominic Fike, St. VincentNorah JonesThe Offspring and My Morning Jacket.

The BottleRock announcement traditionally serves as a talent preview of what’s ahead for festival bookings.

Co-owned and operated by Live Nation and Napa Vally’s Lattitude 38, the festival has enjoyed tremendous success since it was taken over in 2014 by Lattitude 38 partners David Graham, Justin Dragoo and Jason Scoggins. Napa’s food and wine scene has always been key to the DNA of the festival, but musically, finding BottleRock’s sweet spot has long been a passion of Graham and talent buyer Tom Hoppa.  

Graham often relies on outside advice and suggestions from his partners at Live Nation and spends a lot of time speaking with managers to better understand the artists’ own vision for their career. The result is a lineup highlighting a variety of genres and acts at different points in their career.

BottleRock will take place in the heart of the City of Napa at the Napa Valley Expo on May 24-26, 2024.

Three-day general admission tickets begin at $456 per person — all in pricing — and go on sale at 10am Pacific on Tuesday, January 9 on their website.   

Alejandro Fernández Earns Seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay Chart with “Difícil Tu Caso”

Alejandro Fernández’s difficulties are paying off…

The 52-year-old Mexican singer has earned his seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Difícil Tu Caso” advances from No. 3 to lead the November 18-dated ranking.

Alejandro FernándezThe ranchera ballad checks into the penthouse as the Greatest Gainer for the week with a 28% boost in audience impressions, to 7.85 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending November 9, according to Luminate.

“Dificil Tu Caso” unseats Maná and Eden Muñoz’s “Amor Clandestino,” after the song’s one week in command. It drops 1-5 with 4.8 million impressions, down 28%.

“Difícil Tu Caso,” composed by Edgar Barrera, Luis Mejía and Iván Gámez, grants Fernández his seventh champ, the second-most for a male soloist in the 2020s decade. The song was released September 1 and hits No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in its 10th week.

Here’s the list of all artists with the most champs on Regional Mexican Airplay this decade where Calibre 50 paces the race:

10, Calibre 50
9, Grupo Firme
8, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
8, Christian Nodal
7, Alejandro Fernández
5, Grupo Frontera

“Difícil Tu Caso” follows one other No. 1 in 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera,” which likely topped Regional Mexican Airplay for one week in August. Here are all of Fernández’s No. 1s since his first in 2020:

Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
Jan. 11, 2020, “Caballero,” 1
April 25, 2020, “Te Olvidá,” 2
Oct. 24, 2020, “Decepciones,” with Calibre 50, 1
April 24, 2021, “Duele,” with Christian Nodal, 1
Sept. 17, 2022, “Nunca Dudes En Llamarme,” with La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De Rene Camacho, 1
Aug. 5, 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir,” 1
Nov. 18, 2023, “Difícil Tu Caso,” 1

“Difícil” also continues its successful rise on the all-Latin genre Latin Airplay tally, with a 9-5 jump, its second week in the top 10.

Maná to Make Long-Awaited Debut at Mexico’s Vive Latino Festival

Maná is preparing for a special festival debut…

The legendary Mexican Grammy-winning Latin rock band will headline the 2024 Vive Latino Festival, the group’s debut at the emblematic rock festival.

ManaThe “Oye Mi Amor” band will co-headline the festival with Belanova, marking the group’s long-awaited return to the Mexican stages.

The varied Vive Latino lineup also includes Scorpions, Jorge Drexler, Silvana Estrada, Paramore, Greta Van Fleet, Fito Páez, Hombres G and Babasónico.

Taking place March 16 and 17, and held for the first time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City (headquarters of Formula 1 and the Corona Capital Festival), the official announcement was made on Sunday, November 12 by OCESA via social media and the official Vive Latino page, where Internet users discovered who was part of the lineup through an interactive online game.

Bad Religion, James, Semisonic, Gogol Bordello, Mexican Institute of Sound, Los Lobos, Portugal. the Man, Junior H, The Warning and San Pascualito Rey are also part of the festival’s lineup, which will gather ’80s rock, ska, Balkan music, reggae, punk and metal bands.

Although Vive Latino has opened its doors to genres such as regional Mexican and cumbia, the music festival is one of the largest and longest running festivals dedicated to Latin rock, and currently the one with the longest tradition in Mexico with 24 editions held. Given its history, the presence of Maná for the first time was a pending issue.

“CDMX, see you soon,” expressed the quartet from Guadalajara, Jalisco, on its X account, in which the group shared the festival poster.

Belanova, on the other hand, will make its comeback to the Vive Latino stage after an almost six-year hiatus. Vocalist Denisse Guerrero, keyboardist Édgar Huerta and bassist Ricardo Arreola will arrive at Mexico City after their participation in the Bésame Mucho festival, in Austin, Texas, on March 2.

In its 2024 edition, Vive Latino joined forces with Amazon, which is already preparing several innovations for the festival through its technology and multiple services. Ticket presale for Citibanamex cardholders will take place at 2:00 pm (Central Mexico time) on Wednesday, November 15 through Ticketmaster Mexico.

Vive Latino Festival

Peso Pluma Among Headliners for Next Year’s Tecate Pa’l Norte Festival

Peso Pluma is heading to Monterrey for a special performance next spring…

The 24-year-old Mexican Regional Mexican artist is among the headliners for the next edition of the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival, which has announced the extensive list of international stars that will take the stage the weekend of March 29-31.

Peso PlumaPeso Pluma is among a list of headliners that includes Keane, Maná and Fuerza Regida.

As it does every year, Fundidora Park in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in northern Mexico, will host one of the most highly anticipated musical events, where attendees can enjoy genres such as rock, pop, hip-hop and regional Mexican music. 

The first day will feature artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Peso Pluma, Keane, Aleman, Bad Religion, Belanova, Aterciopelados, Bomba Estéreo, Chencho Corleone, Deorro, Los Estrambóticos, Aitana and a large number of emerging groups.

The second day will highlight Blink-182, Louis Tomlinson, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Anitta, Danna Paola, Danny Ocean, Gabito Ballesteros, Latin Mafia, Sum 41, Yng Lvcas, Humbe, Young the Giant, R3hab, Justin Morales and many more.

The last day of the festival will feature Maná, Imagine Dragons, Placebo, Fuerza Regida, Los Enanitos Verdes, Enjambre, Kenia Os, Santa Fe Klan, Álvaro Díaz, Jay de la Cueva, Oscar Maydón, Kinky, The Warning and The Blessed Madonna, in addition to a variety of up-and-coming artists.

Created in 2012 by the entertainment company Apodaca Group, based in Monterrey, Tecate Pa’l Norte was created with the local public in mind, which had to travel to Mexico City to attend these types of musical events. Music, art, gastronomy and northern traditions come together in Tecate Pa’l Norte, considered one of the most important festivals in the country along with Vive Latino and Corona Capital, held in Mexico City by Ocesa.

Los Ángeles Azules to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Billboard Latin Music Awards

Los Ángeles Azules have earned an extra special honor…

The Mexican cumbia group will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

 Los Ángeles AzulesThe band, known for songs like “El Listón de Tu Pelo,” “Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar” and “Mi Niña Mujer,” among many other cumbia anthems, will be recognized for their enduring, exceptional career that has expanded the reach of Latin music worldwide.

The award will be presented at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where they will also hit the stage with a special performance.

The ceremony will be held Thursday, October 5, and will be broadcast live on Telemundo from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

“We are very honored to receive this award,” the group — led by the Mejía-Avante brothers — said in a statement. “It is a recognition to our music, which we have shared with our audiences throughout all these years.”

With a 40-year musical career, Los Ángeles Azules have achieved great success, including 14 entries on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, with three songs in the top 10. They also have 16 entries on Latin Airplay, of which six reached the top 10, including “Nunca es Suficiente,” with Natalia Lafourcade, which peaked at No. 3 in 2019. Their 2020 album De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo debuted at No. 8 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, making it the band’s 12th album to reach the top 10 on the tally.

Past recipients of the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award include Raphael, Paquita la del Barrio, Armando Manzanero, Miguel Bosé, Los Temerarios, Intocable, José José, Marco Antonio Solís, Ricardo Arjona and Maná, among others.

Besides airing live on Telemundo, the Billboard Latin Music Awards will air simultaneously on the Hispanic entertainment cable channel, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 21 nods across 15 categories including artist of the year, songwriter of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and Top Latin Album of the year.

Wisin & Yandel Scores 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with Rosalia-Collab “Besos Moja2”

It’s a Sweet Sixteen for Wisin & Yandel.

The Puerto Rican Grammy– and Latin Grammy-winning reggaeton duo have taken over Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as the Rosalia-collaboration “Besos Moja2” rises 2-1 to lead the April 1-dated ranking.

Wisin & YandelThe new champ hits the top after the song’s domination on Latin Rhythm Airplay, where it holds strong at No. 1 for a fourth week.

“Besos Moja2” is a contemporary reggaetón version of Wisin & Yandel’s “Besos Mojados” produced by Luny Tunes and originally released as part of the duo’s sixth studio album, La Revolución (No. 1 on Top Latin Albums, May 2009).

The new Rosalía-assisted version stems from the Puerto Rican’s 10th and farewell full-length set as a duo, La Última Misión, which debuted and peaked at No. 14 on Top Latin Albums and reached top 10 on Latin Rhythm Albums last October.

“Besos Moja2,” produced by the same team plus Los Legendarios and Noah Goldstein, stretches to No. 1 on Latin Airplay, after two weeks in the runner-up slot, with a 3% increase in audience impressions, to 12 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 23, according to Luminate.

The collaboration gives Wisin & Yandel their 16th No. 1. The duo extends its record for the most champs among groups, ahead of Maná’s 11 leaders, and Zion & Lennox’s eight No. 1s. Among all acts, J Balvin continues to lead with 35 No. 1s. “Besos Moja2” arrives atop of the chart following Wisin & Yandel’s one week command through “Mayor Que Usted,” with Natti Natasha and Daddy Yankee, in September 2022.

Rosalía, meanwhile, secures her seventh No. 1, and sixth consecutive, after conquering Latin Airplay also for one week with the bachataEl Pañuelo,” with Romeo Santos on the survey dated February 25.

Mana’s Alex González Presented with DW Collectors Series Icon Snare from Drum Workshop

Alex González is drummin’ up a new honor…

The 54-year-old Cuban & Colombian American drummer for Mana has been presented with a DW Collectors Series Icon Snare as a tribute to the musician from the Drum Workshop.

Alex Gonzalez, ManaThe snare drums, created by DW drum designer John Good, “pay tribute to some of the most iconic drummers in the history of rock,” according to a press release.

Each snare is sized and configured to reflect the snare the artist plays and features an inlaid design made from “exotic wood veneers.”

“I am very happy and excited that my icon snare drum will be able to help others that are in need, that’s why my charity of choice is Nariz Roja A.C. that helps and supports low income children with cancer in Mexico,” González said. “Thank you DW and thank you to those who have purchased my Icon Snare for your support and help! Big Hug!”

Gloria Trevi Among Headlining Acts for This Year’s Bésame Mucho Festival

Gloria Trevi will be performing at Dodger Stadium in December…

Following the inaugural edition of Bésame Mucho in Los Angeles last December, the music festival announced on Tuesday (Feb. 21) the lineup for its second edition, which includes the 55-year-old Mexican singer/songwriter.

Gloria-TreviTrevi, known as The Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop, will be one of the headlining acts.

Other headliners include Maná and Los Bukis.

Bésame will return to Dodger Stadium as a one-day event on December 2. Like last year, it will consist of stages representing different genres. Rock, classics and pop will get their own stage again.

The “Rockero Stage” will feature sets by artists such as Natalia Lafourcade, La Ley, Ska-P, Aterciopelados and Maldita Vecindad.

The “Las Clásicas Stage” roster includes Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Conjunto Primavera.

Meanwhile, the “Te Gusta El Pop?” stage’s lineup includes Reik, Camila, Belinda, Emmanuel and Jesse & Joy.

Returning artists from last year include Café Tacvba, Hombres G, Enanitos Verdes, Ramon Ayala and Banda El Recodo.

Last year, the inaugural Bésame Mucho festival edition sold out in 12 minutes, according to sources, when the 2000s-inspired lineup was announced. At the actual event, thousands of fans had to sprint across the stadium’s parking lot to catch whichever act was on their must-see list. The literal back-to-back sets were 35-50 minutes in length, which fans weren’t too crazy about, especially with technical difficulties that impacted the sound leaving artists to deal with the situation onstage and, ultimately, left them with a shorter set. This year’s lineup isn’t as packed as last year, which could lead to more efficient set transitions and overall production quality.

Tickets for Bésame Mucho 2023 will go on sale Friday, February 24 at 10:00 am PT.

Fito Páez to Perform at This Year’s Viña del Mar International Song Festival

Fito Páez is looking forward to a mar-velous time…

The 59-year-old Argentine popular rock and roll pianist, lyricist, singer-songwriter and film director has been added to the lineup of this year’s the Viña del Mar International Song Festival.

Fito PáezThe 64th edition of the iconic Chilean festival, scheduled for February 19-24, will also feature previously announced superstars Maná, Karol G, Christina Aguilera, Alejandro Fernández and Camilo.

Through their social media networks, the municipality and the mayor of Viña del Mar, Macarena Ripamonti, announced Páez’s participation.

“The local authorities have confirmed the presence of the Rosario-born Fito Páez, who will perform on Wednesday, February 22, at the Quinta Vergara,” informed a press release, highlighting Páez as one of “the greatest Argentine musicians.”

In Viña, the singer-songwriter of classic hymns such as “El Amor Después Del Amor” and “Yo Vengo a Ofrecer Mi Corazón” will present his greatest hits and part of his tour, El Amor 30 Años Después del Amor, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of his iconic album El Amor Después del Amor, the best-selling album in the history of Argentine rock.

“According to the musician, the work will include new arrangements and various novelties that will be presented live for the whole world in Viña 2023,” the press release noted.

The legendary composer of hits that also include “Mariposa Tecknicolor” had already performed at the festival in 2014.

On this occasion, he’ll do so after adding best rock song for “Lo Mejor de Nuestras Vidas” and best pop/rock album for Los Años Salvajes to his list of Latin Grammys awards last November.

In addition to Fito, the mayor also announced that comedians Belén Mora, Fabricio Copano, Laila Roth, Yerko Puchento, Pamela Leiva and Rodrigo Villegas will participate in this edition of the festival.

The Viña del Mar Festival reaches millions of viewers around the world. Next year, it will be broadcast in Chile on TVN and Channel 13, and will be available throughout Latin America on STAR Channel and its streaming platform, Star+.

Christina Aguilera to Receive Spirit of Hope Award at Billboard Latin Music Awards

It’s a spirited time for Christina Aguilera.

The 41-year-old half-Ecuadorian American actress and pop star will receive the Spirit of Hope award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Christina AguileraThe special award — which was established in 1996 in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla — will recognize Aguilera for her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions beyond her musical work.

Aguilera will also perform during the awards show, which will take place on Thursday, September 29, at the Watsco Canter in Miami, and will be broadcast live on Telemundo beginning at 7:00 pm ET.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards — where Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists with a staggering 23 nods across 13 categories — will be simulcast on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

In addition to her musical accolades, including more than 75 million records sold worldwide, five No.1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, the artist also known as Xtina has lifted her voice to help end the cycle of domestic abuse, been a longtime supporter and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, raised awareness about HIV/AIDS research, and traveled the globe to help feed children in poverty-stricken areas.

Aguilera joins past Billboard Spirit of Hope recipients including Gloria Estefan, Emmanuel, Willy Chirino, Olga Tañon, Maná, Los Tigres del Norte, Ricky Martin, El General, Soraya, Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Ricardo Montaner, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Carlos Santana, Luis Fonsi, and Maluma.