Tag Archives: Pedro Capo

Pedro Capó Releases New Single “Volver a Casa”

Posted on by
Reply

Pedro Capó is heading home…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican singer has released the new single “Volver a Casa” via Sony Music Latin.

Pedro CapoA chill R&B-rock fusion, “Volver a Casa” is about wanting to escape life’s biggest challenges, yearning to feel grounded, and most importantly, returning home.

“It’s a very personal track that shares the experiences lived in this career, where you can be surrounded by people yet feel alone,” the Capo says in a statement. “Not everything is as nice and as perfect as we want to pretend, that’s the reality and there are many people going through difficult times.”

In the music video, filmed in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Capó is having an emotional moment at home alone.

Shakira Teams Up with Rauw Alejandro for “Te Felicito,” Due April 22

Posted on by
Reply

Shakira is celebrating a Rauw deal…

The 45-year-old Colombian superstar has joined voices with Rauw Alejandro for her next single, called “Te Felicito.”

Shakira

Shakira revealed the news by posting the single’s cover art, where she’s posing next to the Puerto Rican sensation, with both rocking metallic outfits.

“I’m happy to share the release of my new single #TeFelicito with Rauw Alejandro,” she captioned the post, also using the robot emoji to hint at a futuristic music video. Marking their first-ever collaborative effort, “Te Felicito” will premiere Friday, April 22.

In the same social media post, Shak — who has collaborated with Puerto Rican artists like Anuel AA, Residente and Pedro Capo — also invited her fans to pre-save the song on Spotify, Apple and Deezer “to be among the first to listen to their new music.”

“Te Felicito” follows Shakira’s EDM bop “Don’t Wait Up,” which was released in summer 2021. Currently, she’s an executive producer of NBC’s Dancing With Myself, where she’s also a judge alongside Nick Jonas and actress Liza Koshy.

Rauw, on the other hand, is set to wrap his 2022 tour on April 24 at San Jose’s SAP Center and is making the rounds with his latest single “Museo,” part of his Trap Cake, Vol. 2 album, which earned the artist his fourth top 10 success on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, debuting at No. 6 on the March 12-dated ranking.

Sofia Reyes Releases Sophomore Album “Mal de Amores”

Posted on by
Reply

Sofia Reyes is finally back with a new album…

The 26-year-old Mexican pop singer has released her highly-awaited sophomore album Mal De Amores, five years after her debut set Louder! 

Sofia Reyes

On her new set, Reyes not only experiments with new musical approaches but also flaunts her maturity over the years.

She’s unapologetic, and the opening track “MUJER” is proof of that — a saucy cumbia with elegant violins where she simply says “I don’t regret being a woman.”

It follows with the galactic reggaetón banger “Marte,” the set’s focus track, performed in collaboration with Maria Becerra — a friendly reminder that women should never tolerate toxicity.

Reyes also navigates musical styles in Mal de Amores ranging from norteño (“GALLINA”) to corridos (“Amigos” with Adriel Favela, Danny Felix) to her signature pop-urban.

The 17-track set includes previously-released collaborations such as “1, 2, 3” with Jason Derulo and De La Ghetto, “R.I.P.” with Rita Ora and Anitta, “A Tu Manera (Corbata)” with Jhay Cortez, “De Casualidad” with Pedro Capo, and the Becky G-assisted title track.

Reyes also teamed up with Warner Music newcomers Leon Leiden and The Change.

Camilo: The Top Winner at Latin Grammys with Four Awards

Posted on by
2

Camilo is capping off a banner year with a bang…

The 27-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter and rising star, who has defied the commercial might of reggaetón and trap with his unique brand of romantic acoustic pop, was the big winner at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards.

Camilo
Camilo claimed four trophies, including best pop vocal album, for Mis Manos.

“This album is a celebration of my country, one of the places with the most biodiversity in the world, and that’s where I’m from and what informs my music,” said Camilo, who’d previously won a Latin Grammy in 2020 for Best Pop Song for his single “Tutu,” featuring Pedro Capo.

Following Camilo in number of wins, with three each, was Mexican songwriter and producer Edgar Barrera, who won producer of the year, including for his work on Camilo’s Mis Manos, and co-wrote the winning single “Vida de Rico.”

Also taking home three trophies was Spaniard C. Tangana, whose wins included best alternative song for “Nominao” alongside Jorge Drexler and best pop/rock song for “Hong Kong” alongside Andrés Calamaro, both from his critically acclaimed album El Madrileño.

And the emotional high note, at every level, was the song of the year win, to Cuban liberty anthem “Patria y Vida,” performed by Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Yotuel Romero and newly arrived Cuban rapper El Funky, who performed dressed in white and surrounded by candles in an emotional rendition that got the audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to their feet.

“This is dedicated to all mothers who fight for their children,” said an emotional Romero to chants of “Patria y Vida,” which also won best urban song. Backstage, the group acknowledged co-writer Beatriz Luengo (who is married to Romero) and rapper Maykel Osorbo, who is jailed in Cuba because of his participation in the song.

“Maykel is the first Cuban political prisoner who wins two Latin Grammys,” said an emotional Bueno.

Among the veteran, but beloved, guard, the top winner was Juan Luis Guerra, with three wins. They include best long form music video for his HBO Max special Entre Mar y Palmeras, produced by Guerra’s manager Amarilys German, his son Jean Guerra, and Nelson Albareda and Edgar Martínez of event promotion and marketing firm Loud and Live.

Likewise, Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Ruben Blades won two awards, including album of the year, for his Salswing! out on his own label. And Caetano Veloso and son Tom Veloso won record of the year for “Talvez,” while the biggest surprise of the night, in an award category that — with 10 nominees — has become increasingly hard to predict, was Colombia’s Juliana Velásquez as best new artist, which she won over far better known contenders, including Paloma Mami, Bizarrap and María Becerra.

The 23-year-old actress and singer released her self-titled debut album earlier this year with collabs alongside compatriot Juan Pablo Vega, but with little impact abroad. And yet, it clearly struck a chord with its themes of self-help, mental health and self awareness.

“I think what worked in my favor was making music that spoke directly to young people,” said Velásquez in the press room. “I think us artists have an obligation to share messages that contribute to society and to help with those issues that get lost in the a society imbued with immediacy.”

Here’s a look at this year’s Latin Grammy winners:

Record of the Year: “Talvez,” Caetano Veloso and Tom Veloso
Album of the Year: Salswing!, Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Song of the Year: “Patria y Vida,” Descemer Bueno, El Funky, Gente De Zona, Yadam González, Beatriz Luengo, Maykel Osorbo and Yotuel, songwriters (Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky)
Best New Artist: Juliana Velásquez
Best Pop Vocal Album: Mis Manos, Camilo
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Privé, Juan Luis Guerra
Best Pop Song: “Vida De Rico,” Édgar Barrera and Camilo, songwriters (Camilo)
Best Urban Fusion/Performance: “Tattoo (Remix),” Rauw Alejandro and Camilo
Best Reggaeton Performance: “Bichota,” Karol G
Best Urban Music Album: El Último Tour Del Mundo, Bad Bunny
Best Rap/Hip Hop Song: “Booker T,” Bad Bunny and Marco Daniel Borrero, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
Best Urban Song: “Patria Y Vida,” Descemer Bueno, El Funky, Gente De Zona, Yadam González, Beatriz Luengo, Maykel Osorbo and Yotuel, songwriters (Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky)
Best Rock Album: El Pozo Brillante, Vicentico
Best Rock Song: “Ahora 1,” Vicentico, songwriter (Vicentico)
Best Pop/Rock Album: Origen, Juanes
Best Pop/Rock Song: “Hong Kong,” Alizzz, Andrés Calamaro, Jorge Drexler, Víctor Martínez and C. Tangana, songwriters (C. Tangana and Andrés Calamaro)
Best Alternative Music Album: Calambre, Nathy Peluso
Best Alternative Song: “Nominao,” Alizzz, Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana, songwriters (C. Tangana and Jorge Drexler)
Best Salsa Album: Salsa Plus!, Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado and Orquesta
Best Cumbia/Vallento Album: Las Locuras Mías, Silvestre Dangond
Best Merengue/Bachata Album: Es Merengue ¿Algún Problema?, Sergio Vargas
Best Traditional Tropical Album: Cha Cha Chá: Homenaje A Lo Tradicional, Alain Pérez, Issac Delgado y Orquesta Aragón
Best Contemporary Tropical Album: Brazil305, Gloria Estefan
Best Tropical Song: “Dios Así Lo Quiso,” Camilo, David Julca, Jonathan Julca, Yasmil Marrufo and Ricardo Montaner, songwriters (Ricardo Montaner and Juan Luis Guerra)
Best Singer-Songwriter Album: Seis, Mon Laferte
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album: A Mis 80’s, Vicente Fernández
Best Banda Album: Nos Divertimos Logrando Lo Imposible, Grupo Firme
Best Tejano Album: Pa’ la Pista y Pa’l Pisto, Vol. 2, El Plan
Best Norteño Album: Al Estilo Rancherón, Los Dos Carnales & Volando Alto, Palomo
Best Regional Song: “Aquí Abajo,” Edgar Barrera, René Humberto Lau Ibarra and Christian Nodal, songwriters (Christian Nodal)
Best Instrumental Album: Toquinho e Yamandu Costa – Bachianinha – (Live at Rio Montreux Jazz Festival), Toquinho and Yamandu Costa
Best Folk Album: Ancestras, Petrona Martinez
Best Tango Album: Tinto Tango Plays Piazzolla, Tinto Tango
Best Flamenco Album: Un Nuevo Universo, Pepe De Lucía
Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album: Voyager, Iván Melon Lewis
Best Christian Album (Spanish Language): Ya Me Vi, Aroddy
Best Portuguese Language Christian Album: Seguir Teu Coração, Anderson Freire
Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album: Cor, Anavitória
Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album: “Álbum Rosa,” A Cor Do Som
Best Samba/Pagode Album: Sempre Se Pode Sonhar, Paulinho Da Viola
Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album: Canções d’Além Mar, Zeca Baleiro
Best Sertaneja Music Album: Tempo de Romance, Chitãozinho e Xororó
Best Portuguese Language Roots Album: Arraiá Da Veveta, Ivete Sangalo
Best Portuguese Language Song: “Lisboa,” Ana Caetano & Paulo Novaes, songwriters (Anavitória e Lenine)
Best Latin Children’s Album: Tu Rockcito Filarmónico, Tu Rockcito y Orquesta Filarmónica De Medellín
Best Classical Album: Latin American Classics, Kristhyan Benitez; Jon Feidner, album producer
Best Classical Contemporary Composition: “Music From Cuba And Spain, Sierra: Sonata Para Guitarra,” Roberto Sierra, composer (Manuel Barrueco)
Best Arrangement: “Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Versión Privé),” Juan Luis Guerra, arranger (Juan Luis Guerra)
Best Recording Package: “Colegas,” Ana Gonzalez, art director (Gilberto Santa Rosa)
Best Engineered Album: El Madrileño, Orlando Aispuro Meneses, Daniel Alanís, Alizzz, Rafa Arcaute, Josdán Luis Cohimbra Acosta, Miguel De La Vega, Máximo Espinosa Rosell, Alex Ferrer, Luis Garcié, Billy Garedella, Patrick Liotard, Ed Maverick, Beto Mendonça, Jaime Navarro, Alberto Pérez, Nathan Phillips, Harto Rodríguez, Jason Staniulis and Federico Vindver, engineers; Delbert Bowers, Alex Ferrer, Jaycen Joshua, Nineteen85, Lewis Pickett, Alex Psaroudakis and Raül Refree, mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer (C. Tangana) — WINNER
Producer of the Year: Edgar Barrera
Best Short Form Music Video: “Un Amor Eterno,” Marc Anthony
Best Long Form Music Video: “Entre Mar Y Palmeras,” Juan Luis Guerra

Gloria Estefan to Perform at the Latin Grammy Awards Show

Posted on by
Reply

Gloria Estefan is headed to the Latin Grammys stage…

The Latin Recording Academy has announced additional performers set to take the stage for the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 18 in Las Vegas, with the 64-year-old Cuban singer and four-time Latin Grammy winner among those on the list.

Gloria EstefanMaking her return to the Latin Grammys stage after more than a decade, Estefan — accompanied by Anitta, Carlinhos Brown, Laércio da Costa, Pedro Capó, Farina, Giulia Be and Diego Torres — will open the Latin Grammys with a three-song medley, including her iconic song “Abriendo Puertas,” along with “Cuando Hay Amor” and “Magalenha.”

Additionally, Ángela Aguilar, Pepe Aguilar, María Becerra, Eladio Carrión, Silvestre Dangond, Emmanuel, Joss Favela, Evaluna Montaner, Ricardo Montaner, Fito Páez, Residente, Sofía Reyes, among others, have joined the broadcast as presenters.

The new group of artists join previously announced performers Mon Laferte, Grupo Firme, Bad Bunny, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga, Rubén Blades, C. Tangana, Calibre 50, Los Dos Carnales, Alejandro Fernández, Juanes, Maná, Ozuna, Danna Paola and Myke Towers, among others.

Five-time nominee C. Tangana is set to perform alongside Antonio Carmona, Diego del Morao, Jorge Drexler, Israel Fernández, La Húngara, Natalia Lafourcade and Omar Apollo. Meanwhile, Juanes will perform a new arrangement of Juan Gabriel’s iconic “No Tengo Dinero,” alongside Rubén Albarrán and Meme del Real of Café Tacvba.

With the theme “rediscovering life through music,” the three-hour show will air live on Univision at 8:00 p.m. ET, preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The telecast, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will “invite audiences to rediscover what’s important in life using music as a storyline,” according to a statement from the Latin Recording Academy.

Camilo leads the 2021 Latin Grammys nominees with 10 nods, including nominations in the album, record, and song of the year categories. He’s followed by tropical music icon Juan Luis Guerra with six, Spanish rapper Tangana with five nominations, and multiple artists, including Bad Bunny, with four.

Estefan is nominated this year for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for her samba-flavored album Brazil305.

Farruko’s “La 167” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart

Posted on by
Reply

Farruko is back on top…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican singer and songwriter has returned to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart after nearly six years, as La 167 debuts atop the October 16-dated list.

Farruko

The 25-track set, released via Carbon Fiber/Sony Music Latin on October 1, starts with 17,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 7, according to MRC Data.

It secures Farruko his third win on the overall Top Latin Albums chart dating back to his first champ Farruko Presents Los Menores (No. 1 start in November 2014). In between, he’s placed one more leading album: Visionary in November 2015.

“I don’t work to get a No. 1, but it’s incredible that people like what I’m doing and that they are enjoying it,” Farruko tells Billboard.

La 167 is a nod to a highway that passes through his homeland in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and a gas station once owned by his late grandfather. The 100-minute set is stacked with Latin artists, including Myke Towers, Ñengo Flow, O’Neill, Pedro Capó, Jay Wheeler and more, and each has rendered a variety of Latin styles ranging from perreo and reggae, to pop, hip-hop and reggaetón.

“The most challenging aspect of the production was structuring an album that didn’t bore,” Faruko adds. “Where the production, lyrics and everything were different, varied; where I allowed myself to explore other genres which were not necessarily mine.”

As La 167 arrives at the summit, Farruko now has a total of six top 10s on Top Latin Albums, three of which, as previously mentioned, hit No. 1 for at least one week. Here’s a recap:

Ranking, Title, Debut Date
No. 1, Farruko Presents Los Menores, Nov. 15, 2014 (two weeks atop)
No. 8, The Ones, Sept. 19, 2015
No. 1, Visionary, Nov. 14, 2015
No. 3, Trapxficante, Oct. 7, 2017
No. 2, Gangalee, May 11, 2019
No. 1, La 167, Oct. 16

La 167 concurrently debuts at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Albums, also his third No. 1 there. Farruko also captures his highest album yet on the overall Billboard 200, clocking in at No. 26 (Gangalee’s No. 80 start in 2019 earned him his highest debut, and peak, until now).

La 167 was preceded by only two tracks on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: the No. 4-peaking “La Tóxica” (November 2020) and the now eight-week champ (and counting) “Pepas,” which takes the Greatest Gainer/ Digital honors of the week despite a 6% dip in sales (3,000 downloads sold for the tracking week ending in October 7).

“I connect with many of the tracks on the album, for instance the opening track ‘Ki,’ ‘$,’ and ‘Helicóptero’,” Farruko continues, “all based on personal experiences from a particular chapter in my life.”

In addition to “Pepas” holding strong at the penthouse, “El Incomprendido,” with Víctor Cárdenas and DJ Adoni, another rhythmic/EDM club banger, bows at No. 14. The latter interpolates Alice Deejay’s “Beter Off Alone,” the ’90s Eurodance hit that reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2000.

Paulina Rubio to Appear in Season Two of HBO Max/HBO Latino’s “A Tiny Audience” Concert Series

Posted on by
Reply

Paulina Rubio is preparing for a tiny moment…

HBO’s second season of A Tiny Audience is set to debut on Friday, March 19 on HBO Max and HBO Latino, with the 49-year-old singer/songwriter among the artists featured.

Paulina Rubio

In addition to Rubio, known as the Queen of Latin Pop, the 16-episode run will include sets by chart-topping Latin artists like Carlos Vives, Lauren Jauregui, Pedro Capó and Kany García, among others.

A Tiny Audience‘s second season will kick off with rising Puerto Rican reggaeton and trap artist Lunay who will perform acoustic versions of his hit tracks “Soltera,” ‘Relaciones,” and “Aventuras.”

The concert series will wrap with a special tribute in honor of iconic Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel featuring Justin Quiles, Natalia Jiménez, Carlos Rivera and Cabas performing their favorite JuanGa songs.

The second season was “filmed inside an NBA-style bubble in Miami with a COVID-safe live audience.” The bubble included roughly 150 people composed of select audience members, crew and artists who “underwent extensive quarantining and rigorous testing prior to entering the bubble and throughout the two-week production.” The team executed 17, half-hour specials, and “did not report a single case of COVID-19,” the release added.

New episodes will premiere every Friday on HBO Max and HBO Latino. Season one of HBO Presents: A Tiny Audience is available for streaming now on HBO Max.

Anitta to Perform at This Year’s Latin Grammys

Posted on by
Reply

Anitta is heading to the Latin Grammys…

The 27-year-old Brazilian singer has been added to the list of performers set to take the stage at this year’s Latin Grammys, according to the Latin Recording Academy.

Anitta

Anitta appears on the final star-studded list of performers that includes Rauw Alejandro, J Balvin, Camilo, Lupita Infante, Juanes, Mariachi Sol De México De José Hernández, Ricky Martin, Natalia, Jimenez, José Luis Perales, Prince Royce, and Carla Morrison.

Those artists join previously-announced performers Anuel AA, Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Calibre 50, Pedro Capó, Julio Reyes Copello, Alex Cuba, Alejandro Fernández, Karol G, Kany García, Guaynaa, Los Tigres del Norte, Víctor Manuelle, Ricardo Montaner, Christian Nodal, Debi Nova, Fito Páez, Nathy Peluso, Raquel Sofía and Sebastián Yatra.

The 21st annual ceremony, led by 13-time nominee J Balvin, will also celebrate several Latin music icons, with special tributes including Julio Iglesias, Pedro Infante, Juan Luis Guerra, Roberto Carlos, and Héctor Lavoe.

Returning with a “music makes us human” theme that highlights musical excellence and the power of music in times of despair, the event will also showcase diverse stories of hope, community, sense of purpose, and celebration.

Hosted by Carlos Rivera, the 2020 Latin Grammys will air at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, November 19, via Univision.

The star-studded event will be preceded by the one-hour pre-show Noche de Estrellas, held virtually in Miami, where the majority of the categories will be awarded.

Camilo Surpasses J Balvin to Become Most-Followed Latin Artist on TikTok

Posted on by
Reply

Camilo is a TikTok king…

The Colombian singer-songwriter first started using TikTok in 2019 to promote his Pedro Capó-assisted single “Tutu.” But in March, following the release of his track “Favorito,” he decided to become more active on the platform — and go all-in on dance challenges.

Camilo

In the span of five months over the course of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Camilo increased his TikTok following by 10 million (his count jumped from 6 million to just over 16 million), surpassing J Balvin to become the most-followed Latin artist on the app.

His secret weapon? His wife, actress-singer Evaluna, 23.

“Whenever he has an idea or before he posts something, he asks for my opinion,” she says. “Everything posted on TikTok is a team effort.” She says that they usually plan a dance challenge long before a single release, dedicating a day to think of the choreography with help from their friend Paula Macher, who has over 1 million TikTok followers herself. “[She] knows all the latest trends and popular dance moves,” says Evaluna. “In the end, it helps push the song we’re promoting.”

Noel Nuez, TikTok’s director of operations for Spanish South America, believes that kind of collaboration has helped Camilo rake in new followers so quickly: “He’s surrounded by family and colleagues who are also well-integrated on TikTok themselves, which enables him to viralize across other top profiles and strengthen cross-profile storytelling.” Nuez says that in addition to “fully leveraging his creator network,” Camilo makes use of the app’s popular visual effects, like greenscreen, to “create a range of different content that incorporates his own music as a key component of the storytelling.”

Plus, Camilo doesn’t shy away from overpromotion, posting the same audioclip and dance challenge back to back to back. “The algorithm in TikTok is super different [from other social media platforms]: It doesn’t saturate your feed, and you don’t see all of my videos unless you enter my profile,” he says. He views each post as a new entry point for fans to reach his page, and so far it’s paying off.

In May, “Favorito” reached No. 25 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and Camilo’s collaboration with Rauw Alejandro on “Tattoo (Remix)” peaked at No. 7 on the same chart in September, garnering 64 million on-demand U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. (On TikTok, the latter track has been tagged to 2.8 million videos, several of which are from Camilo and Evaluna.)

Camilo believes that more than any other strategy though, the driver of his TikTok success is authenticity. “The songs that I post on TikTok and the videos that we share best represent who I am and have a level of engagement [that’s delivered] in a very honest and transparent way,” he says. “Pretending will always lead to failure.”

Gaby Espino to Host This Year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards

Posted on by
Reply

Gaby Espino is makin’ the host of the month…

The 42-year-old Venezuelan actress, model and presenter will host this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to take place on Wednesday, October 21, according to Telemundo and Billboard.

Gaby Espino

Espino, known for her starring role in Jugar con Fuego, will be joined by Nicaraguan presenter and host of Latinx Now!, Nastassja Bolivar, who will offer behind-the-scenes coverage.

Additionally, a wave of artists, actors and Telemundo personalities have been announced as awards presenters, including Aymee Nuviola, Christian Chávez, Frederik Oldenburg, Ivy Queen, Jacky Bracamontes, Jeimy Osorio, Luis Ernesto Franco, Natalia Jiménez, Osvaldo Benavides, Pedro Capó, Samadhi Zendejas, Silvia Navarro, and Sofía Castro.

The 2020 BLMAs, led by 14-time finalists Bad Bunny and Ozuna, is the only awards show to honor the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music. The awards are determined by the actual sales, streaming, radio airplay and social data that informs Billboard‘s weekly charts during a one-year period from the rankings dated February 2, 2019, through this year’s January 25 charts.