Bizarrap is leading the next generation through his music…
The 24-year-old Argentine DJ, producer and hitmaker has been named to Time magazine’s 2023 “Next Generation Leaders” list this week, which spotlights 10 global trendsetters and trailblazers.
Bizarrap can usually be spotted in the background of his videos, back to the camera, shades obscuring his eyes, giving the floor—or, more accurately, the mic—to the artists he invites on the mega-popular YouTube music video series he started four years ago.
In an article titled “Viral Hitmaker Bizarrap Wants His Music to Speak for Itself,” Bizarrap—known for his fiery “BZRP Music Sessions” with Shakira, Nicky Jam, Quevedo and Nathy Peluso, to name a few—opened up to about the importance of people getting to know his music.
“I make music every day,” he told TIME. “I like thinking about ideas for my videos, making teasers. I’m always thinking about the next step.”
His numbers are impressive: 7.2 billion views on YouTube, 41.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Several of his videos and songs have hundreds of millions of views and streams. And Bizarrap, real name Gonzalo Julián Conde, has done it all without releasing an album.
But Bizarrap isn’t the only Latinx artist to be named to the list…
Rene Silva, a Brazilian journalist, is highlighted for launching his own newspaper covering the entire favela, as Brazil’s informal neighborhoods are known, at the age of 11.In 2005,
Silva persuaded teachers at his school in the Complexo de Alemão district to let him join the student newspaper—despite protests from older kids who thought he was too young. Within months he outgrew that gig, recruiting four other children to help him launch his own newspaper.
“I used to look through papers and I didn’t see the favela I knew represented,” he says. “The media only ever talked about drug trafficking, violence, death—so people from outside thought that’s all there is here.”
Eighteen years later, Voz das Comunidadescontinues to chip away at those stereotypes. Now formally recognized as an NGO, it has 35 staff members who cover stories on culture, politics, sports, education, and problems of state neglect.
Time magazine has released its list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” with the 56-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress and film producer making the cut.
Each year, the media outlet honors 100 individuals that it perceives as holding sway, pairing the list with praiseful blurbs from contemporaries. The logrolling list contains comedians, sports stars, authors and other influential figures.
“Salma is a great observer and feels everything deeply. She’s strong yet sensitive, and she can read people very well. That’s what makes her a great actor, her ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes, from her breakthrough portrayal of Frida Kahlo to her most recent performance as Maxandra in Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” says Penelope Cruz in her write-up. “Her huge heart, great intelligence, and charisma are a winning combination, but the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s always entirely herself. As one of the first Latinas working in Hollywood, she’s opened so many doors for people who followed. She is a total revolutionary, and there’s still so much she will do.”
But Hayek isn’t the only Hispanic/Latinx artist to make the list.
Aubrey Plaza, who won a SAG Award this year for being part of the ensemble cast of HBO’s The White Lotus, received her special tribute from Amy Poehler.
“I met Aubrey, a deeply versatile actor and producer, almost 15 years ago on Parks and Recreation, where she played the droll and mischievous intern April Ludgate. I knew two things immediately: I was working with a determined and profoundly talented woman with big plans, and I had met a dear friend for life,” says Poehler of the 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian. “Her work over the past decade has been acutely truthful and always surprising—whether conveying fear-based choices in Emily the Criminal,manic breakdowns in Black Bear,chilly secret keeping in The White Lotus, or whatever big and ballsy swing is up next in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.”
“Whether she’s kicking butt in Guardians of the Galaxy, saving humanity in Avatar, or making you bawl your eyes out in From Scratch, she’s always on top of her game,” writes Kunis of the . Zoe has also been a trailblazer for women and people of color in Hollywood, breaking down barriers and advocating for greater diversity and representation. She’s not afraid to speak out for what she believes in, and uses her platform to make a positive impact.
Other honorees include international soccer star Lionel Messi; Chilean actor Pedro Pascal; executive director of OnPoint NYC, Sam Rivera; Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Colombian president Gustavo Petro and Mexican activist María Herrera Magdaleno.
The list was first published in 1999. Nominations are secured from Time 100 alumni and the international writing staff. The final list is exclusively chosen by Time editors. There is also a commemorative gala held to celebrate the list winners.
Verónica Cruz Sánchez is being heralded this Women’s History Month.
The 52-year-old Mexican human rights activist is among Time magazine’s twelve 2023 Women of the Year.
“Over the past 18 months, Cruz, a pragmatic, fast-talking 52-year-old who has campaigned for social-justice organizations since she was a teen, has expanded Las Libres into the U.S.,” reads the description of Cruz Sanchez’s work. “After the Texas legislature passed a near total abortion ban in May 2021…. Las Libres now counts around 300 volunteers in the U.S., who have so far assisted some 10,000 women.”
But she isn’t the only Latina to make this year’s list.
Anielle Franco, Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality, has also made the cute.
The 38-year-old Brazilian politician from the Workers’ Party took office in January as minister for racial equality in Lula da Silva’s second cabinet. Her task is to make sure Lula’s government delivers on his promise of equality for Black and Indigenous Brazilians.”
Other honorees include Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett, Phoebe Bridgers and Quinta Brunson.
The list highlights what Time calls “extraordinary leaders who are working toward a more equal world.”
Time will host the its second annual Women of the Year Gala on International Women’s Day, on March 8, in Los Angeles.
“Our annual Women of the Year list examines the most uplifting form of influence by spotlighting leaders who are using their voices to fight for a more equal world,” said Time Executive Editor Naina Bajekal and Senior Editor Lucy Feldman in a joint statement. “The 12 women featured on this year’s list come from across the globe and have made significant impact in their respective communities and fields, from activism and government to sports and the arts.”
The Time 2023 Women of the Year list, and the magazine’s descriptions of the recipients, is as follows:
Cate Blanchett, actor and UNHCR ambassador: “Blanchett is aware… that one global problem connects to another, and yet another. The climate crisis, she says, is one of the biggest challenges we face as a species, and she’s alarmed by the amount of waste she sees in her line of work in particular… At the heart of that evolution is creativity, which demands building on past experience but also being perpetually open to change.”
Ayisha Siddiqa, environmental and human rights defender: “For the 24-year-old Pakistani human-rights and climate defender, poetry represents hope—a way to bring humanity back into the staid, high-level conversations that increasingly occupy her time… she’s helping to create a system of support that breaks down silos between intergovernmental leaders and local activists, as well as pushing to integrate the rights of humans and nature alike into climate law.”
Megan Rapinoe, soccer player and champion of equal pay: “The most visible and outspoken member of the back-to-back World Cup–winning team, Rapinoe led a movement that’s been adopted by players in other countries including Canada and Spain and has inspired women across fields to demand equal pay. Rapinoe, 37, will play in her final World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand.”
Phoebe Bridgers, musical artist: “Five years since she launched her career, Bridgers, 28, has a dedicated base of fans who she thinks of as being like-minded; sometimes, speaking out on the issues that matter to her can feel like adding more noise to an echo chamber. But then there are moments like this, when she watches a young person walk away from her, led by adults who probably don’t like her music any more than they like her message. And that’s when she recognizes that her voice has power.”
Quinta Brunson, writer, producer, actor: “As a rising leader in Hollywood, she hopes she’s setting an example for Black children everywhere, showing them that they can achieve their goals, no matter where they come from. And for fans of the show, she wants to underscore the value of school communities.”
Angela Bassett, actor: “Bassett is making Oscars history after playing another kind of royal, the Queen Mother of Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, snagging Marvel’s first acting nomination…She says her experience playing characters that embody so many things at once has helped her realize it’s OK not to be everything to everyone all the time.”
Makiko Ono, incoming CEO of Suntory Beverages: “Worth some $10.4 billion, Suntory is the most valuable company under female leadership in Japan, where less than 1% of the top stratum of listed firms have a woman as CEO.”
Masih Alinejad, Iranian dissident and journalist: “Exiled from Iran since 2009, the journalist and activist has long spoken out against Iran’s restrictions on women…. Her campaign alarmed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who not only rails against her in speeches but even sent his minions to kidnap her…. a similar plot was to end in assassination, according to a U.S. Justice Department indictment.”
Verónica Cruz Sánchez, reproductive rights activist: “Over the past 18 months, Cruz, a pragmatic, fast-talking 52-year-old who has campaigned for social-justice organizations since she was a teen, has expanded Las Libres into the U.S. After the Texas legislature passed a near total abortion ban in May 2021…. Las Libres now counts around 300 volunteers in the U.S., who have so far assisted some 10,000 women.”
Olena Shevchenko, activist and leader of war efforts for women and LGBTQI communities in Ukraine: “Since she co-founded the Kyiv-based nonprofit Insight in 2017 to support women and LGBTQI communities, she’s become one of the most recognizable advocates in Ukraine, and has been attacked seven times in the past five years.”
Anielle Franco, Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality: “Franco took office in January as minister for racial equality…Her task is to make sure Lula’s government delivers on his promise of equality for Black and Indigenous Brazilians.”
Ramla Ali, professional boxer and refugee advocate: “Ali, 33, won the 10-round battle against Australia’s Avril Mathie in a unanimous decision that kept her undefeated as a pro.…In 2018, she started Sisters Club, a nonprofit that offers boxing lessons to women who don’t usually enjoy access to the sport: those from ethnic or religious minority backgrounds, as well as survivors of domestic abuse. Sisters Club has expanded to four locations in London, opened a branch in Los Angeles, and will soon add another one in Fort Worth.”
The 82-year-old Mexican America civil rights activist is among this year’s 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House has announced.
Presented to individuals who have “made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” the Medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Yzaguirre served as the Chief Executive Officer and president of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic under President Barack Obama.
Former The University of Texas at Brownsville president Dr. Julieta García is also being honored.
The Mexican American education executive was named one of Time magazine’s best college presidents. Dr. García was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.
Other recipients this year include Denzel Washington, Simone Biles, the late Sen. John McCain, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe.
The awards will be presented at the White House next Thursday, July 7.
Here’s a look at the individuals who will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:
Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, with a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. Biles is also a prominent advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault.
Sister Simone Campbell is a member of the Sisters of Social Service and former Executive Director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is also a prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy.
Dr. Julieta García is the former president of The University of Texas at Brownsville, where she was named one of Time magazine’s best college presidents. Dr. García was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate, serving first in the Arizona legislature and later in the U.S. Congress. A survivor of gun violence, she co-founded Giffords, a nonprofit organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.
Fred Gray was one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature since Reconstruction. As an attorney, he represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King, who called him “the chief counsel for the protest movement.”
Steve Jobs (died 2011) was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.
Father Alexander Karloutsos is the former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. After over 50 years as a priest, providing counsel to several U.S. presidents, he was named by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as a Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Khizr Khanis a Gold Star father and founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center. He is a prominent advocate for the rule of law and religious freedom and served on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom under President Biden.
Sandra Lindsayis a New York critical care nurse who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. She was the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials and is a prominent advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers.
John McCain (died 2018) was a public servant who was awarded a Purple Heart with one gold star for his service in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. He also served the people of Arizona for decades in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and was the Republican nominee for president in 2008.
Diane Nash is a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important civil rights campaigns of the 20th century. Nash worked closely with Martin Luther King, who described her as the “driving spirit in the nonviolent assault on segregation at lunch counters.”
Megan Rapinoeis an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion. She also captains OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights.
Alan Simpson served as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming for 18 years. During his public service, he has been a prominent advocate on issues including campaign finance reform, responsible governance, and marriage equality.
Richard Trumka (died 2021) was president of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade, president of the United Mine Workers, and secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO. Throughout his career, he was an outspoken advocate for social and economic justice.
Brigadier General Wilma Vaughtis one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military, repeatedly breaking gender barriers as she rose through the ranks. When she retired in 1985, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces.
Denzel Washington is an actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.
Raúl Yzaguirre is a civil rights advocate who served as CEO and president of National Council of La Raza for thirty years. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic under President Barack Obama.
The 27-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has been named one of the Most Influential People of 2021 by TIME.
This week, the magazine revealed its annual TIME100, featuring “extraordinary leaders from around the world working to build a better future, from entertainers striving to make Hollywood more inclusive to activists fighting for sustainability and human rights. … They are disrupters, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers — people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray,” said Edward Felsenthal, TIME CEO and editor in chief, in a press statement.
J Balvin was selected as the guest contributor to write about Bad Bunny. The two global reggaeton stars were introduced to each other in 2016 by DJ Luian at one of Balvin’s concerts in Puerto Rico. The rest, as they say, is history.
“When I saw him, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s another weirdo like me. I’m not the only one now.’ We immediately went to the studio and cut a song, ‘Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola.’ It blew up,” Balvin wrote in his essay. “He’s a phenomenon when it comes to music, but it didn’t happen overnight; he was working at the supermarket back then, and had to struggle too. We’ve since worked together on an album, Oasis, and the Super Bowl halftime show.”
The Colombian artist describes Bad Bunny’s career evolving from a “little monster” to “Godzilla,” who has reached superstar status and has connected with fans through his “amazing lyrics,” creation of his brand, advocacy for self-expression, and freedom.
“He’s an artist, period. A true artist,” he wrote. “Now he’s at his peak, taking Latin culture to another level. The records he’s broken are amazing. He’s different. Special. People wait for someone to die to say, ‘Oh, he was a legend.’ But I’m telling Benito now: You are one of the greatest artists in Latin music history.”
But Bad Bunny isn’t the only Latinx person to make this year’s list.
Olimpia CoralMelo Cruz, a women’s-rights activist from the Mexican city of Puebla, is a survivor of revenge porn—sexual content that is shared without the consent of those featured within it. She turned her experience into action, and in April 2021, Mexico passed Olimpia’sLaw, federally prohibiting the sharing of such content without the subject’s permission.
Swizz Beatz and fellow hip-hop icon Timbaland have been named for creating the hip-hop phenomenon and game-changing hip-hop battle series, Verzuz.
In a business world still dominated by men, a Brazilian woman, Luiza Trajano, has managed to make Magazine Luiza a massive success. She is the only Brazilian to appear on this year’s list.
Elisa Loncón Antileo is a Mapuche linguist and indigenous rights activist in Chile. In 2021, Loncón was elected as one of the representatives of the Mapuche people for the Chilean Constitutional Convention. Following in the inauguration of the body, Loncón was elected President of the Constitutional Convention.
A staunch believer in the science of climate change, GM CEO Mary Barra spearheaded General Motors’ (GM) commitment to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
In a sea of despair, a Cuban doctor is a ray of hope. Dairon Elisondo Rojas, who is seeking asylum in the US, provides lifesaving care to fellow migrants in the Matamoros makeshift camp.
The knowledge possessed by Mónica Ramírez‘s giant heart is just what makes her the breath of fresh air needed in a civil rights attorney. Her work through organizations like Justice for Migrant Women is only a fraction of proof of how hard she fights for the migrant worker.
Global Citizen Livehas revealed the Los Angeles and London performer lineups, which includes the 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer, for its worldwide show on September 25.
Ozuna will play L.A.’s Greek Theatre as part of the multiple-network, 24-hour event, which will feature performances on six continents. His co-performers in the City of Angeles include Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, Chloe x Halle, Demi Lovato, H.E.R., OneRepublic, The Lumineers and 5 Seconds of Summer. Wonder also played the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park.
Across the pond, Duran Duran will headline the London show at a to-be-determined location, with Kylie Minogue, Måneskin, Nile Rodgers and Chic and Rag’n’Bone Man also set. See the full lineups for the main concerts in New York City, Paris and Lagos, Nigeria, here.
Broadcast and streaming partners for Global Citizen Live include ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, Time and Twitter.
Global Citizen, the international advocacy group behind the Vax Live concert in Los Angeles on May 8, said this month’s event is aimed at defeating poverty, COVID-19 and climate change.
Global Citizen’s stated goal for the event is call on world leaders, major corporations and foundations to donate at least 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to those most in need by September, help the 41 million people on the brink of famine by contributing enough meals to feed everyone for the next year and combat climate change by developing science-based targets to reach net-zero emissions.
Joan Baez is set to receive a special honor in Our Nation’s Capital.
The 80-year-old half-Mexican American contemporary folk singer has been selected to receive the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors alongside Garth Brooks, violinist Midori, choreographer Debbie Allen and the ageless Dick Van Dyke.
“It has been my life’s joy to make art,” said Baez in a statement. It’s also been my life’s joy to make, as the late Congressman John Lewis called it, ‘good trouble.’ What luck to have been born with the ability to do both; each one giving strength and credibility to the other.”
Traditionally held in December, the 2020 edition of the Kennedy Center Honors was postponed to May 2021 due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live events and filming are planned for the week of May 17-22. The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on CBS as a two-hour primetime special that will air on June 6 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.
But the pandemic will have an impact on how the event is staged, with live-filmed tributes and virtual moments to take the place of the traditional event in a packed Kennedy Center Opera House.
“The center’s entire campus will come alive with small, in-person events and re-envisioned virtual tributes. Featuring multiple events for physically-distant audiences in locations across the Kennedy Center’s campus…Programs for each event will encompass both performances and speaking tributes for the honorees,” according to a statement. “Virtual events will also be held throughout the week beginning May 17, and the viability of additional in-person events will be considered as COVID-19 safety protocols evolve over the upcoming months…An honoree medallion ceremony for the honorees and a limited audience will be hosted by the Kennedy Center during [the week of] May 17–22.”
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to attend the Honors Gala, as presidents traditionally have done (barring a national crisis). Donald Trump was the first president to decline the invitation every year of his term.
This is the first time in five years that a majority of the honorees have been women. Carole King, Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson were three of the five honorees in 2015.
“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the remarkable artists who have spent their lives elevating the cultural history of our nation and world,” said David M. Rubenstein, Kennedy Center Chairman.
Here’s a look at each of this year’s honorees:
Joan Baez: The folk legend had three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1960s, including Farewell, Angelina. Her classic version of Robbie Robertson’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Baez was just 21 when she made the cover of Time in November 1962. Baez has one of the longest spans of Grammy nominations in history, from 1962 to 2018. She has yet to win a Grammy in competition (despite nine nods), but she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2007.
Garth Brooks: The country star, 58, is one of the best-selling recording artists in history. The RIAA lists him second only to The Beatles, with 157 million albums sold in the U.S. (compared to 183 million for the Fab Four). He has had nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, including Ropin’ the Wind, which topped the chart for 18 weeks, still the record for a country album. Brooks has amassed 14 CMA Awards, including a record seven awards for entertainer of the year. He was artist of the decade for the 1990s at the ACM Awards. He has won two Grammys. He received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song last year. He made the cover of Time in 1992 in a story headlined “Country’s Big Boom.”
Midori: The Japanese-born American violinist, 49, was just 19 when she received her first (and to date only) Grammy nomination for best classical performance, instrumental soloist (without orchestra) for the album Paganini: 24 Caprices For Solo Violin Op. 1. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year’s Eve Gala in 1982.
Dick Van Dyke: The actor, 95, won three Emmys for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66), which is widely regarded as the granddaddy of smart, sophisticated sitcoms. He also won an Emmy in 1977 for Van Dyke & Company, which took outstanding variety or music series. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995. He won a Tony in 1961 for Bye, Bye Birdie (in which he introduced the jaunty “Put on a Happy Face”) and a Grammy for 1964’s Mary Poppins (in which he took the lead in singing the Oscar-winning “Chim Chim Cher-ee”).
Debbie Allen: The actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director and producer, 70, has won three Emmys for choreography: two for Fame and one for Motown 30: What’s Goin’ On. She also received two Tony nods for acting in revivals of West Side Story (1980) and Sweet Charity (1986). She is a former member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Romeo Santos is celebrating his ten-ure on the Latin charts…
Billboardis revealing the top acts of the 2010s by genre, with the 39-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American bachata singer-songwriter topping the list of artists in the Latin category.
Since first hitting Billboard‘s surveys as a soloist in 2011, after breaking though in hit bachata quartet Aventura, Santos has collected seven solo No. 1s on the weekly Hot Latin Songs chart and five No. 1s on Top Latin Albums.
“If you put out quality music,” he told Billboard in 2017, “you’re always going to be in a good place.”
Santos beat out Prince Royce for the top spot.
The 31-year-old Dominican American singer-songwriter has not stopped making his mark in the Latin music industry since he released his eponymous debut studio album, which generated two commercially successful singles, “Stand by Me” and “Corazón Sin Cara,” in March 2010.
Most recently, Prince Royce “Carita de Inocente“, spent a record-breaking 29 weeks at number-one on the BillboardLatin Tropical Airplay chart.
J Balvin comes in at No. 3 on the chart…
The 35-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer, known as the “Príncipe del Reggaetón,”
was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and one of the greatest Latin artists of all time by Billboard.
Daddy Yankee is the No. 5 top Latin act of the 2010s, due in part to his landmark hit “Despacito,” with Luis Fonsi and featuring Justin Bieber. The English/Spanish-language collaboration spent a record 56 weeks atop Hot Latin Songs beginning in February 2017, passing the 41-week reign of “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias (the decade’s No. 4 artist), featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona, beginning in May 2014.
Latin
1, ROMEO SANTOS
2, PRINCE ROYCE
3, J BALVIN
4, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS
5, DADDY YANKEE
6, JUAN GABRIEL
7, BANDA SINALOENSE MS DE SERGIO LIZARRAGA
8, OZUNA
9, NICKY JAM
10, GERARDO ORTIZ
Click here to view the full, 50-position Top Latin Artists of the 2010s chart.
Gomez, one of nine Latino/as to make this year’s list, has been recognized for “unabashedly spreading her wings and influence into whatever lane her passions lead her,” writes America Ferrera in an essay about the artist.
“He’s opened up the doors for Latino artists everywhere by making the world hear and fall in love with our culture, our sounds and our spirit,” says pop star Camila Cabello in an essay about the man born as José Álvaro Osorio Balvín. “What I truly admire and love the most about José is that he is just himself. He’s himself to the world, he’s himself to his friends and his peers, and he’s got the kind of heart that makes him a person everyone is rooting for. When he wins, we all win.”
Anne Hidalgo has been named to the Time 100.
The 61-year-old French–Spanish politician, who has served as Mayor of Paris – is the first woman to hold the office – since 2014, is being recognized for being a leader in the movement to solve the global climate crisis.
“Even in the midst of confronting the global pandemic, Mayor Hidalgo has turned Paris into a shining example of how cities can lead the transition to cleaner, healthier and more prosperous societies,” writes former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. “She is transforming the city’s landscape to make it friendlier to pedestrians and bikers, cutting car traffic and making the air safer to breathe.”
Dr. Cecilia Martinez is also being recognized for her environmental work…
“As a leader in everything from international projects to grassroots organizing, Cecilia Martinez has dedicated her impressive career to a moral imperative: the pursuit of environmental justice and the inclusion of equity and justice in environmental policy,” writes U.S. Senator Cory Booker about the co-founder and executive director at the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED).
Bonnie Castillo, the 60-year-old Latina registered nurse and executive director of National Nurses United, has earned her spot on this year’s list for support of frontline health workers.
“She was among the first to call attention to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to nurses across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fought layoffs and pay cuts that nurses faced despite their vital frontline work,” writes civil rights activist and United Farm Workers of America co-founder Dolores Huerta. “Bonnie’s commitment to the labor movement and unions is unwavering; she states that unions are the foundation of a democratic society. Bonnie does not just work to heal patients; she works to heal society.”
Felipe Neto has also made this year’s list…
The 32-year-old Brazilian social media star, who has 39 million YouTube subscribers and 12 million Twitter followers, is considered the most consequential digital influencer in Brazil and possibly in the world.
“A decade ago, from his family’s humble Rio de Janeiro home, he began creating content for YouTube and quickly found fame, a huge and loyal young audience, and lucrative endorsements,” writes Brazilian congressman David Miranda. “What has changed—radically—is how Neto uses his platform. His early notoriety was generated by standard fare for online adolescents: video games, celebrities and girls. But with the 2018 election of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and the empowerment of his proto-fascist movement, Neto, risking his brand and safety, repurposed his popularity to become one of Bolsonaro’s most effective opponents.”
For the second year in a row, Jair Bolsonaro has been named to the Time 100.
“The story of Brazil’s year can be told in numbers: 137,000 lives lost to the coronavirus. The worst recession in 40 years. At least five ministers sacked or resigned from the Cabinet. More than 29,000 fires in the Amazon rain forest in August alone. One President whose stubborn skepticism about the pandemic and indifference to environmental despoliation has driven all these figures upward,” writes Time’s international editor. “Yet the number that really matters is 37—the percentage of Brazilian society that approved of Jair Bolsonaro in a late-August poll, the highest rating since he took office early last year. Despite a storm of corruption allegations, and one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the world, the right-wing firebrand remains popular with a large section of Brazilians.”
Sister Norma Pimentel is being heralded for her work with immigrants…
“Sister Pimentel has been on the front lines of mercy for three decades, supporting migrants who are seeking refuge in the U.S. along Texas’ border with Mexico. As executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, she directs efforts to provide shelter, food, sanctuary and comfort to people often treated as less than human. Her organization has housed and assisted well over 100,000 people at the border,” says former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro. “Her work has taken on greater importance in the era of Donald Trump, and for good reason. As he has acted with cruelty toward migrants, she has acted with compassion. As he has preyed on the vulnerable and sought rejection, she has preached community and acceptance. As he has promoted fear, she has taught love.
Gabriela Cámara is being recognized for being “more than a chef—she is a Renaissance woman on the front lines of our industry,” writes chef Jose Andres about the Mexican chef.
Through her visionary career, Camara has become one of Mexico’s leading culinary diplomats, both in spirit and in practice.
“Not only does she run two of the most iconic kitchens on the continent—Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco—offering the very best of her cultural heritage, she is also an adviser to the Mexican President, showing by example how food can have an impact far beyond the walls of a restaurant kitchen,” continues Andres.
Bad Bunny is speaking out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement…
The 26-year-old Puerto Rican singer/rapper, whoa abruptly left social media on May 19, has broken his silence to show his support for the movement to fight for racial justice.
In a poignant statement titled “Forgive Me” published in TIME magazine, Bad Bunny asks his fans to forgive him for not speaking out sooner but, “I can’t even believe this is still happening. Maybe it’s because I’ve always seen people’s hearts and, in my house, I was always taught that we are all the same regardless of race, religion and surname; that we are all brothers/sisters. I SWEAR I don’t feel well, and I don’t think I can express myself properly.”
Amid national outrage and protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a white police officer, the “lyrical” statement comes after people questioned his silence on the matter given that he has been supportive of the trans community and spoken out against femicide, and he has never been shy around politics. Back in September, he was on the front line when Puerto Ricans demanded the ousting of former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló.
“There are artists who only upload a photo or a basic message just to calm public pressure or to look ‘good,’” Bad Bunny told TIME. “Not me… I want to go deeper and see in what way I can serve, how I can support the fight against a systematic monster that has been [around for] centuries.”
Adding, “In the case of reggaetón music, we have always struggled against discrimination, and even though today it is the world’s number one Latino genre, we continue to suffer from that discrimination, both in the world for being Latino, and in the Latino community itself for being a genre that comes from the street.”
Here’s Bad Bunny’s translated statement and find the original Spanish version here:
FORGIVE ME Forgive my silence. But I can’t even believe this is still happening. Maybe it’s because I’ve always seen people’s hearts and, in my house, I was always taught that we are all the same regardless of race, religion and surname; that we are all brothers/sisters I SWEAR I don’t feel well, and I don’t think I can express myself properly, I swear it hurts! It hurts to know that people are still being killed because of the color of their skin. LIVING IN A WORLD LIKE THIS, NONE OF US CAN BREATHE!F–K DONALD TRUMP! PRESIDENT OF RACISM! YOUR HATE AND TYRANNY, THAT’S TERRORISM. DON’T STOP THE FIGHT, DON’T LOWER YOUR FISTS, KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL HOME, THAT THIS IS OUR LAND. I remember the white boy with the “bad hair,” that’s what they would say, just like they did to my black neighbors, and they believed it too. Bad? Bad are those who still think that way, WITHOUT REALIZING THAT THE SAME BLOOD RUNS THROUGH OUR VEINS. Who taught you to be this way? Why don’t you seek change? MAYBE THE PRESS IS TO BLAME FOR NEVER SHOWING THE TRUTH OR HISTORY CLASSES THAT DON’T TEACH US A REAL ACCOUNT OF EVENTS AND SHOW BLACK SLAVES WITH SUCH NORMALCY AND WHO STILL CALL THIS BRUTALITY A “DISCOVERY.” TO MURDER AND HUMILIATE THOSE OF ANOTHER SKIN COLOR, THAT 500 YEARS LATER, THAT PAIN KEEPS DRAGGING ON. HATE DOESN’T STOP HATE, IT JUST MAKES IT WORSE. IN A WORLD LIKE THAT, WHO WANTS TO GIVE THEIR LOVE? IF IT WAS UP TO ME, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, IF IT WAS UP TO ME, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE EXISTED. YOU CAN’T KNOW SOMEONE BY SIMPLY LOOKING AT THEIR FACE, YOU CAN’T KNOW SOMEONE BY ONLY LOOKING AT THEIR OUTER APPEARANCE. FORGIVE ME THAT MY ANGER TODAY IS SILENT. FORGIVE ME FOR FEELING IMPOTENT TODAY. I SWEAR TO YOU I LOVE YOU AND I WILL ALWAYS STAND BY MY PEOPLE, BUT WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU GUYS ALWAYS FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. NEVER WAIT FOR ARTISTS, OR FOR FICTITIOUS HEROES, YOU ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE THE POWER!!! TEACH YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS TO RESPECT AND LOVE REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR. EDUCATE THOSE WHO DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SUFFERING AND STRUGGLE THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ENDURED, ABOUT THE INJUSTICES WE CARRIED FOR CENTURIES. MAYBE WE WON’T CHANGE THE WORLD TODAY, BUT TODAY WE CAN WORK ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR TOMORROW. #BLACKLIVESMATTER
Bizarrap can usually be spotted in the background of his videos, back to the camera, shades obscuring his eyes, giving the floor—or, more accurately, the mic—to the artists he invites on the mega-popular YouTube music video series he started four years ago.
