J Balvin to Perform as Part of This Year’s “Amazon Music Live” Series

J Balvin is ready for Prime (Video) Time.…

Amazon Music is continuing its Amazon Music Live programming with three new episodes, including one featuring the 39-year-old Colombian singer, commonly referred to as the “Prince of Reggaeton,”

J BalvinJ Balvin will perform as part of the livestreamed music series, which will also feature performances from Big Sean and Halsey. 

Taking place after Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, the seven-episode season will kick off on October 17 with a performance from Jelly Roll.

Big Sean will then take the stage on October 24 ahead of the release of his Better Me Than You deluxe edition. In celebration of homecoming games at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Big Sean will also be performing alongside North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine and Fellowship Gospel Choir.

Halsey will perform during the Halloween episode on October 31, just days after releasing her fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator.

J Balvin will perform the following week, on November 7.

Each episode will stream live from Los Angeles and air exclusively on Thursdays via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch at 9:00 pm PT.

Leading up to the episodes will be the one hour Amazon Music Tonight! pre-show on Twitch, which will feature interactive mini-games, trivia and challenges tied to each night’s performer.

Feid to Perform as Part of Post-Thursday Night Football Concert Series “Amazon Music Live”

It’s a touchdown for Feid.

Amazon Music Live will return for season 2 with performances from several artists, including the 31-yea-old Colombian singer and songwriter.

FeidHosted by 2 Chainz, Amazon Music’s weekly livestreamed concert series, which is broadcast after Thursday Night Football will have performances starting September 21 at 9:00 pm PT with artists including Feid, Ed Sheeran, Lil Durk and more.

Amazon Music Live will broadcast live from Los Angeles and air on Prime Video and Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.

Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Kane Brown, Lil Wayne, Anuel AA, A$AP Rocky, Anitta and 21 Savage performed during season 1 of Amazon Music Live.

“We created Amazon Music Live to bring sports and music fans together on Thursday nights for a brand-new, can’t-miss event celebrating new music after the biggest game of the week,” said Ryan Redington, GM of Amazon Music. “Available to fans around the world on Prime Video and Twitch, AML became a massive new stage for artists to share their culture-defining new music after Thursday Night Football, and this year we’re going even bigger.”

Sheeran will kick off season 2 on September 21, just a week before he releases his seventh studio album Autumn Variations, due September 29. \

Feid will perform September 28, the night before he drops his new album Mor No Le Temas a la Oscuridad.

And Lil Durk will perform on Oct. 5.

More artists across all genres will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Join me each week when I’m turning Thursday night into music’s main stage with Amazon Music Live,” 2 Chainz said. “We’re returning to your screens live after Thursday Night Football with even more new music, more album drops and more wild performances than ever before. Amazon Music Live is the only place to be after the big game. Tune in and turn up.”

Jimmy Humilde Launches Own Chicano-Themed Online Series “Desde Abajo”

Jimmy Humilde is heading into under time…

The 42-year-old Mexican American recording artist and record producer has unveiled his very own series called Desde Abajo, which will be available on Amazon Music’s app and Twitch channel.

Jimmy HumildeFocusing on culture and its influence on the music industry in Los Angeles, the series will include the Rancho Humilde founder interviewing special guests like Fuerza Regida, Snow Tha Product, AB Quintanilla, Deorro, among others.

The first episode is already out with new episodes airing at 9:00 p.m. ET every other Wednesday until October 12.

Kid Cudi Taking Part in Amazon Prime Day Show with ‘Out of This World’ Performance

Kid Cudi is getting primed…

The annual Amazon Prime Day Show will feature a streaming music performance by the 37-year-old half-Mexican American singer/songwriter and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.

Kid CudiIn addition to Kid Cudi, who appeared this March as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will also perform.

The events will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video for 30 days starting June 17, with Amazon Prime Days set for June 21 and 22. The streaming is available to all without a Prime subscription needed.

The special will offer performance and storytelling, inspired by Paris, the Dunbar Hotel, and outer space.

“Working with Billie Eilish, H.E.R., and Kid Cudi to bring their music to life through these imaginative experiences has been incredible,” said Ryan Redington, VP of music industry at Amazon Music. “Watching these globally renowned artists create three shows from the depths of their imagination has been unlike anything we’ve ever done before. We’re thrilled to bring fans along with us to celebrate these three remarkable artists and Prime Day.”

“These iconic artists have not only broken new ground in music but are inspired storytellers, culture creators, and visionaries,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “We’re thrilled to partner with Billie, H.E.R., and Cudi to bring these authentic and deeply personal specials to fans around the world as we celebrate Prime Day.”

Kid Cudi will depart earth to establish a new community on the moon in his performance. Featuring music from his album, Man on the Moon III, he collaborates with the International Space Orchestra, the world’s first orchestra composed of space scientists from NASA Ames Research Center, the SETI Institute, and the International Space University as his backing band.

The Prime Day Show with Kid Cudi is produced by Fremantle, Wolf + Rothstein, Mad Solar, and Amazon Studios, and is directed by Sam Wrench. Ashley Edens served as executive producer, along with Chad Wolf, Fam Rothstein and Sam Wrench as co-executive producers. Runtime is approximately 25 minutes.

Beginning today, Amazon Music subscribers and Prime members can access the official Prime Day Show playlist here or by asking, “Alexa, play the Prime Day Show playlist,” to stream Billie Eilish, H.E.R., and Kid Cudi. The Prime Day Show will also be available to stream on Twitch, IMDb TV, and on Amazon devices including Fire TV, Echo Show, and Fire tablets on Prime Video.

Michelle Rodriguez to Star in Film Adaptation of Hasbro’s “Dungeons & Dragons” Game

Michelle Rodriguez is ready to battle monsters, solve puzzles and reap rewards…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican & Dominican American actress will star alongside Chris Pine and Justice Smith in the film adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, Hasbro’s popular game franchise from Wizards of the Coast.

Michelle Rodriguez

Hasbro/eOne and Paramount are jointly producing and financing the film, with eOne distributing in the UK and Canada and Paramount in the rest of world.

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley will direct and write the script based on a draft by Michael Gilio.

Plot details behind this latest take on the IP are being kept under wraps. Dungeons & Dragons is a leading fantasy entertainment franchise, fueled by the imagination of storytellers around the world. More than 40 million fans have interacted with or played D&D since it was first published 46 years ago, including via video games and livestream entertainment on Twitch and YouTube.

Rodriguez is best known for her role of Letty in the long running Fast & Furious franchise. She reprises the role in the next installment F9, which bows later this year.

Christina Aguilera to Perform at This Sunday’s Ultimate Super Bowl LV After Party

Christina Aguilera is ready to bowl you over…

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer will take part in the ultimate Super Bowl LV after party.

Christina Aguilera

Aguilera joins a roster of performers that includes Alicia KeysBrandi CarlileBrittany HowardLuke Bryan and more.

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will start a multi-year commitment to provide 1 million small businesses with resources they need to succeed by 2030. Verizon will also donate $10 million to the non-profit organization Local Initiatives Support Corp (LISC), which has been financially supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans can make a one-time donation of $10 to LISC by texting SMALLBIZ to 20222 as part of Verizon’s text-to-give campaign.

Additional performers include H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan, who will respectively sing “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem (alongside Eric Church) during the CBS Kick-Off Show at 6:00 pm ET, as well as Miley Cyrus, who’s set to kick off the TikTok Tailgate pre-show at 2:30 p.m. ET on TikTok and CBS.

The Weeknd is the headline performer of the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. He recently unveiled an 18-song collection of his greatest hits called The Highlights before his highly anticipated performance, which fans can purchase here this Friday (February 5).

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will stream immediately after Super Bowl LV on Sunday, February 7 at 11:00 pm ET on Yahoo and Fios as well as Verizon’s TwitterTwitchYouTube and TikTok accounts.

CNCO to Perform on NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 Special

CNCO has major plans for the New Year…

The Latin boy band will be ringing in the new year with a performance on NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 program.

CNCO

CNCO joins a roster of new additions to the lineup that includes Gwen StefaniBlake SheltonChloe x HalleJason Derulo, Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates.

Carson Daly will host NBC’s New Year’s Eve special live from Times Square in NYC. Amber Ruffin, the star of Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show and writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers, and Stephen “tWitch” Boss, DJ and co-executive producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, will join him as co-hosts.

The star-studded lineup also includes AJRGoo Goo DollsKylie MinogueBusta Rhymes with Anderson .PaakBebe Rexha with Doja Cat, and Sting with Shirazee.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 will air on Thursday, December 31, at 10:00-11:00 pm and 11:30 pm-12:30 am. ET on NBC.

Fat Joe to Appear on the Upcoming “MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon”

Fat Joe’s got hart… And, he’s ready to share it with the world.

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper, whose real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, will take part in the MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon, the upcoming two-hour special hosted by Hart that reimagines the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual variety show fundraiser.

Fat-Joe

Fat Joe joins a lineup of talent additions that includes Don Cheadle, Common, Cindy Crawford, Whitney Cummings, Stephen Curry, Zachary Levi and Kelly Rowland.

The special, which will benefit the MDA and Help From the Hart Charity, streams live on Saturday from 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET on Hart’s LOL Network and its digital platforms YouTube and Pluto TV, as well as on TikTok, Triller and Twitch.

SiriusXM will air an encore of the show on its Laugh Out Loud Radio channel on October 26 at 4:00 pm ET and again the next day at 10:00 am ET.

The telethon will feature entertainment, comedy, musical performances and MDA’s Let’s Play For a Cure gaming elements, a gaming stream hosted by Zedd running simultaneously. A Telethon Showcase to celebrate the members of the neuromuscular community and hosted by Nancy O’Dell and Jann Carl will follow the two-hour main show. It will stream on the MDA’s Facebook page.

As a warmup, an MDA-hosted online auction on CharityBuzz featuring items from Serena Williams, Curry and others launches Friday at mda.org/telethon.

The latest talent additions to the lineup join previously announced guests including Garcelle Beauvais, Aloe Blacc, Jack Black, Usain Bolt, Bryan Cranston, Adam Devine, Josh Gad, Liz Gillies, Aldis Hodge, Edwin Hodge, Michael B. Jordan, DJ Khaled, Daniel Levy, Loni Love, Leslie Mann, Jillian Mercado, Robin Thicke, Gabrielle Union Wade and John David Washington.

Jonathan Krisel is directing.

 

Becky G Interviews Kamala Harris & America Ferrera on Her Multimedia Podcast “En La Sala”

Becky G is bringing in some big guns to talk politics and more…

The 23-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper’s new voting-themed episode of her En La Sala multimedia podcast features Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and actress America Ferrera.

Becky G

The candid conversation, which went live Tuesday (October 6) exclusively on Amazon Music with corresponding video on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel, touches on a wide range of topics including Harris’ experience as California’s attorney general, the importance of voting on November 3 and 2Pac.

“This is one of the biggest moments in my entire career,” Becky G says in the episode’s trailer. She also speaks with Ferrera about She Se Puede, the new nonprofit the actress and activist founded to pursue social justice and support civic engagement for Latinas. The episode will also be dedicated to the Latino Community Foundation, a nonprofit working to increasing political participation of the Latinx community in California.

Becky G is confirmed to speak at this year’s virtual Latin Music WeekThe hitmaker will join Jorge and Hernán Hernández from the iconic norteño group Los Tigres del Norte to discuss the role artists currently play in engaging Latino voters who for the first time in a presidential election are the nation’s largest racial minority among eligible voters this year with a record 31.6 million Latinos eligible to vote. They will also chat about the immigrant experience as seen by two generations of Mexican-American artists. To reserve a spot and receive updates, RSVP here.

Amazon Music Launches Amazon Music LAT!N Hub, Featuring Exclusive Music, Videos & More From Artists Like Natanael Cano

Natanael Cano has found a new connection

Amazon Music is putting a big focus on Latin music with the launch of “Amazon Music LAT!N,” featuring the 19-year-old Mexican singer in a new editorial video series, Género101,

Natanael Cano

The Latin music brand features a broad umbrella that includes over 100 new and revamped playlists, an emerging artist program, merchandise, video and multiple catalog programs among many other initiatives.

Using the tagline “La Musica que nos conecta” — a reference to the fact that Latinos come from many countries and cultures but are connected by music and language — the LAT!N hub, which includes music in Spanish and Portuguese, will live within Amazon at amazon.com/latinmusic.

It seeks to establish Amazon as a major player in Latin music streaming and content, as well as retail.

“The big differentiator [with other streaming services] is the ability to work cross functionally with the other Amazon verticals and services like Twitch and Prime Video,” explains Rocío Guerrero, who assumed the newly created position of global head of Latin music at Amazon in January.

“We can do things 360. It’s unparalleled and it will live within the Amazon.com ecosystem.”

Prior to Guerrero’s arrival, Amazon Music had been relatively perfunctory with its approach to Latin music, offering playlists and a big catalog but little else. Latin content was hardly ever marketed  The launch of LAT!N marks a major investment and commitment to the music.

“What they want is to expand with even more audiences and fans and engage them with Latin music,” Guerrero says. A major thrust is positioning Amazon as a destination that focuses not only on reggaetón and urban music, which dominate the major Latin playlists around the world, but on all genres of Latin music, aiming for Amazon’s “broader” — as Guerrero calls it — audience, including older listeners.

“For instance, genres like bachata, salsa and Regional Mexican are big in Amazon Music,” she says. “We have a spotlight now. And we can shine a light on all the genres of Latin music.”

Guerrero came to Amazon from Warner Music Latin, but previously spent years overseeing U.S. Latin content in Spotify. Since joining Amazon in late 2019 she has expanded the Latin music global team, hiring Ana Martinez as label relations and Cristina Martin to head marketing for Latin music global and retaining Amaya Mendizabal as senior music curator.

After planning for the first half of the year, the official LAT!N kickoff features an original, acoustic version of Maluma’s global hit “Hawái.” It will be followed by exclusive weekly releases of new renditions by Karol G, Christian Nodal and Romeo Santos during Hispanic Heritage Month, with more planned moving forward.

At the same time, a catalog program called “Raices” will kick off with a spotlight on Marc Anthony that includes a mini documentary shot in his home, and will highlight Latin catalog content on a monthly basis. Likewise, an emerging artist program, “Rompe,” which is similar to Amazon’s “Breakthrough” program in the U.K., will highlight a local emerging artist every month, beginning with Colombia’s Las Villa and Interscope artist Nobeat.

New content will go beyond music to include five new editorial video series, available in English and Spanish. The first, Género101, will highlight different sub-genres of Latin music, beginning with an episode on corridos tumbaos explained by Natanael Cano. An Alexa component is also in development that will allow listeners to ask their virtual assistant questions and get replies in different artists’ voices.

The core of LAT!N, of course, will continue to be playlists — now expanded to 100 — including Latin global hits playlist Platino (formerly titled Fuego Latino), new music playlist Hoy, and a Clásicos playlist that features classics for each genre. Says Guerrero: “We cannot commit to just one audience only.”