Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” Video Hits 8 Billion Views on YouTube

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee continue extending their reign…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer and 45-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton star’s music video for global sensation “Despacito” has logged 8 billion views on YouTube.

In the process Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s video extends its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube — by a long shot.

The closest competitor to the nearly five-minute clip for the 2017 smash hit is Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” which has raked in 5.8 billion views.

“Who would of thought that a melody over my guitar that morning in my house would be listened to in so many places, by so many people,” Fonsi wrote on social media celebrating the song’s new milestone. “It’s been almost six years and I still can’t believe it. The words THANK YOU don’t cover it. 8 billion views, sounds so nice.”

Fonsi continued thanking those who made it all possible, including Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber who jumped on the remix, his co-writer Erika Ender, producers Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo and video director Carlos Pérez, to name a few, and his island of Puerto Rico, where they filmed the video, featuring former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera.

“Despacito,” released via Universal Music Latino in January 2017, is the gift that keeps on giving. Four months after the music video made its debut on YouTube, it hit the 1 billion mark back when it got a boost from a bilingual remix that featured Bieber.

Five years ago in May, the remix with Bieber reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made global history. Furthermore, “Despacito” topped the Hot Latin Songs chart for a record 56 (non-consecutive) weeks, spending the most weeks at No. 1 for any title since the chart’s inception in 1986.

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Give High-Octane Performance of “Despacito” at the Grammys

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee may not have taken home a gramophone, but they did leave a lasting impression..

The 39-year-old Puerto Rican singer and 40-year-old Puerto Rican wowed the crowd with a high-octane performance of their record-smashing international hit “Despacito.”

Fonsi and Yankee performed the worldwide smash flanked by a collection of dancing, scantily clad women. The audience vigorously danced and bopped their heads along to the dance hit. Former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera runway-walked onto the stage in a gold and nude bodysuit before twerking between the pair.

By the end, male and female dancers were grinding all over the stage to the song as Rivera sauntered off.

The remixed version of the reggaeton-pop track featuring Justin Bieber was up for three awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The remix won Best Urban/Fusion performance at the 2017 Latin Grammys, and the original version earned Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video.

“Despacito” – which Rolling Stone named the seventh-best song of 2017 – helped spark a Latin-pop revolution last year: The song’s video became the top-viewed clip in YouTube history, racking up nearly 5 billion views – and six of the site’s top 10 most-viewed music videos were from Latin artists.

Zuleyka Rivera to Perform at This Year’s Grammy Awards

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Zuleyka Rivera is ready for music’s biggest night…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress and former Miss Universe will perform at this year’s Grammy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, January 28.

Rivera is featured in the music video for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s global smash, “Despacito.”

After completing her commitment as Miss Universe, Rivera studied acting in New York. Eventually, she snagged parts on a whole slew of Televisa soap operas in Mexico, including playing the part of the main villain in 2014’s Cosita Linda. Currently, she’s based in Miami where she’s a special guest/host on Latin shows such as Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Dia and Univision’s Despierta America.

Rivera joins a roster of performers that includes Alessia Cara, Bruno Mars and Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Daddy Yankee, DJ Khaled with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, Luis Fonsi, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and more.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, January 28 at 7:30 pm EST.

Nazario Releases Video for “Soy Tuya,” Dedicated to Her Native Puerto Rico

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Ednita Nazario is celebrating La Isla del Encanto…

The 61-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has released her new single “Soy Tuya,” which she dedicated to Puerto Rico’s baseball team.

Nazario premiered the song in her social media, along with an emotive lyric video.

The clip shows the beautiful island scenery and great achievements of different personalities like Zuleyka Rivera winning the Miss Universe crown, boxer Tito Trinidad, tennis player Monica Puig winning the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games and, of course, the Puerto Rico baseball team during the World Baseball Classic 2017.

“Seeing my country, Puerto Rico, united is the greatest joy that I can feel, she wrote, adding: “Thank you for giving the best of you and we will continue to do the same: give ourselves in body and soul to a productive and positive life for ours and for everyone.”

This year, Puerto Rico’s team made its presence felt after reaching the finals without losing a game and uniting an entire country. They also generated a polemic movement: all the players decided during the series to dye their hair blond, immediately going viral. From young people to singers like Victor Manuelle, Ken-Y and Wisin (with a wig) also joined the movement and went blond.

Rivera to Star in Univision’s Upcoming “Cosita linda” Telenovela

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Zuleyka Rivera has landed her next telenovela role…

The 25-year-old Puerto Rican actress and former beauty queen, who was Miss Universe 2006, has signed on to star in the Cosita linda, a new telenovela for Univision and Venevision.

“I’m very happy to have signed the contract. My participation will be an antagonistic role,” Rivera told reporters after being presented as the new spokesperson for Le’dermis beauty products.

Rivera, who made her acting debut in the Telemundo telenovela Dame Chocolate in 2007, currently portrays Sandra Diaz on the soap opera Rosario.

She resumed her career as an actress after giving birth to her first child, Sebastián José Barea Rivera, with Minnesota Timberwolves point guard José Juan Barea. The baby was born Feb. 17, 2012.

While filming Rosario, Rivera participated as an extra in her first Hollywood film Runner, Runner, which stars Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck.

Cosita linda will begin filming in May in Miami.

Rivera’s Baby Bump Exposed!

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera isn’t afraid to show off her baby bump…

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican beauty queen appears all aglow and seven months pregnant on the cover of a Puerto Rican magazine, New Condado. Additional images of the mother-to-be are featured inside, along with a story on how she’s preparing for the birth of her child with NBA star Jose Juan Barea.

Rivera, who was Miss Universe 2006, even shared some of the images with her Twitter followers with a special message.

“I present to you my pancita in the New Condado magazine!,” wrote Rivera. “I hope you like!”

Recently, Rivera has expressed on Twitter how difficult it has become to sleep. Her followers recommended that she try hard to get sleep now because once the baby arrives, the possibility of sleep will be reduced even more.

“It’s a small dancer!,” Rivera tweeted when a follower asked her if the baby moves a lot. “It doesn’t stay still! Jejejeje”

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