Felipe Vargas Signs with Verve for Representation

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Felipe Vargas has new representation…

The Colombian writer-director has signed with Verve for representation ahead of Friday’s release of his feature directorial debut, the horror film Rosario.

Emeraude Toubia leads Vargas’ film as Rosario, who spends the night with her grandmother’s body while she waits for the ambulance to arrive, during a severe snowfall. Subsequently, Rosario is attacked by otherworldly entities that have taken control of her grandmother’s body.

Horror veteran David Dastmalchian co-stars in the pic, produced by Mucho Mas Media and Jon Silk.

Variance Films will release it in theaters on May 2.

Born in Colombia and raised in Florida, Vargas is a lifelong genre aficionado who grew up with a camera in his hand.

Next, he’s set to direct The Mouth of the Furnace, a horror-fantasy epic inspired by Latin American folklore that will shoot in the Dominican Republic this fall, with Sterlyn Ramirez producing.

Vargas is also set to write the big-screen debut of Bob the Builder for Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel, with Jennifer Lopez producing and Anthony Ramos set to star and produce.

Oscar-winning animation and production studio ShadowMachine is also producing. The film marks the latest major Mattel adaptation following the massive success of Barbie and is poised to bring the beloved children’s character to a new generation.

A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Vargas first gained widespread recognition with his short film Milk Teeth, which has amassed over 12 million views on YouTube and laid the foundation for his larger-scale storytelling.

Esaú Ortiz Signs with Sony Music Latin

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Esaú Ortiz has a new recording deal…

The Mexican emerging singer-songwriter has signed with Sony Music Latin.

The música mexicana artist from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, first gained traction on social media with songs like “Triple Lavada,” which was featured on playlists such as Apple Music’s Hits 2025 and Spotify’s Éxitos México.

His first official project under Sony Music Latin is said to feature “an explosive remix and heavyweight collaborations,” according to a press release.

“I know I have the best team to take my music to the next level and to the ears of everyone,” Ortiz said in a statement. ” I believe we will do great things together, which makes me very happy.”

Jim Acosta Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for Representation

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Jim Acosta has new representation…

The 54-year-old half-Cuban American broadcast journalist, a former chief White House correspondent and anchor for CNN, has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation.

Acosta joined CNN in 2007 after beginning his career in local radio and television and with CBS News, where he covered issues including the 2004 presidential election, the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.

He covered Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns for the 2008 presidential election at the beginning of his time at CNN before becoming a national political correspondent and covering Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.

He was promoted to senior White House correspondent during Obama’s second term as president, then became chief White House correspondent in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term as president.

Acosta left CNN in January of this year, and has since pivoted to doing independent journalism on Substack, where he has more than 300,000 subscribers, more than 10,000 of which are paid.

There, he does daily live broadcasts, having featured guests including Pete Buttigieg and Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

On Tuesday, he hosted his first in-person event, a town hall featuring Don Lemon and Michael Cohen.

WME will work with Acosta on building out his independent journalism business through additional partnerships, digital distribution and live events.

Shakira Breaking Records in Mexico with “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” World Tour

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is celebrating a historic sweet sixteen in Mexico…

The 48-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist continues breaking records in Mexico, where she’ll perform five additional shows as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour.

Tha includes two dates at the Estadio GNP Seguros in the capital city on August 29 and 30, the latter announced on Friday (March 28) by the promoter OCESA.

Shakira will reach the historic milestone of eight performances at the venue (previously known as Foro Sol) over two separate phases of her tour. The feat surpasses shows by other international icons such as Paul McCartney, Metallica, Coldplay and Taylor Swift.

With this new show, Shakira brings the total number of dates on her first world stadium tour to 16 in the Latin American country.

“Shakira continues to make history in Mexico! Due to high demand, another date of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour has been added at the GNP Seguros Stadium,” OCESA said in a statement.

Pre-sale for Banamex cardholders began Friday at 1:20 p.m. (local time), one day before the general sale.

Daniel Zovatto Signs with Gersh for Representation

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Daniel Zovatto has new representation…

The 33-year-old Costa Rican actor has officially signed with Gersh.

Zovatto can most recently be seen starring opposite Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut, Woman of ther Hour, for Netflix.

He was also recently seen in The Pope’s Exorcist opposite Russell Crowe from director Julius Avery.

Zovatto can be seen as “The Prophet” in the HBO Max series Station Eleven, directed by Hiro Murai.

He’s currently filming Bear Country from director Derrick Borte opposite Crowe and Aaron Paul.

Zovatto is also now wrapped on Famous from Jody Hill for A24 alongside a cast including Zac Efron, Phoebe Dynevor and Nicholas Braun. He also recently wrapped Catherine Hardwicke’s next feature, Street Smart, in which he also serves as an executive producer.

Other past credits include playing lead in John Logan’s Showtime series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Prior to that, he shot the lead in Cameron Van Hoy’s indie Flinch with Tilda Cobham-Hervey. Zovatto can also be seen starring in Alan Ball’s series Here and Now on HBO. Other credits include Heavy, opposite Sophie Turner, Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe and David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows.

His additional credits include Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Drake Doremus’ Newness.

Pedro Tovar Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal with Kobalt Music

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Tovar has a new deal…

The 22-year-old Mexican American lead vocalist, founding member and primary songwriter for Eslabón Armado has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt Music.

The agreement was done via Tovar’s Armado Publishing; Kobalt will administer his future songs globally.

“I’m excited to join the Kobalt Music family in this new career stage,” Tovar said in a statement. “As a songwriter, I have always sought a company that values creativity and provides the necessary support to elevate my music to a global audience. I know that with Kobalt, I’ll continue growing and sharing my stories through my songs.”

Since having a major breakthrough in 2020, the sierreño act has been on a winning streak and fueling the música mexicana (Regional Mexican) movement along the way.

Over the course of four years, Eslabon Armado released six consecutive chart-topping albums — all of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. In 2022, the group made history, with Nostalgia becoming the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200.

A year later, Eslabon Armado released its blockbuster hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma. The song was a runaway success and made history when it entered the Billboard Hot 100‘s top five.

Last week, Eslabon Armado released its eight studio album, Vibras de Noche II, a follow-up to the band’s 2020 set Vibras de Noche.

“Pedro Tovar is one of the most exciting artists and songwriters making music today,” added Nestor Casonu, president of Kobalt Music Latin America. “Through this partnership, we’ve had the privilege of understanding the values of an extraordinary family, led by Doña Nelly, with whom we’ve built both a professional and personal bond. I’m excited about the great things we’ll achieve together in the future.”

“At Kobalt, we want to sign songwriters who have singular voices that resonate with a wide audience,” said Teresa Romo, Kobalt’s senior creative director for Latin America. “Our partnership with Pedro Tovar represents an exciting new phase in his songwriting career, and we’re honored to support his creative independence and nurture new opportunities.”

Grupo Arriesgado Agrees to Contract with Smart Music Group (SMG)

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Arriesgado has agreed to a smart deal…

The Mexican group has entered into a contract with Smart Music Group (SMG), per Billboard en Espanol.

Co-founders and artist managers, Raczon López and Natalia Corona — honorees on last year’s Billboard Latin Power Players list — have launched a new label focusing on the five-member band that’s currently gaining traction on social media.

Originally formed in late 2013 on a ranch named Costa Rica in Culiacán, Sinaloa, and initially led by former frontman turned soloist Panter Bélico, Grupo Arriesgado gained popularity with hits like the accordion-infused “Jimenez” (2021), “El H,” and “Enloquecido” (2022).

With César Alfonso stepping in as the new lead vocalist, they have secured significant radio play and impressive digital platform statistics, amassing 4.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and maintaining a vigorous schedule of live performances.

Their digital presence is equally robust with 882,000 followers on Instagram, 1.1 million followers and 23.8 million likes on TikTok, and a strong YouTube following with 472,000 subscribers and over 600 million views.

Jesús Cuadras (electric bass), César Soto (bajo sexto), Alfonso Rodríguez (second voice) and Ángel de León (drums) also make up the band.

“Our relationship with Grupo Arriesgado began with the promotion of their three most recent releases, which allowed us to increase their audience on Spotify to almost 5 million monthly listeners and accumulate 35 million views on the main platforms,” López tells Billboard. “For this reason, the group wanted to take its relationship with Smart Music Group (SMG) to the next level and we have signed an agreement that makes us their representatives.”

He adds: “From now on, we will provide a comprehensive strategy that combines digital growth with presence in traditional media. This work will consolidate Grupo Arriesgado as one of the most important groups in Regional Mexican.”

López and Corona have recently managed the 2024 global breakout star Xavi, who topped Hot Latin Songs with “La Diabla” and secured the No. 2 spot with “La Víctima” on the same chart, and other notable achievements.

Under the pair’s management, Xavi also clinched the Artist of the Year (New) award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The duo also managed newcomer Drian.

With this new partnership, Grupo Arriesgado has embarked on a fresh phase with the release of “De Aquí Soy” (2025) and “Qué Chulada” (2024), two singles that mark a shift toward a more romantic and melodic style.

FloyyMenor Signs with Independent Artist Group for Booking

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

FloyyMenor has a new booking agent…

The 19-year-old Chilean singer and songwriter has signed with Independent Artist Group for booking.

The signing follows the huge success of FloyyMenor’s reggaeton hit “Gata Only” with Cris MJ, which was named TikTok’s Global Song of the Summer and Global Song of the Year in 2024.

According to a press release, the track saw 50 million creations on TikTok, generating more than 74 billion streams on the platform and 1.3 billion streams on Spotify; it also reached No. 2 on Spotify’s Global Chart.

“Gata Only” also had great success in the U.S., where it hit No. 27 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for 14 weeks. It finished at No. 1 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs list.

FloyyMenor’s breakthrough came in 2023 with the single “Pa la Europa.” That was followed by the August release of his debut EP El Comienzo, on which he partnered with UnitedMasters.

According to the release, the EP became the most-listened-to Chilean project in Spotify’s history and ranked among the top Spanish albums globally in 2024. In December, Spotify also named “Gata Only” the most-streamed Latin song of the year, while that same month, FloyyMenor was named one of VEVO’s DSCVR Artists to Watch 2025. “Gata Only” was also featured on former U.S. President Barack Obama’s “Favorite Music of 2024” list.

In October, FloyyMenor became the first Chilean artist to win a Billboard Latin Music Award, where he took home the Global 200 Latin song of the year. He also won top Latin song at the Billboard Music Awards for “Gata Only.”

FloyyMenor is set to release his debut album YTSQS later this year.

Jasiel Nuñez Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Jasiel Nuñez has new representation…

United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed the Mexican singer-songwriter.

Managed by George Prajin, founder/CEO of Prajin Parlay and co-founder of Double P Records along with global superstar Peso Pluma, with whom Nuñez has a longstanding creative partnership.

The Guadalajara native contributed to Peso Pluma’s 2023 album Génesis on tracks like “Laguna” and “Rosa Pastel,” the latter of which reached No. 24 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart.

In 2024, Nuñez also joined Peso Pluma on his Éxodo tour.

Nuñez’s latest album, La Odisea — featuring collaborations with Luis R Conriquez, Tito Double P and Danny Lux — landed at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart and at No. 6 on Regional Mexican Albums.

“I’m excited and thankful to become part of the United Talent Agency family,” said Nuñez in a statement. “This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, and I’m ready to push música Mexicana to new heights.”

Ryan Castro Makes History with Acquisition of Significant Equity Stake in Paisas Basketball Club

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Castro is getting in the game…

The 31-year-old Colombian rapper, singer and songwriter has announced that through his company AWOO Team, he has acquired a significant equity stake in Paisas Basketball club, a professional team in his hometown of Medellín.

The acquisition makes Castro the first Colombian music artist to own a stake in a basketball team, and also makes him one of only a handful of Colombian artists vested economically in sports.

“It’s another facet for us as entrepreneurs. Supporting sports, because the kids in the barrios have the same dreams as us, the artists,” said Castro, who rose to stardom from the slums of Medellín.

The Paisas, he adds are from his hometown, plus, “I love basketball. Every time I go to the U.S., I like to go to NBA games. So, it all came together and the opportunity arose to support a team from my city to continue growing the basketball movement, generate more activity and support young people who are into sports.”00:00

While basketball is not nearly as prominent as soccer in Colombia, it’s on the rise. Castro’s acquisition coincides with Paisas Basketball debut in the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA), which includes top teams from across the continent). The team also competes in the Betplay professional league in Colombia under Venezuelan coach Daniel Seoane.

On his end, Castro is no stranger to sports.

Last year, he released “El Ritmo Que Nos Une,” the official anthem for Colombia’s national soccer team during Copa América. The video, which has been viewed more than 110 million times on YouTube, shows Castro hanging out and playing soccer with members of the Colombian squad.

However, Castro wasn’t actively looking to invest in sports. The opportunity came to him via a close associate who works actively with basketball and the NBA. “He told me this was a possibility and me and my team gathered all the information we could about Paisas,” says Castro.

Beyond investing in the team, partnering with Castro also gives the Paisas the opportunity to leverage the musician’s platform as a popular Colombian artists with millions of followers on social media (4.5 million on Instagram alone). Plus, he says, “Taking into my account my life story, also take that message of empowerment, of working for your dreams to other kids. That’s the intention. Many kids dream of basketball and sports as a way to get ahead and have a better life, and my story is similar, but with music. So it’s about also taking that motivation, and, as a businessman, I want to venture into sports.”

Castro officially announced his partnership on Tuesday, January 14 at a press conference in Medellín. At the same time, he’s releasing his first single of the year, “Ni x el Putxs,” featuring Colombian trap star Kris R.

Castro’s music is distributed by Sony Latin via his compay AWOO Corp. He also has a strategic partnership and label services deal with WK Records with Leo Arango as his manager.

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