Saban Music Group’s Kyen?Es? has scored their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, their first No. 1 on a Latin airplay chart, as the collaborative “El Carnaval de Celia: A Tribute (La Vida Es Un Carnaval/ La Negra Tiene…)” jumps 2-1 with 8 million in audience (up 43%) earned in the week ending September 6.
The reimagination draws inspiration from Celia Cruz‘s classic hits: “La Vida es Un Carnaval” (No. 27 peak on Tropical Airplay, 2003), “La Negra Tiene Tumbao” (No. 4 peak, 2002) and “Rie y Llora” (11-week No. 1, 2003).
The track also sees progress elsewhere on the Latin charts: it surges on the Latin Airplay chart with a 17-5 hike, and debuts at No. 27 on Hot Latin Songs.
The 48-year-old Puerto Rican rapper/singer has released her latest single “Next,” as well as the song’s official music video.
Ivy Queen sings about a relationship that hasn’t been beneficial to her life.
“You didn’t teach me anything / Only that love hurts / You didn’t teach me anything / That’s why I’m going to forget you fast,” the song kicks off.
The infectious reggaeton track was co-written between Ivy and Peter Nieto and shares a woman’s perspective after a breakup.
“For men, saying ‘next’ is the easiest thing to do but when a woman wants to move on and begin dating, we are judged. That’s why ‘Next’ was born,” she tells Billboard.
In the simple yet metaphorical music video, Ivy Queen rocks a set of different glamorous outfits, including a long, silky light grey dress with glittery fringe and a matching pointy hat that represents a shark. The outfits in the clip pay homage to Ivy’s zodiac sign Pisces.
“The shark demands power and leadership,” she says. “When someone sees a shark, they know that there’s a halt. So, in other words, the boss is here. Mommy Shark.”
In true Ivy Queen fashion, “Next” oozes nothing but confidence and empowerment.
Her best advice for women to keep confident and positive after a breakup?
“It all starts with you,” she notes, “when you make the decision that a relationship is over and you’re ready to walk away and move on.” “I love that my songs encourage women. They have helped and inspired many people around the world,” she adds.
Lucrecia is ready to bring a legend’s story to life in the Big Apple…
The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts has just announced the New York premiere of Celia Cruz: The Musical!,starring the 52-year-old Cuban singer as the late Queen of Salsa, scheduled for November 16.
The show, which premiered at the Starlite Festival in Marbella, Spain, and has been performed at Miami’s Adrienne Arscht Center, was written and directed by Gonzalo Rodríguez and Jeffry Batista, with Omer Pardillo-Cid, the executor of the Celia Cruz Estate, as executive producer.
Pardillo has described Cruz as “a black woman, who was poor, who left Cuba and conquered the world,” becoming, he says, “the Lady Gagaof her time.”
The musical, which Pardillo ensures tells the true story of the woman known all over the world as the “salsa queen,” re-creates Cruz’s final concert before her death in 2003 at age 77, flashing back to episodes cued by well-known songs, from “Quimbara”to “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.”
“Celia conquered the world with her voice and her huge heart,” Lucrecia says. “She was noble, a woman of the old school. She remembered everyone’s name. You’d meet her once and she’d be sending you postcards for the rest of her life.”
During the show, Lucrecia makes 18 costume changes, wearing dresses and wigs that a Miami seamstress painstakingly copied from Cruz’s original show wardrobe. The singer performs monologues that encapsulate different periods of Cruz’s life, setting up songs that took her career from Cuba, where as a young woman she had her big break with La Sonora Matancera, to the heady days of New York salsa with the Fania All Stars, to her later years as an international icon.
“My admiration, respect and love for Celia runs very deep,” Lucrecia says. “I do the show with love, without any sense of rivalry or trying to take her place. I come out on stage to bring her alive.”
Lucrecia, whose given name is Lucrecia Pérez-Saéz, became known in Cuba as a lead vocalist and pianist with the iconic all-women band Anacaona. In 1993, she settled in Barcelona and formed her own group. The Latin Grammynominee (for 2010’s Álbum de Cuba), frequently recognized on the street by her trademark colored braids, is now a household name in Spain for her role as the singing host of the children’s television series Los Lunnis; she also appears in movie based on the series that premiered in Spanish theaters early this year.
Lucrecia is set to receive recognition as the Best Latin American Children’s Movie Actress and Best Children’s Music Singer at the Premios Latino 2019 awards in Marbella in September.
In 1998, Lucrecia appeared with Cruz, the great bassist Israel “Cachao” Lopez and actor, musician and producer Andy Garcia at an event organized by Bacardi rum in Marbella.
“I met her at the press conference,” she recalls. “I was so nervous.” During that presentation, Cruz called Lucrecia her successor. Lucrecia wrote a song in Cruz’s honor, “Agua con Azucar y Ron.”
Lucrecia recalls Cruz calling her when she was pregnant, and later bringing gifts for her son. “La Vida Es un Carnaval” was the first song that Lucrecia sang to him in the hospital. They remained friends until the end of Cruz’s life.
“Celia’s career was long, and when you have a career like that you can start on one path and then take another,” notes Lucrecia. “Of course, there are evolutions,” she says, pointing to Cruz’s 2001, “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,” which has an urban beat and premiered accompanied by a fabulous video by Cuban director Ernesto Fundora.
“Reggaeton was just coming out at that time, and there she was, doing reggaeton!
“They called her the queen of salsa,” Lucrecia adds, “but she was always the guarachera de Cuba. It was always about her Cuba, and taking it with her around the world.”
Gloria Trevi is heading into the annals of Latin music history…
The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame has revealed which five songwriters will be inducted at the prestigious hall this year, with the 50-year-old Mexican singer/songwriter making the grade.
Trevi joins a roster that includes previous inductees, including last year’s Erika Ender,Carlos VivesandAna Gabriel, to name a few.
Besides having a rebellious and over-the-top personality onstage, Trevi is also known as a songwriter and philanthropist. In her nearly three-decade music career, she’s penned more than 400 songs and released 13 albums, four of which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart:Gloriain 2011,El Amorin 2015,Immortalin 2016 andVersusin 2017.
Joining Trevi is Chucho Valdés.
As a pianist, composer and arranger, the 76-year-old Cuban artist become one of the most influential figures in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. He’s a winner of six Grammys and three Latin Grammys. On November 27, 2010, Chucho peaked at No. 8 on the Latin Pop Albumschart thanks to his collaboration withBuikaon her albumEl Ultimo Trago.
Ecuadorian singer and songwriter Carlos Rubira Infante has also made the list. He’s known for bringing to the forefront the country’s national music style, pasillo and pasacalle music. At 96 years old, he was awarded the National Prize in Art“Premio Eugenio Espejo” in 2008 from the president of Ecuador and has penned more than 400 songs.
Another honoree, Fernando Osorio.
Born in Colombia but raised in Venezuela, this singer-songwriter is the man behind some of the most unforgettable Latin songs. His first international success was with “Solo con un Beso,” a song he wrote forRicardo Montanerin 1988, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Osorio nabbed the Latin Grammy for best tropical song in 2004 for composing Celia Cruz‘s “Rie y Llora” before her death.
And last but not least… KC Porter will be honored.
Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson andLaura Pausiniall have one thing in common: KC Porter. The American record producer, songwriter, musician and singer is known for crossing over many artists into the Spanish-speaking market. He’s a nine-time Grammy winner for his production work onCarlos Santana‘sSupernaturaland has written and produced some ofRicky Martin’sbiggest hits, including “María.”
For the past six years, the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, founded by Desmond Child and Rudy Pérez, has honored the world’s greatest Latin music creators and their memorable songs.
The 2018 honorees will be officially inducted at the sixth annual La Musa Awards ceremony and gala, taking place October 18 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Victor Manuelle is bringing holiday cheer to Puerto Rico…
The 49-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer has released a new holiday song, featuring the rootsy tropical dance outfit La Tribu de Abrante and artist PJ Sin Suela.
“I don’t have water or electricity but the bet things happen in the dark,” Sin Suela raps [in Spanish] in “Mi Navidad No Se Apaga” — one of the many lines in the song that, with sabor and a smile, make reference to the catastrophic conditions that residents have experienced since the island was hit by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.
The song is one of a wave of post hurricane-referencing songs that Puerto Rican artists have recorded to keep spirits high in a country where the holidays are known for being exceptionally merry, and very musical.
They include Grupomania’s “Navidad Con Vela,” and “La Fila de la Gasolina” by the group Algareplena.
“Whatever happens there is always a party,” Puerto Rican pop star Olga Tañon said in this year’s Banco Popular Christmas television special, in which she sings a rousing version of “La Vida Es Un Carnival,” the uplifting song made famous by Celia Cruz.
La Tribu de Abrante and PJ Sin Suela also perform in the special.
The airing of the showland release of its soundtrack, an annual holiday event, has taken on special significance this year as sign that in Puerto Rico there will be Christmas this year in spite of the hurricane damage.
“Mi Navidad No Se Apaga” debuts at No. 22 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs chart this week.
Gente de Zona is preparing to pay tribute to a late compatriot…
The Cuban reggaeton group, comprised of Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom Martinez, will perform at the the Hollywood Bowl’s special tribute honoring Celia Cruz.
In addition to the Latin Grammy-winning duo and Kidjo, Pedrito Martinez will also perform at the tribute.
The Pedrito Martinez Group, whose Habana Dreams album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Tropical Albums chart last June, will be the opening act.
It’ll be the first time Gente de Zona has performed at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Hollywood Bowl’s summer season this year. See you soon in California,” the “Traidora” singers tweeted.
The Celia Cruz tribute is part of the Hollywood Bowl’s summer 2017 lineup recently announced. Other Latin artists on the summer schedule include Café Tacvba, La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte, who will perform at the Bowl on Sepember 17 as part of the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA series.
Singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo is set to perform a special tribute to the late Cuban singer, who passed away in July 23 at the age of 77, at the Hollywood Bowl.
It’s all part of the 2017 Jazz at the Bowl summer series, kicking off July 19, featuring eight Wednesday evening concerts.
Cruz is hailed as the most popular Latin artist of the 20th century, earning 23 gold albums. She was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts. She was renowned internationally as the “Queen of Salsa“, “La Guarachera de Cuba“, as well as The Queen of Latin Music.
Guided by Herbie Hancock, the L.A. Philharmonic’s creative chair for jazz, this year’s series features performances by a diverse lineup of established and emerging artists, including Kidjo’s Cruz tribute on August 9.
The lineup also includes performances by Jill Scottand the Robert Glasper Experiment, Andra Day, Leslie Odom Jr. and more in a salute to Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, and Steve Winwood with Mavis Staples.
The complete 2017 Jazz at the Bowl schedule, as well as ticket information, is available at www.HollywoodBowl.com.
The 58-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer is starring in the new off-Broadway musical I Like It Like That.
“We didn’t have politicians or other idols to look up to [in those days],” explains David Maldonado, producer and co-writer of the new musical. “There were not many Latino athletes around. The idols became Eddie Palmieri and Hector Lavoe…. Music artists were the most important figures. Music became like the religion of the masses.”
The show, now playing at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in New York, includes songs from the repertoire of Palmieri and Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Joe Cuba, Tito Puente, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, La Lupe and more.
I Like It Like That takes its title from the song that was a Billboard chart hit for Pete Rodriguez in 1967. Thirty years later, the bugalú cornerstone was revived in a hit cover by Nieves, who stars as family patriarch Roberto Rodriguez in the new musical.
Featuring a seven-piece band, the theater production is a “historical musical journey” that Maldonado describes as a social chronicle of New York in the ’70s, as well as a sing-and-dance-along showcase for the great music of the period that came out of the city’s Latino neighborhoods. The play chronicles life in the barrio in those decadent days in New York.
“We were going bankrupt,” says Maldonado, who grew up in Brooklyn. “Garbage all over the place, potholes, civil unrest…”
Maldonado describes I Like It Like That as being “about social conscience. Some people want to escape, and others want to fight for the hood, which most people called ‘the ghetto.’”
He notes that in addition to the music, the language used in the play accurately reflects the period.
“It is in Spanglish,” he says. “Mostly English. I wasn’t doing that because I was trying to get a wider audience, although I do appreciate that. It was because at that time, there was salsa, but everyone was speaking English. The music was in Spanish, but if you look at those albums, the liner notes were in English.”
Maldonado and co-writer Waddys Jáquez (who also directs the play) tell the story of the Rodriguez family in East Harlem, using salsa, bugalú and bolero classics to advance the story.
Characters were created from those described in songs like Blades’ “Paula C,” and song lyrics were used to set the action and inspire the dialog, says Maldonado. The musical also includes original songs.
I Like It Like That promises to appeal to fans of the Celia Cruz musical Celia, and Quien Mató a Hector Lavoe; both shows also produced by Maldonado, which combined social chronicle with musical tribute.
Lucero’s this year’s Latin AMAs hostess with the mostess…
The 46-year-old Mexican singer/actress and television host will serve as the host of the first-ever Latin American Music Awards.
Known as Latin America’s sweetheart, Lucero has a long history of serving as the mistress of ceremonies for numerous awards shows.
“La Novia De America” has hosted the Latin Grammy Awards eight times and the Mexican Telethon since 1997, as well as telethon editions in Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador and U.S. She also coached contestants on the first season of La Voz México.
The Latin AMAs, taking place on October 8 from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, will begin with a one-hour red carpet pre-show special at 8:00 pm. ET, followed by the awards show at 9:00 pm. ET, to be broadcast live simultaneously on Telemundo and NBC Universo.
The night will culminate at 11:35 pm. ET, with the exclusive behind-the-scenes special Latin American Music Awards: Acceso VIP.
The night will be filled with talent. Confirmed performers for the event include Paulina Rubio, Daddy Yankee, Jesse & Joy, Reik, Farruko, Fonseca, Shaggy, Lil Jon, Yandel, Natalie La Rose, Jencarlos Canela, Luis Coronel, CD9, Gloria Trevi, Gerardo Ortiz, Il Volo and DJ Alex Sensation.
The show will also include a special musical tribute to the late queen of salsa, Celia Cruz, produced by salsa veteran Sergio George and featuring Colombian sensation Maluma, princess of salsa India, Mexican icon Yuriand singer/actress Aymée Nuviola— who portrays Cruz in the new Telemundo series Celia.
Celia Cruz may be gone, but she’ll be remembered in a big way at the inaugural Latin American Music Awards.
The late Cuban-American salsa singer/performer and seven-time Grammy winner, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 77, will receive a musical tribute produced by Sergio George at the Latin AMAs.
George, a tropical music legend, has rounded up a diverse group of performers to honor the late Queen of Salsa’s legacy during the October 8 telecast on Telemundo, airing live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Colombian sensation Maluma, princess of salsa India, Mexican icon Yuri and singer/actress Aymée Nuviola — who portrays Cruz in the new Telemundo series Celia— will sing a medley of her most beloved hits.
Presenting the tribute are Puerto Rican actors Jeimy Osorio and Modesto Lacén, who play Cruz and her husband/manager Pedro Knight during their younger years on Celia (Nuviola and renowned theater actor Willie Denton play the couple later in life).
Slated for an October 13 premiere, Celia chronicles Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso‘s evolution from a shy teen in pre-revolution Havana, Cuba, to a larger-than-life figure that brought the world to its feet with the power of her voice, inimitable style and exuberant presence. Along the way, Cruz battled racism, sexism and defied expectations of what a black female musician could achieve in the ’50s.
Other performers confirmed for the Latin AMAs include Paulina Rubio, Daddy Yankee, Jesse & Joy, Reik, Farruko, Fonseca, Shaggy, Lil Jon,Yandel, Natalie La Rose,Jencarlos Canela,Luis Coronel, CD9, Gloria Trevi, Gerardo Ortiz and Il Volo.
