Daddy Yankee & Don Omar Add Charity Show to Their The Kingdom Tour

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee and Don Omar are expanding their kingdom…

A benefit concert has been added to the debut of the 38-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and the 37-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton singer’s The Kingdom tour, with a portion of the proceeds from the December 6 concert set for San Juan’s Hospital del Niño.

Tickets will go on sale tonight at 11:59 p.m. through Ticketpop, and will be available tomorrow morning at Walmart and at the venue, the Coliseo stadium.

Four San Juan shows will kick off the reggaeton stars’ “musical boxing match” — a 65-concert conciliation tour that the former long-time rivals will take to Latin America and the U.S. in 2016.

Tickets for December 4 and 5 shows are sold out. VIP tickets are still available for a December 3 show, at about $390 each.

While ticket prices for the benefit concert are not yet available, promoter Raphy Pina announced through a press release that they will be “accessible.” Puerto Rican rice brand Arroz Rico is sponsoring the charity show.

“Daddy Yankee and I may have an artistic rivalry but personally we think the same and we want everyone to enjoy a family show that will never be repeated,” Don Omar said in the statement. “We will close this saga with popular prices for the entire public.”

The new partnership between the formerly estranged reggaeton stars also includes a joint album and a TV show for the two artists, who between them have 11 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Latin Albums chart, 28 top 10 hits on Hot Latin Songs, over 50 million followers on Facebook and Twitter alone, and have sold more than 5 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen Music.

Vives to Auction Off Swarovski-Studded Guitar Designed by Mauricio Benitez for Charity

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is ready to give back to his community…

Tis November, the 54-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is planning to auction off a guitar studded with 50,000 Swarovski crystals that he played in concerts on his Mas Corazon Profundo tour of Bogota and Santa Marta.

The instrument will be put up for bids on November 4 in Bogota to raise money for a social project in Santa Marta, the city where Vives was born.

“The guitar goes on the auction block to collect funds to rebuild the sports complex in the Pescadito neighborhood,” a project he shares with ex-soccer star Carlos “Pibe” Valderrama, also a native of that city, according to the auctioneers.

The guitar’s design was the work of Mauricio Benitez, known as “Mr. Bling,” and was inspired by the wide-brimmed “vueltiao” sombrero typical of Colombia’s Atlantic coast, woven with natural fibers and which was declared a “cultural symbol” of the country by Congress in 2004.

Notable among Benitez’s works are the crystal statuettes of Our Lady of Guadalupe and of artists and athletes like Alejandro Fernandez, Don Omar, Venus Williams and Falcao Garcia.

Daddy Yankee Gathering Latin Music Stars for One-Night Only Concert in LA

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee is bringing out some big guns for his upcoming all-star concert.

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, songwriter, producer and actor is gathering an A-list squad for a special, one-night only engagement during his King Daddy tour.

Scheduled to take place on October 17 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, the stellar line-up for Yankee’s concert includes Prince Royce, Yandel, Natalia Jimenez, Arcángel, Plan B and others to be confirmed soon.

Tickets for the concert, produced by Cárdenas Marketing Network, in association with Pina Records and AEG Live, will go on sale Sept. 3 on axs.com.

Having just trekked across Europe for a 19-date tour, Yankee has a busy two years of touring ahead of him.

His recently announced 60-date joint tour The Kingdom with Don Omar kicks off on December 5 in Puerto Rico and will run for two years.

The partnership also includes a joint album and a TV show for the two reggaeton superstars.

Lopez to Perform at This Year’s iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is ready for a Fiesta…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge has been added to the lineup for this year’s iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina in Miami.

J.Lo joins a roster that includes her frequent collaborators Pitbull and Prince Royce, with whom she worked with on his recent single “Back It Up.”

The event will be held at the American Airlines Arena on Nov. 7, with a video live stream on Yahoo Live and broadcast on iHeartMedia Spanish-Pop, Tropical, regional Mexican and Spanish Adult Hit radio stations across the U.S.

The show will also have a television re-broadcast via Telemundo on November 15.

Other acts announced include Don Omar, Marco Antonio Solis, Wisin, Camila, Becky G, Fonseca and Voz de Mando.

“For the first time ever Latin music fans will be able to experience the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina everywhere, from the radio, live video stream and broadcast television,” said President of Entertainment Enterprises and Producer, iHeartMedia John Sykes in a statement. “The fans demanded it, so we have made the show available virtually everywhere they turn.”

Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms and Producer, iHeartMedia, added in a statement, “With every iHeartMedia event, we strive to make music pop culture moments. iHeartMedia specializes in creating events that go down in music history for their massive A-level lineups and never-before-seen collaborations. This year’s iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina is no different, and will feature the biggest acts in the genre. It’s going to be an unforgettable night in Miami.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on August 22.

J Balvin Scores First No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart with “Ay Vamos”

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a big first for J Balvin…

The 29-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer, considered the breakout Latino artist of 2014, has scored his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as “Ay Vamos” hops 4-1 in its 25th week on the chart.

The track takes Digital Gainer honors on the chart, climbing 78 percent (to 5,000 downloads sold in the week ending Feb. 22, according to Nielsen Music), fueled in part by a performance of the song on Univision‘s Premio Lo Nuestro awards show on February 19, where he took home four awards, including urban artist of the year.

A recently released remix featuring Nicky Jam and French Montana, along with a price reduction (to 69 cents) as part of a digital promotion, also helps the track leap 11-4 on the Latin Digital Songs chart.

On Hot Latin Songs, “Ay Vamos” had spent 10 nonconsecutive weeks stuck at No. 2 on the list, unable to break his tourmate Enrique Iglesias‘ impenetrable 41-week record No. 1 run with “Bailando” featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona. A week ago, “Bailando” finally fell (1-2), as Mana‘s “Mi Verdad” bowed atop the list. At the same time, “Ay Vamos” slipped 2-4 — to its lowest rank since the Nov. 29-dated chart. But thanks to its surge in sales, the song finally crowns the list with its three-spot leap.

“Ay Vamos,” from Balvin’s La Familia B Sides (released Sept. 16), also earlier spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay (first peaking on Oct. 25), tying with Don Omar‘s “Zumba” for fourth-longest No. 1 run on the chart. It currently continues at No. 2 (with a 10 percent jump in airplay — to 7.7 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen).

Balvin is a 12-time finalist at the upcoming 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards, airing live on Telemundo from Miami on April 30. He’s a finalist in such categories as artist of the year, new; and hot Latin song of the year for “6 AM” (featuring Farruko). He’ll be speaking at the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Conference.

J Alvarez to Perform at the Calibash Festival in January

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

J Alvarez is bringing his preguntas to Southern California…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican reggaetón artist and “La Pregunta” singer will perform at the Calibash festival, which is set for January 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

This year’s lineup includes Pitbull, Don Omar, Carlos Vives, Tego Calderon, Wisin, Plan B, Farruko, 3BallMTY, Gente de Zona and Maluma.

The lineup joins some of the most established Latin music acts with a strong representation of emerging artists who have become familiar names on the charts, including Alvarez, Farruko (“Passion Wine”), and Gente de Zona (“Bailando”).

The festival should be a magnet for the bilingual young Latino crowd.

Calibash, billed as “the leading urban Latin music festival in the world,” is presented by SBS Entertainment, AEG Live and Mega 96.3 FM. The latest edition of the 7-year-old festival was previously scheduled to take place on Nov. 22.

SBS moved the Calibash date ahead when iHeartMedia launched its own Latin mega concert, the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, on that same November date.

Tickets for Calibash 2015 go on sale on November 21 through axs.com.

Vega to Be Honored at This Year’s El Megaton Mundial de Polito Vega Show

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

This upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month, Polito Vega will have extra reason to celebrate.

The 76-year-old Puerto Rican radio personality, El Rey de la Radio in New York, will be honored on September 21 during a concert at Madison Square Garden featuring performances by some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Juan Luis Guerra, Don Omar, Chayanne and Carlos Vives.

El Megaton Mundial de Polito Vega show, presented by MEGA 97.9 FM, will celebrate Vega’s 30 years of service to the Hispanic community in a showcase that will also feature J’Martin, Don Miguelo, Alex Sensation, DJ Lobo and DJ Aneudy.

The third edition of this concert will celebrate a career arc that spans more than five decades for Vega, who moved to New York in 1952 to work in radio and went on to have major influence in Latin music across the U.S.

“It’s a great pleasure and honor to have a celebration this summer in New York with major artists,” said Lucas Piña, senior VP, SBS Entertainment, the company producing the event.

Vega has for decades been a popular personality on radio and has beat the competition consistently through Mega 97.9FM and AMOR 93.1FM.

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15.

Jesse & Joy Nominated for First-Ever MTV Video Music Award

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse & Joy could be corriendo to the stage at MTV Video Music Awards…

The Mexican pop-rock duo – who reached a whole new level of success with their massive hit single “¡Corre!” – have been nominated in the Best Latino Artist category.

It’s the first MTV Video Music Award nod for the brother and sister act comprised of Jesse Huerta and Joy Huerta, who were last year’s Latin Grammy darlings.

Jesse & Joy are up against Alejandro Sanz, Pitbull, Daddy Yankee and Don Omar.

The winner will be determined in a public vote held via the MTV Tr3s website. And the winner will collect the award at the MTV VMAs ceremony, which will be held at New York’s Barclays Center on August 25.

Five of Rivera’s Works Rank Among The Top-Selling Latin Albums in 2013 So Far

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The late Jenni Rivera‘s presence is still being felt on the Billboard charts…

The Mexican American singer death in a plane crash last December has had a huge impact on this year’s Latin music sales. At the mid-way point (through the week ending June 30, 2012), Rivera registers five of the top 10 biggest-selling Latin albums in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In fact, the top four selling Latin albums in 2013 are all by La Diva de la Banda.

Rivera’s La Misma Gran Señora is the top-selling Latin set of 2013 so far, selling 103,000 copies, rising 13% over last year’s top mid-year seller, Romeo Santos’ Formula: Vol. 1., which had sold 91,000 by the mid-year point of 2012.

Rivera’s Joyas Prestadas: Pop comes in at No. 2 on the 2 list with 100,000 sold so far. Both titles cross the 100,00 threshold, the first Billboard has had two Latin albums sell in excess of 100,000 at the mid-way point of the year since 2011.

Sales of the top ten mid-year Latin albums saw a 17% increase from last year’s top ten. At this point in 2012, the ten best selling Latin albums had moved a combined 467,000, whereas this year sales exceed 545,000.

Contributing to the sales growth was Draco Rosa, whose duets project Vida lands at the No. 8 position on the mid-year list with 29,000 sold. Vicente Fernandez rounds out the list at No. 10 with El Hijo Del Pueblo, selling 28,000.

On the Latin digital song sales chart, Marc Anthony‘s “Vivir Mi Vida” at No. 5 is the highest-ranked new song on the best-selling Latin songs list. It’s the year’s No. 5 best-seller, having moved 83,000 downloads thus far.

In 2013 so far, five Latin songs have sold more than 100,000 digital downloads, matching the amount that did so at this point a year ago. Shakira‘s “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” both remain in the mid-year’s top five for the fourth year in a row (Nos. 2 and 4, respectively). Don Omar’s “Danza Kuduro” (No. 1) continues in its third year among the mid-year top 10.

Overall Latin album sales stand at 4.31 million this year — down 14% compared to a year ago (5.02 million). Latin digital song sales are at 11.13 million for 2013 thus far — down 5.3% versus a year ago (11.75 million). To compare, overall album sales are down by 6%, while overall song sales slide by 2%.

The Late Rivera Wins Six Trophies at the Billboard Latin Music Awards

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She may be gone… But Jenni Rivera has not been forgotten.

The late Mexican American singer, known as la Diva de la Banda, proved to be one of the big winners at the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Rivera, whose influence and sales rose in the wake of her tragic death last December in a plane crash in Mexico, won six awards, including Artist of the Year and Regional Mexican Album of the Year for La Gran Señora, which was coincidentally released the week after her death.

Edward James Olmos, Rivera’s Filly Brown co-star, introduced a tribute segment to the singer, pointing out that just a year before, she had herself performed live on the awards stage.

“We want to remember her a little bit differently — as the woman, the friend, the mother, the daughter,” he said, before a video montage focusing mainly on Rivera’s family life and humanitarian work.

Her parents, Pedro Rivera and Rosa Saavedra, and two eldest daughters, Janney “Chiquis” Marín and Jacqueline Marín, accepted her posthumous awards.

Meanwhile, Don Omar – who performed his current hit, “Zumba” at the show – had garnered 18 finalist nods — a record tied only by Tito El Bambino in 2010 — and took home 10. They include Songs Artist of the Year, Male and Airplay Song of the year for “Dutty Love,” featuring Natty Natasha. Don Omar also won Streaming Artist of the Year and Streaming Song of the Year for “Danza Kuduro,” featuring Lucenzo.

Prince Royce, the young urban/bachata singer and soon-to-be La Voz Kids coach who has dominated the charts since his debut in 2011, won four awards, including Albums Artist of the Year, Male.

Romeo Santos, Shakira and La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de René Camacho won three awards each, as did Natty Natasha, who is featured in Don Omar’s “Dutty Love.” Teary-eyed, she dedicated her last win to “all Latinos — those who leave their homelands to pursue their dreams.”

This year’s awards featured a series of premiere performances, including Carlos Vives with Michel Teló (who won Song of the Year for his global hit “Ai Se Eu Te Pego“).

Mexican rockers Maná, who won Albums Artist of the Year, duo or Group and Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group, also received the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award for the philanthropic work of their Selva Negra Foundation, which has worked in environmental causes for nearly 20 years.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards honors the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music, as determined by the actual sales, radio airplay, streaming and social data that informs Billboard’s weekly charts.

The awards were broadcast live on Telemundo from the BankUnited Center in Miami.

Click here to see the full list of winners.

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