Guzmán Records Her New Album, “Primera Fila,” in Mexico City

Alejandra Guzmán’s next project will have fans in the front row of the action…

The 45-year-old Mexican singer/actress has recorded her new album, Primera Fila, at a Mexico City concert that Guzmán called “very special, very different.”

Alejandra Guzmán

Mexico’s “Queen of Rock” gave the audience a mix of songs, some old favorites and some new tunes, during the recording of the album that will feature 16 numbers and go on sale in November.

During the filming – which featured audience cues for applauding and cheering –

Guzmán had to repeat some songs. But that didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying Guzmán’s music, including duets with Dani Martin, Beatriz Luengo, Luis Fonseca and Draco Rosa, with whom she sang in English.

At Churubusco Studios, Guzman debuted songs like “Quitatelo,” “Entre los Dos” and “Como Ladrones,” while singing well-known numbers like “Eternamente Bella,” “Volver a Amar,” “Hacer el Amor con Otro” and “Yo Te Esperaba.”

The latter song, written for her daughter Frida when Guzman was pregnant with her, was one of the more emotional moments of the concert and was performed in a quiet, intimate atmosphere.

During her career, the Latin Grammy-winning singer has sold 15 million albums worldwide.

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

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.

Jenni Rivera

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 SantosFormula: 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%.

Buika to Perform “Besame Mucho” at the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame

Buika will be helping honor one of the most recognizable Spanish-language ballads of all time…

Buika

The 40-year-old Afro-Spanish singer, who earned rave reviews after performing two songs in Pedro Almódovar’s 2011 film The Skin I Live In, will perform “Besame Mucho” at the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame’s first induction gala.

Buika and an orchestra of top musicians will perform the song – which was written by the Mexican composer Consuelo Velasquez in 1940 and performed by artists including the Beatles and Frank Sinatra, in addition to a number of Latin stars – before it receives the Hall of Fame’s La Musa award.

In addition, the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Manuel Alejandro, Jose Angel “Ferrusquilla” Espinosa, Jose Feliciano, Julio Iglesias, Armando Manzanero and Concha Valdez Miranda as the first-ever songwriters to be added to the recently created hall of fame.

Additionally, Olga Guillot, Draco Rosa, Nat King Cole, Desi Arnaz, Ralph S. Peer and emerging Spanish singer/songwriter Natalia Jimenez will receive recognition for their contribution to the music industry.

Rubén Blades, Cristian Castro, Natalie Cole and Rosa are among the artists set to perform at the black tie event, celebrating the rich past and current popularity of Latin song.

The event will take place on April 23rd at the New World Center in Miami Beach during the Billboard Latin Music Conference.

 

Martin & Rosa to Peform at This Year’s Premio Lo Nuestro

It’ll be a reunion of sorts for Ricky Martin and Draco Rosa

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican global superstar and new The Voice Australia coach and the 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter will perform their new single “Más y Más” on the 25th anniversary edition of Premio Lo Nuestro.

Ricky Martin & Draco Rosa

It’ll be Martin and Rosa’s first time performing together onstage since their time together as members of Menudo.

“Más y Más” is the new single from Draco’s latest album Vida, his first musical production since overcoming a two-year battle with cancer. The album is being hailed as Draco’s celebration of life after having been declared cancer free. It features duets with many of Latin music’s biggest stars like Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Calle 13, Juan Luis Guerra, José Feliciano, Juanes, Marc Anthony, Maná and Shakira.

The Premio Lo Nuestro awards show will be televised live on Univision on Thursday, February 21 at 8:00 pm ET.

Martin and Rosa join the list of previously announced performers that includes 3BallMTY, Carlos Vives, Jessy & Joy, Juan Luis Guerra, Olga Tañón, Pitbull, Prince Royce and Thalía.

Rosa Teams Up with Ricky Martin & More for New Album

Draco Rosa has lined up some big names to help mark his return to music following a long absence due to his cancer treatment…

For the 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s latest album, entitled Vida, Rosa performs his greatest hits with friends and colleagues, including Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra and Shakira.

Draco Rosa
“I feel very fortunate to be part of this because … they are recording my songs,” says the Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning singer. “For me it’s a dream made into reality,” Rosa said Thursday in an interview with Efe.

Draco Rosa will also be joined on the album by other great figures in Latin music, including Romeo, Andres Calamaro, Mana, Marc Anthony, Jose Feliciano and Calle 13.

Draco Rosa admits the recording of the album helped him greatly to get through his cancer treatment, since it encouraged him to “continue with my desires and energy of life.”

“It is called Vida because I’m very happy to be alive. After two years of the disease, on Decemner 31 they confirmed to me that I was cancer-free,” he said.

The first song to hit the market is a new version of the hit “Mas y Mas” in duet form with Martin, with whom he shared one phase of his musical career when both were part of Menudo.

Vida will be released on March 19.