Shakira Among Headlining Acts for This Year’s Bésame Mucho Festival in Los Angeles

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is embracing the besos…

The Bésame Mucho Festival has unveiled its 2024 lineup, with the 47-year-old Colombian global superstar among this year’s headlining acts.

Returning December 21 to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for its third year, other confirmed headliners include Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Los Tigres del Norte, Juanes, Banda MS, Carlos Vives, Gloria Trevi, Paulina Rubio and more.

Bésame Mucho has established itself as a popular multi-generational event thanks to the variety of artists who perform across different stages.

For its 2024 edition, Latin rock lovers will be able to enjoy acts such as Elefante, Belanova and Enanitos Verdes.

Música Mexicana fans can catch Ana Barbara, El Fantasma, Grupo Pesado and Alicia Villarreal.

The tropical junkies can dance the night away to Elvis Crespo, Bacilos and Proyecto Uno.

This will mark Shak’s second appearance at the festival.

Earlier this year, she made a surprise announcement via a video message during Grupo Frontera’s set at the first inaugural Bésame Mucho Festival in Austin, Texas, in March.

The artist used the festival grounds to tease fans with a preview of her Frontera collaboration “(Entre Paréntesis)” ahead of the release of her seventh studio album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.

“Hola mi gente de Bésame Mucho, I leave you with my friends from Grupo Frontera and a preview of our next song ‘(Entre Paréntesis),’” Shakira said in Spanish. The group then went on to play around half a minute of the norteño track.

Early access to presale tickets begins at 10:00 am PT on Friday, May 24 via BesameMuchoFestival.com.

Ángela Aguilar to Perform at This Year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ángela Aguilar is preparing for her Billboard moment…

The 18-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter will perform at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to take place on Thursday, September 29.

Aguilar is part of a roster of recently added performers that includes Alejandra Guzmán, Calibre 50, Elvis Crespo, Farruko, Los Ángeles Azules, Ozuna and Piso 21.

Billboard and Telemundo announced on Tuesday (Sept. 6) the second round of performers who will take the stage at Miami’s Watsco Center.

The new list of acts join an already star-studded lineup that includes Camilo, Carlos Vives, Chayanne, CNCO, Eslabon Armado, Grupo Firme, Maluma, Pablo López, Pepe Aguilar, Raphael and Tini.

Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with 23 nods across 13 categories. He is up for artist of the year, tour of the year, Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, male, and top Latin album of the year for his album Un Verano Sin Ti, which has logged nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for album of the year at the recent MTV Video Music Awards. Bad Bunny won artist of the year — the first time a Latin artist has been in a marquee category at that show.

Following Bad Bunny is Colombian star Karol G with 15 entries in 11 categories — a record number of nods for a female artist. Karol’s categories include artist of the year and Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, female, as well as Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event, for her Becky G collab “MAMIII.”

The 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, the longest-running awards show in Latin music, will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on September 29, preceded by a one-hour red carpet special.

The awards will broadcast simultaneously on Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional, the Telemundo App and on Peacock.

Prince Royce Notches 15th No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs Chart

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special quinceañera for Prince Royce…

The 27-year-old Dominican American singer has earned his 15th No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs airplay chart as “Deja Vu,” featuring Shakira (who earns her fifth leader), steps 2-1 on the April 29-dated chart.

The lift puts Royce in third place for most chart-toppers on the 23-year-old chart, breaking out of a tie with Gilberto Santa Rosa and Elvis Crespo (each with 14 No. 1s). He is bested only by Marc Anthony and Victor Manuelle, who each lead the pack with 28 No. 1s.

“I feel honored and grateful for being amongst artists I admire. Marc Anthony and Victor Manuelle have been creating great music for so many years and have maintained the tropical genre,” Royce shared with Billboard.

The song reaches the top spot due to a 9 percent audience increase at monitored Latin stations, to 14.3 million impressions in the tracking week ending April 16, according to Nielsen Music.

Further, Royce has earned the 15 crowning hits faster than any other act — six years, six months, and two weeks after is first (“Stand By Me” reached No. 1 on the Aug. 14, 2010 chart). Anthony has the second-fastest accumulation of his first 15 No. 1 hits: seven years, one week (between June 17, 1995, when “Te Conozco Bien” hit No. 1, through June 29, 2002, when “Viviendo” first led the tally).

Royce adds, “Obtaining my 15th number 1 on the Tropical Songs chart in less than seven years is an accomplishment I’m proud of and I’d like to thank my fans, radio programmers, my team and all of the people that have supported my music throughout the years.”

Prince Royce’s 15 No. 1s on Tropical Songs chart
Title, peak date (weeks at No. 1)
“Stand By Me,” Aug. 14, 2010 (one week)
“Corazon Sin Cara,” Oct. 23, 2010 (10 weeks)
“El Verdadero Amor Perdona” (Mana featuring Prince Royce), Dec. 10, 2011 (two weeks)
“Las Cosas Pequeñas,” Feb. 4, 2012 (two weeks)
“Incondicional,” June 16, 2012 (two weeks)
“Te Me Vas,” March 2, 2013 (four weeks)
“Darte Un Beso,” Aug. 17, 2013 (seven weeks)
“Te Robare,” March 8, 2014 (two weeks)
“Soy El Mismo,” Aug. 2, 2014 (one week)
“Solita,” March 21, 2015 (one week)
“Que Cosas Tiene El Amor” (Anthony Santos & Prince Royce), June 20, 2015 (one week)
“Culpa Al Corazon,” Feb. 13, 2016 (four weeks)
“La Carretera,” July 9, 2016 (one week)
“Moneda,” featuring Gerardo Ortiz, Jan. 28, 2017 (three weeks)
“Deja Vu,” with Shakira, April 29, 2017 (one week, so far)

On working with Shakira, Royce says the collaboration “has been such a great experience. She’s so talented and professional. The chemistry between us has been great; I love that she’s hands on and has been part of the process since day one.”

“Deja Vu” is the latest single from Royce’s most recent album, Five, which remains at No. 1 for a seventh straight week on the Tropical Albums chart.

Crespo Teams with Ilegales for New Single “Guayo”

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Elvis Crespo is charting into illegal territory with his next song…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning Merengue singer has joined voices with Ilegales for his latest single, “Guayo.”

The track has a sound that’s described as an EDM/tropical fusion.

“I’m going through an amazing moment in my career right now,” Crespo tells Billboard. “‘Bailar‘ was a huge success last year and the collaboration with Deorro worked so well. We took that song to places where no one even spoke Spanish, but they were singing and dancing to our song. I wanted to release a fun summer track, and ‘Guayo’ has that ‘Bailar’ vibe.”

This time around, the merengue superstar teams up with Ilegales for the upbeat track.

“I’ve collaborated with Ilegales before and there’s just a great chemistry between us. We created a song full of energy.”

Following the “Bailar” phenomenon, which peaked at No. 8 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, Crespo says he’s open to working with other EDM artists.

“I’ve always had an open mind when making music and I like getting out of my comfort zone,” he explains. “You have to in order to stay relevant. Actually, I’ve gotten a lot of messages from other DJs who want to collaborate, including Steve Aoki and Juan Magán.”

Crespo is currently in the studio working on his forthcoming album, which he says will include many surprises.

“I’m unpredictable. Later this year I’ll drop a new merengue/bachata album. The album will have nothing to do with ‘Guayo.'”

Deorro’s “Bailar” Spends a Fourth Week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Digital Song Sales Chart

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Deorro’s single is all over the place… in a good way!

The 25-year-old Mexican American DJ’s single “Bailar,” featuring Pitbull and Elvis Crespo, remains No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Digital Song Sales chart for a fourth week.

Deorro’s track also spends a fourth straight week in the top 10 (continuing at No. 8) on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, aided by a 2 percent rise in digital sales (4,000 in the week ending Oct. 27) and 1.1 million weekly streams (up 3 percent).

Additionally, “Bailar” moves up 13-12 (returning to its previous peak) on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart.

Meanwhile, the dance hit debuts on the Pop Songs airplay chart at No. 39 (with a 7 percent increase in weekly spins).

It’s Deorro and Crespo’s first song to land on the chart, while Pitbull notches his 33rd hit at the format.

“Bailar” concurrently spends a third charting week on the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart, dipping 38-40 despite a 17 percent increase in plays.

The Spanish-language song is having less of an impact on Latin radio stations, landing well below the Latin Airplay 50-position threshold. It did, however, crown the Tropical Songs chart for one week (Sept. 17 chart), but has since fallen below the 40-position chart.

J.Lo Bringing a Little Pop to SBS’ Megaton Mundial Concert

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is bracing for a mega(ton) performance….

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress has joined the roster of acts performing at the SBS network’s annual Megaton Mundial de Polito Vega, taking place on October 28 at Madison Square Garden.

Lopez is the only pop act so far on a roster that, as is traditionally the case with Megatón, features predominantly tropical and urban music.

The Megatón will also feature performances by Pitbull, veteran rappers Tego Calderon and Vico C, Cuban duo Gente de Zona and Ivy Queen.

Salsa performers include Luis Enrique, Pirulo y la Tribu, Tony Vega, Hector Tricoche and Nino Segarra, while merengue will be represented by Elvis Crespo, Grupo Manía and La Dinastía Rosario. Bachata will be present courtesy of El Torito, Bachata Heightz and Jay Ruiz.

SBS’ annual Megatón, produced by SBS Entertainment, bears the name of popular radio personality Polito Vega, who’s been on the air more than 50 years.

Vega is one of the iconic voices of Mega 97.9 FM, the top-rated Spanish-language station in the country.

Rivera Earns 12th No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs Chart

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s twelve on the dot for Jerry Rivera…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer’s latest single “Noche Bohemia,” featuring Anthony Santos, rises 2-1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs chart.

The song gives Rivera, a Latin Grammy– and Grammy-nominee, his 12th No. 1 on the chart.

The climb ties Rivera with Elvis Crespo for fourth-most No. 1s on the list.

Meanwhile, Santos, a renowned bachata singer from the Dominican Republic, scores his second chart-topper with the rise following a one-week stint at the peak in 2014 with “Solo Te Amo.”

A 25 percent increase at plays at the format drives “Noche Bohemia” to the top of the chart, led by WAMG, Boston with 66 spins recorded during the tracking week.

The Ilegales Reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay Chart

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

The Ilegales have reason to pasarla bien…

The Grammy-nominated Dominican merenhouse trio, comprised of Vladimir Dotel, Juan Carlos Campos and Lumy Pimentel, have reached the summit on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart.

The group hops 3-1 on Tropical Airplay with “Pasarla Bien,” featuring El Potro Alvarez.

It’s the trio’s third No. 1, and climbs 9 percent in spins at the format.

The group first topped the list as a featured act on Elvis Crespo‘s “Yo No Soy Un Monstro,” which spent three crowning weeks in 2012.

Later that year, they earned their first lead No. 1 with “Ayantame” featuring El Potro Alvarez.

The group was founded in 1995.

Olivero Reaches the Finals on Fox’s “The X Factor”

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Carlito Olivero is thisclose to the winning the big shebang…

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American singer has reached the finals on the third season of Fox’s The X Factor after getting past two bottom-three eliminations unscathed to make it to the final stretch.

Olivero, from the Boys group mentored by Paulina Rubio, was the first contestant announced to be safe during the reality singing competition’s results show on Thursday.

Following a rocky moment last week, which saw him land in the bottom two, Olivero managed to turn things around during Wednesday’s performance show.

The former member of Menudo who took part in MTV‘s Making Menudo performed Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend,” Marc Anthony’s “I Need to Know” and Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente” this week.

Olivero will face-off against frontrunners Alex & Sierra and rock-star-in-the-making Jeff Gutt in next week’s finals.

The Chicago-native tells Fox News Latino it’s been an amazing ride and wants people to vote.

“We need a Latino to win this!” he said.

The two-part finale of The X Factor season 3 will air on December 18 and 19.

Longoria to Receive ‘ALMA de tu Mundo’ Award from the NCLR

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is set to receive a worldly award…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actress is set to receive NCLR’s ALMA de tu Mundo award during the 2013 edition of Premios Tu Mundo.

The ALMA de Tu Mundo award, presented by Telemundo and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) recognizes artists who use their fame and talent to help the less-fortunate in society and create awareness of various philanthropic endeavors.

Handed out for the first time ever, the “ALMA de Tu Mundo” acknowledges the work of the former Desperate Housewives star, who has been engaged in many causes on behalf of the Latino community to help ensure a better future for Hispanic families through civic engagement, voting, education, and entrepreneurship.

But Longoria won’t be the only Latino celebrity receiving an award…

Daddy Yankee will be honored with the Poder Musical award.

The Poder Musical award is reserved only for artists who with courage, talent and innovative power revolutionize the world of music. Daddy Yankee was selected to receive the coveted recognition because of his unstoppable success that spans more than a decade. His unique innovating power has led him to place the urban music genre not only on the map but atop music charts around the globe.

The awards show will also feature electrifying performances by Natalia Jimenez, Aracely Arambula, Cristian Castro, Elvis Crespo, Tito “El Bambino” and Carlos Ponce.

The star-studded awards show will be broadcast live on Thursday, August 15 at 8:00 pm from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

See the full list of finalists at http://www.PremiosTuMundo.com. The winners for each category will be announced at the awards show.

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