Marc Anthony Buys E1 Electric Powerboating Team in Miami

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s smooth racing for Marc Anthony…

The 55-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor has expanded his sport-related empire by becoming the owner of the new E1 electric race boat championship Team Miami.

Anthony, a minority owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and owner of the artists and athletes agency Magnus Media, joins a star-studded line-up of E1 team owners that includes Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki, Sergio Perez, Didier Drogba and Virat Kohli.

Their respective teams will compete in the first-ever E1 event next February 2-3 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. E1 is the first electric raceboat championship sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body of powerboating, and promotes a racing series powered solely by electric, and based on clean technologies to protect our waters and coastal areas.

In addition to owning the new team, Anthony and Magnus will also host E1 in the U.S in a 2025 Miami event that will include races, the Acceleration Festival fan village and a star-studded live concert.

“It is going to be a couple of days of culture, entertainment, style, sexiness, just the right amount of danger,” says Anthony in a video released on Monday (December 18). “It’s a blank canvas. I’m making every phone call. I’m starting now for what’s going to happen in 2025.”

While Anthony is first and foremost a music star, he has stakes in many ventures, including a minority ownership in the NFL’s Dolphins. That experience in particular has helped him understand the intricacies of running a team and provided him with the macro view of launching a championship and making the experience as “exhilarating” as possible, he says.

“It wasn’t only just owning the Miami Dolphins,” he says in the announcement video. “It was the stadium and the 300 acres around it. I see it the same way. I’m interested in finding a way that the race experience […]is as eventful as possible and quality and hair-raising.”

Felipe Pimiento, COO of Magnus added: “This is a very exciting venture for us at Magnus. It continues to solidify our footprint in the sports world at various levels.” Anthony joins a list of hugely influential owners that E1’s founders hope will help amplify E1 presence and awareness.

“E1’s list of owners exemplifies how our championship’s strategy is leading the way in sport marketing, and we are thrilled to have Marc join our roster of global icons,” says Rodi Basso, CEO and co-founder of E1.

“It’s a great sign for the future of E1 that we are already speaking about our season 2 destinations, and with Marc bringing our championship to Miami, I could think of no finer place for E1 to make its United States debut,” adds Alejandro Agag, Chairman and co-founder of E1.

Luis Figueroa’s “Bandido” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay Chart

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Figueroa is celebrating another chart-topper…

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican singer and songwriter has notched his second No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart as “Bandido” lifts to the top of the October 21-dated ranking.

“I am so excited with the reaction from everyone with this song … it has become a fan favorite!” Figueroa tells Billboard. “I am also proud to represent this new salsa movement. Salsa es lo que hay!”

“Bandido” rises to the summit with a 23% gain to 5.7 million audience impressions on reporting radio stations during the October 6-12 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song was released on August 17 via Magnus Media/Sony Music Latin, with Figueroa one of its six writers.

“It was amazing to work with so many talented musicians and lyricists on this song,” Figueroa adds. “I have been looking forward to putting this record out for a while, so for everyone to finally listen to it, and the reaction it has received, is so gratifying.”

Notably, “Bandido” becomes the first salsa track to crown Tropical Airplay among the five tropical tunes that have notched their first weeks at No. 1 in 2023. Let’s look at the winners, by core style:

Peak Date, Artist, Title (style)
February 4, Romeo Santos & Rosalia, “El Pañuelo” (bachata)
April 8, Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, “El Merengue” (merengue)
July 8, Prince Royce, “Me EnRD” (bachata)
August 5, Chayanne, “Bailando Bachata” (bachata)
October 21, Luis Figueroa, “Bandido” (salsa)

“Bandido” is the first salsa No. 1 on Tropical Airplay since Marc Anthony’s “Mala” in March 2022.

“Bandido” concurrently translates into a new No. 1 for Magnus Media. The label last ruled Tropical Airplay through another Figueroa song, “Hasta El Sol de Hoy,” for one week in July 2021.

Beyond its Tropical Airplay coronation, “Bandido” rebounds to its No. 18 high on the overall Latin Airplay chart. It became Figueroa’s second top 20 entry there, following the No. 15-peaking “Todavía Te Espero” in 2022.

Figueroa’s new achievement follows his first-time nomination for a Billboard Latin Music Award this year, for tropical artist of the year, solo.

Marc Anthony’s Magnus Media Signs New Venture with Beverage Company BELIV

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Anthony has a new unBELIVable deal…

The 51-year-old salsa singer’s Magnus Media has signed a new venture with BELIV.

BELIV, a leader in the beverage business, has a portfolio of more than 28 brands with a presence in over 24 countries worldwide.

The endeavor brings together Beliv’s innovative approach to beverages with their respect for Latin America and Magnus´s world-class, passionate, talent and athletes, who embrace their Latin culture to connect fans across the globe.

The companies proudly join forces to create unique beverage propositions based on the richness of Latin America and the passion of Latin people.

Catherine Shanahan, internationally recognized leader in sustainable eating and nutrition, who oversees nutritional aspects of the developed beverages, is the expert advisory of this new company.

The first two brands co-developed by the endeavor include two clean energy beverages: OCA, a plant based energy drink powered by tapioca, an extract of the cassava root, that gives you a long-lasting boost without the crash and burn.

The cassava root, is a powerful and natural source of energy originally from the Amazonian rainforest. OCA it’s organic, vegan, gluten free, low in sugar and natural caffeinated ideal to provide the energy boost the way nature intended. The line comes in three flavors —Mango, Berry Acai, Guava Passionfruit.

AZU, a clean sparkling energy drink inspired by the Iguazu falls of Misiones Argentina, which is also the epicenter of the yerba mate.Yerba Mate is a powerful and functional ingredient, loaded with more antioxidants than green tea and naturally caffeinated to give a natural boost, mental clarity and long-lasting energy. AZU it’s organic, vegan, low in sugar and all the ingredients come from natural source, also has no preservatives. The line comes in two flavors —Pineapple & Grapefruit.

“I’ve had the amazing opportunity to travel around Latin America for over three decades, discovering the unique flavors of each country,” says Anthony. “I’ve tasted amazing fruits, with incredible beneficial properties and I want to share that with the world. Partnering with companies like Beliv, allows us to continue to share our beautiful culture in many different ways.”

In 2020,OCA and AZU will be available in the United States with an e-commerce platform and retail. Beverages will be distributed by health & wellness product distributors and brand accelerators like Critical Mass Group.

Starting this month both brands will be available in regional and specialty chains in Southern California and subsequently will expand to Florida, New York, Oregon and Texas.

Puerto Rico will also have the opportunity to enjoy OCA and AZU. The partnership will work closely with CBC, the distribution partner for that territory, to make the product accessible in every supermarket and convenience store in the island.

The partnership will be supervised by Felipe Pimiento (Magnus COO), Carlos Sluman (Beliv CEO) and Gabriela Ramirez as head of the venture for both companies.

Marc Anthony’s Magnus Studios Developing Animated Children’s Series “Gloria (doesn’t) Know It All”

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Anthony is getting animated…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican singer’s Magnus Studios, a division of his entertainment company Magnus Media, will develop and produce an animated children’s series aimed at children ages 4-8.

Gloria (doesn’t) Know It All will be produced in partnership with filmmaker and Academy Award winner Juan Jose Campanella‘s animation studio Mundoloco CGAand Lanugo Media.

The series, which will draw heavily on music and magic realism, tells the story of a 7-year-old little Alpaca sent to visit her grandparents in a magical town.

Anthony and Magnus COO Felipe Pimento, who is also head of Magnus Studios, will act as executive producers. Anthony will also be the series’ music executive producer, supervising the creation of all original songs and music for the show.

On their end, Campanella and Mundoloco co-founder Gaston Goraliwill act as executive producer and showrunner, respectively.

Campanella is best known for his film The Secret In Their Eyes, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.

“I am thrilled to start the new year with the announcement of a project that will highlight the splendor and diversity of our Latino culture for children everywhere and I am looking forward to inspire families and young generations with this story,” said Anthony in a statement.

Gloria (doesn’t) Know It Allwas co-created by Pimiento and Gorali with Carla Curieland Roberto Castro. Curiel and Castro, who are co-executive producers for Lanugo Media, said the story was inspired by their twin daughters Adriana and Emilia.

Gloriawill be the latest venture for an expanding Magnus Media, which also includes management, publishing and digital and video content divisions in addition to a sports unit and a talent agency. The company’s roster of acts includes Anthony, Gente de Zona, Fonseca and Mau y Ricky in addition to over 60 professional baseball players, including New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero.

Luis Figueroa Signs with Sony Music Latin

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Figueroa is ready to expand his musical empire…

After announcing his affiliation with Magnus Media, the Puerto Rican singer/songwriter, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, has joined Sony Music Latin.

“Luis has diligently developed every facet of his career including singing, songwriting, producing, acting, live performance and promotion,” says Alex Gallardo, President of Sony Music US Latin. “We are very pleased to join him in this next major step of his development.”

Figueroa graduated from Berklee College of Music, was Romeo Santos’ backing and featured vocalist during the last two international tours and, in 2017, performed at Billboard Latin Music Awards.

“I feel honored to sign with Sony because my favorite artists growing up, like Marc Anthony and Romeo Santos, are here,” adds Figueroa.

Also, in the past year, Figueroa has been working as a songwriter on tracks like “Por Perro” with Sebastián Yatraand Lary Over, and “Telepatía” with the Norwegian EDM star Matoma. Plus, he appears as a featured artist on Yashua’s “Pa Las Babies” which was co-written by Cris Chill.

“I am ready to have a record out, and ready to have an album out,” concludes Figueroa, who will release his debut single “La Especialista” on October 4.

Cimafunk Signs with Marc Anthony’s Talent Agency Magnus Media

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Cimafunk has new representation…

The Cuban music group has signed with Magnus Media, the Miami talent agency founded by Marc Anthony and Michel Vega.

“Live shows are one of the most important things for me,” frontman Cimafunk (aka Erik Alejandro Iglesias) tells Billboard. “The partnership with Magnus is to above all reinforce the quality and the reach of our shows.”

The band’s energetic afro-Cuban soul has garnered attention beyond Havana over the past year, and is on tour this month in France and Spain.

The Magnus roster also includes Jennifer Lopez, Fonseca and Gente de Zona.

Zion & Lennox Sign Worldwide Booking Deal with Magnus Talent Agency

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Zion & Lennox are going global…

The Puerto Rican reggaeton duo have signed a worldwide booking deal with Magnus Talent Agency, the bookings division of Marc Anthony‘s Magnus Media, according to Billboard.

Effective today, MTA will act as the exclusive worldwide booking agency for the duo for all concerts and personal appearances.

“Zion & Lennox are true pioneers in urban music and their dynamic live performances filled with chart hits have captivated fans on multiple continents. We are thrilled to become a part of their team as they embark on this next phase of their career, and it’s an honor to welcome them to the Magnus family” commented Michel Vega, CEO, Magnus Talent Agency.

“We trust the experience and professionalism of Magnus and we are confident that this new partnership between Zion & Lennox will strengthen our careers in this great moment we are living as music creators,” added Zion & Lennox.

Zion & Lennox have 22 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart including five top 10.

La Mega 97.9’s Alex Sensation Signs with Magnus Talent Agency

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Alex Sensation has new representation…

The Colombian DJ, who hosts two programs on SBS’ La Mega 97.9 FM, the most-listened-to station in New York City, has signed with Magnus Talent Agency for exclusive booking.

Alex Sensation’s performances as a recording artist and DJ (as well as other public appearances) will now be handled by Magnus in the national and international markets.

He’s the latest addition to MTA, which was launched in January as a division of Magnus Media, the entertainment company founded by Marc Anthony.

He joins a roster that already includes Gente de Zona, Motiff, Nacho, Il Volo for Latin America and, Anthony, among other acts.

“I’m very grateful to Marc and his team for making me feel at home and for being part of an exciting new chapter in my career,” said Sensation in a statement.

The Colombian-born DJ is also signed as a recording artist with In-Tu-Linea, the indie label distributed by UMLE, and is slated to release a solo album soon.

Magnus was launched in early 2015 and aside from its talent agency, also includes a label, management, publishing, merchandising and distribution divisions. MTA is run directly by Michel Vega, Magnus’ CEO, who as the longtime former head of Latin music at WME booked some of Latin music’s premiere acts for years.

“Opening an agency made complete sense to us as part of our overall portfolio,” Vega told Billboard. “And we absolutely want to grow. This is a big focus of ours.”

Gente de Zona Signs Worldwide Booking Deal with Cardenas Marketing Network

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gente de Zona is going global…

The Cuban reggaeton duo, consisting of Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom, has signed an exclusive deal with Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) for worldwide booking, according to Billboard.

The deal was negotiated in partnership with Magnus Media, the entertainment company launched by Marc Anthony, which also manages Gente de Zona.

“We are proud to add Gente de Zona to our booking roster as they are continuing an upward trend playing in new venues, countries and continents”, said Henry Cardenas, Cardenas Marketing Network CEO.

CMN has already begun preparations for Gente de Zona’s 2016 tour dates which will take the duo throughout Europe, Latin America, the U.S., and for the first time, the Middle East.

Regarding the partnership, Magnus’ CEO, Michael Vega said: “We are thrilled to have the CMN team aboard as partners as we continue to develop Gente de Zona’s profile throughout the world.”

CMN, based out in Chicago and Miami, produces Latin music concerts in the United States and the rest of the world for Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra, Juan Gabriel, Chayanne, Alejandro Fernández and more.

Since the release of “Bailando” (with Enrique Iglesias) in 2014, and “La Gozadera” with Marc Anthony in 2015, Gente de Zona has taken Cuba’s sounds and rhythm around the world with their music.

The duo is a four-time finalist for the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2016.

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