Alejandro Fernández’s “No Me Sé Rajar” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay Chart

Alejandro Fernández is starting 2025 with a bang!

The 53-year-old Mexican singer claims the first new No. 1 of the new year on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “No Me Sé Rajar” advances 3-1 to lead the January 18-dated ranking.

Alejandro Fernández,“No Me Sé Rajar” was originally written by Mexican guitarist and composer José Carmen Frayle Castañón in 1981 and recorded by the late Vicente Fernández, Alejandro’s father.

The new version of the song, a more modern take to the original mariachi tune, was produced by Eden Muñoz and released by Alejandro Fernández on October 25 on Universal Music Latino/UMLE.

The song’s coronation on Regional Mexican Airplay comes after a 14% gain in audience impressions, to 7.7 million, logged in the tracking week of Jan. 3-9, according to Luminate.

Thanks to the surge, Fernández adds an 11th No. 1 among 30 total entries since the tally begun in 1994. He extends his third-most champs streak among soloists, behind Christian Nodal (17 No. 1s) and Gerardo Ortiz (13).

Notably, out of Fernández’s 30 career entries on Regional Mexican Airplay, all his No. 1s have arrived in the 2020s decade, dating back to the one-week ruler “Caballero” in January 2020. With 11 rulers since, he claims the record for the most No. 1s by a solo artist this decade.

While Vicente Fernández’s version of “No Me Sé Rajar” didn’t make it to the charts as it was released before the 31-year-old ranking launched, the late mariachi star scored seven No. 1s among his 47 entries on Regional Mexican Airplay, dating to “Nos Estorbo La Ropa” in 1998 and placing his last champ with “El Último Beso” in 2009.

“No Me Sé Rajar” also gains territory on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, where it jumps 5-3 with a 10% gain in impressions, to 8 million.

Pepe Aguilar Signs Worldwide Deal with SESAC Latina

Pepe Aguilar is going global…

The 55-year-old Mexican American singer and producer has signed a worldwide deal with SESAC Latina, per Billboard.

Pepe AguilarPreviously with BMI, Aguilar now joins his children, Ángela and Leonardo Aguilar, who are also part of the SESAC Latina roster.

“We are pleased to announce that superstar Pepe Aguilar has affiliated with SESAC Latina,” Celeste Zendejas, SVP, SESAC Latina, said in a statement. “His career success is truly unparalleled, and he is one of the most iconic figures in Latin music. We pride ourselves on being a family at SESAC, and we are thrilled to work with one of the most famous families in the Mexican artistic world, and we can’t wait to celebrate their continued success in the years to come.”

The son of regional Mexican music royalty — his father was the legendary Antonio Aguilar and his mother the iconic Flor Silvestre — Aguilar, who has been performing since he was a toddler, branched out of regional early in his career to sing in rock bands.

Eventually, he would become a renowned ranchera and mariachi music artist placing, so far, nine top 10 titles on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart.

Throughout his career he’s also won four Grammys and five Latin Grammy Awards.

Most recently, he released Que Llueva Tequila, which thrives on the regal mariachi sound that has characterized Aguilar’s style. Earlier this month, the regional Mexican hitmaker also wrapped his Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos Tour with his children and brother Antonio Aguilar Jr.

Pepe Aguilar joins SESAC Latina’s roster that includes Nicky Jam, Edén Muñoz, Christian Nodal and Manuel Turizo, among others.

Ricky Martin Teams Up with Christian Nodal for Reimagined Version of “Fuego De Noche, Nieve De Día”

Ricky Martin is reimagining a classic with a special assist…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has joined voices with Christian Nodal to release a reimagined version of his hit single “Fuego De Noche, Nieve De Día.”

Ricky Martin, Christian NodalMartin delivers the reimagined version of his iconic and beautiful ballad added elements of mariachi.

Nodal adds a special assist to the 1995 anthem.

The new song starts off with Martin singing softly over a piano, much like he did in the original version. Then, at the minute-mark, melancholic mariachi trumpet notes come in to complement Nodal’s vocals as he joins Martin to sing about a person that’s come to turn their world upside down.

Marking the first collaborative effort between Martin and Nodal, the essence of the song — which will be discovered by a new generation of fans nearly 30 years later — remains untouched. “It’s a dream come true,” Nodal says about the duet in a statement. “This song is so special and so profound that it really tugs at your emotions.

Los Angeles Dodgers Retire Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34 Jersey

Fernando Valenzuela has received a special honor for the Los Angeles Dodgers

The team retired the 62-year-old Mexican former professional baseball pitcher’s No. 34 jersey on Friday night before hosting the Colorado Rockies. His number was cut into the center-field grass and stenciled in white on the back of the mound.

Fernando Valenzuela“It’s very emotional,” Valenzuela told a crowded room of English and Spanish-language media before the ceremony. “I never expected it.”

Retired pitcher and current broadcaster Orel Hershiser and retired Dodger Manny Mota lifted off a blue cloth to reveal Valenzuela’s number high above the field.

Fans, some wearing sombreros, were on their feet cheering, along with Valenzuela’s children and grandchildren. He held hands with wife Linda as they walked down the left-field line to watch the unveiling.

Earlier, a mariachi band broke out in music and song as Valenzuela was introduced and walked from the dugout to the stage set up in front of the mound.

Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, Valenzuela’s catcher Mike Scioscia, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías were among those on hand.

Valenzuela and Scioscia appeared on a Topps baseball card in which they were labeled future stars. After his playing career, Scioscia managed the Los Angeles Angels.

“It seems like yesterday when this little pudgy kid who was 20 years old started Opening Day for us and lights the whole world on fire,” Scioscia told the crowd. “What you couldn’t see was the ice water in his veins. He proved how spectacular and magical everything was.”

After the ceremony, Valenzuela tossed a first pitch to Scioscia, who bobbled the catch and buried his face in his glove.

The Rockies watched from the railing in the visitor’s dugout, while some of the Dodgers were on the field warming up and a few looked on from the dugout.

Earlier in the day, Valenzuela was in downtown Los Angeles, where the city council declared it “Fernando Valenzuela Day.”

The activities were part of a weekend celebration of one of the most enduring and popular players in Dodgers history. Valenzuela was the theme of the postgame drone show.

On Saturday, the team is giving away his bobblehead and on Sunday, the giveaway is a replica of Valenzuela’s 1981 World Series ring.

Valenzuela became a sensation that year. Besides winning the World Series, he won Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award, the first player to do so in the same year.

He was named the Opening Day starter that year by manager Tommy Lasorda after Jerry Reuss got hurt a day earlier. He responded with a 2-0 victory over Houston, beginning the season with an 8-0 record, including five shutouts, and an 0.50 ERA.

“Tommy Lasorda came up to me and said, ‘Are you ready to pitch tomorrow?’ I said, ‘I’m ready,'” Valenzuela recalled. “That’s what I was looking for, the opportunity to show what I can do.”

Valenzuela’s pitching motion — glancing skyward at the apex of each windup — was a hit, too. His signature pitch was the screwball, taught to him by teammate Bobby Castillo in 1979.

During his warmups, ABBA‘s hit “Fernando” blared from the speakers.

The native of Mexico was credited for drawing large numbers of Latino fans to Dodger Stadium and they nicknamed him “El Toro” — the Bull. He proved a huge draw on the road as well.

His number joins previous honorees Pee Wee Reese, Lasorda, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Walter Alston, Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale and Hall of Fame broadcasters Vin Scully and Jarrín.

Jarrín “helped me a lot early in my career talking to you guys,” Valenzuela said, referring to the translation the broadcaster did for English-speaking media.

Besides Lasorda and Jarrín, Valenzuela also credited Mike Brito, the scout who in Mexico found the left-handed pitcher, for boosting his career. Brito died last year at age 87.

Valenzuela also won the 1988 World Series with the Dodgers, as well as Silver Slugger awards in 1981 and 1983. He pitched for the team from 1980 to 1990, including a no-hitter on June 29, 1990. He retired in 1997.

Valenzuela has stayed close to the franchise. He is the color commentator on the Spanish-language broadcasts for its SportsNet LA cable channel.

He remains among the franchise leaders in wins (141), strikeouts (1,759), innings pitched (2,348⅔), starts (320), complete games (107) and shutouts (29).

Valenzuela became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015.

Myriam Hernández Releases New Single “Nos Lo Hemos Dicho Todo”

Myriam Hernández still has things left to say…

The 56-year-old Chilean singer, songwriter and television presenter has released “Nos Lo Hemos Dicho Todo,” the lead single from her upcoming new album.

Myriam HernándezHernandez’s new single grandiose and unabashedly romantic.

The beautifully arranged track blends Hernández’s core pop sound with the pizzaz of a full mariachi.

Written and produced by Jacobo Calderón, the son of legenderay Spanish songwriter Juan Carlos Calderón, “Nos lo hemos dicho todo” talks about the intimate struggles of a couple that loves each other despite defects and fights.

Felipe Peláez Releases First-Ever Ranchera “Magia”

Felipe Peláez is spreading the magic

The 47-year-old Colombian-Venezuelan vallenato superstar has released the new single “Magia.”

Felipe PeláezOn the track, Peláez dips his toes in his first-ever ranchera track, which is the first track from his upcoming album Un Sueno Llamado Ranchera.

If “Magia” is any indication, the set will be made up entirely of captivating ranchera tunes laced with his passionate and signature vocals.

In true Pelaez fashion, “Magia” highlights the incomparable, life-changing magic of love through its lyrics.

Penned by the artist, the traditional mariachi song is a love poem that best showcases Peláez’s versatility to adapt music in genres of all kinds.

Library of Congress Adds Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to U.S. National Recording Registry

Daddy Yankee is gassed about his latest honor…

The 46-year-old retired Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and actor, considered to be one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, has earned a place in the U.S. National Recording Registry.

Daddy YankeeThe Library of Congress announced the 25 albums, singles and other recording that have been added to the registry, including Daddy Yankee’s smash single “Gasolina.”

Appearing on Daddy Yankee’s 2004 album Barrio Fino, the track was the first reggaeton song to be nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

But Daddy Yankee isn’t the only Hispanic artist making this year’s list…

Mariah Carey’s modern holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has made the grade.

“I’m honored beyond belief,” wrote Carey on Twitter about the single, which was released in 1994. “I definitely did not even imagine this would happen when writing and recording this song!”

The track became her 19th No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2019, 25 years after its initial release, extending her record for the solo artist with the most number ones in the charts history.

Cuarteto Coculense’s album The Very First Mariachi Recordings (1908-1909) has also been added to the registry.

While mariachi music and its imagery are now emblematic of Mexican national identity, it was once a rural style of music played mainly in the state of Jalisco. In 1907, four musicians from the town of Cocula, Jalisco, led by the vihuela player Justo Villa, made the first recordings of it in Mexico City, where two years earlier they had introduced the style to the capitol when they performed for Mexican president Porfirio Diaz. These performances lack the trumpet now inextricably associated with mariachi, but even the early recording technology of the time could not fail to capture the group’s drive and spirit, and the recordings remained in print for many years. Due to the efforts of scholars and record collectors, the group’s work was collected and reissued in 1998 by Arhoolie Records, revisiting and reviving an otherwise lost chapter in mariachi’s history and paying overdue homage to these recording pioneers.

The late Irene Cara’s 1983 single “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” which she co-wrote for the film Flashdance, has also been named to the registry.

The hit single earned Cara the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and a nomination for Record of the Year. As part of the Flashdance soundtrack, it gave her and all of the songwriters who contributed to the album the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, and she was also nominated alongside all of the other performers on the soundtrack for Album of the Year.

“Flashdance…What a Feeling” won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was also nominated in that category at the BAFTA Film Awards.

The 25 recordings were deemed worthy of preservation “based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage,” according to the Library of Congress.

Pipe Bueno Signs Management Deal with Business Manager JB & OCESA Seitrack

Pipe Bueno is under new management…

The 31-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter has signed a management deal with Business Manager JB, helmed by artist manager Juan Ballesteros, and OCESA Seitrack.

Pipe BuenoWith the new signing, JB & OCESA will develop Pipe’s career at a musical and commercial level in Mexico with the mission of taking his 15-year-long trajectory to an international level.   

“We are sure that we signed the best representative of the genre in Colombia, and as an artist, he can transcend,” Ballesteros, who also manages Mike Bahía, Greeicy and Annasofia, tells Billboard. “I think we have a new ballad, mariachi, and pop star that comes with a lot of music and collaborations. We are happy to have this new challenge with Pipe Bueno and I hope that everyone receives it with the same joy and enthusiasm that we do.”

Pipe Bueno Born Andrés Felipe Giraldo Bueno, the artist launched his self-titled debut album in 2008, and has since risen to pioneer “la música popular Colombiana,” a musical genre that fuses traditional folk music from the Paisa Region with Regional Mexican elements, such as mariachi and ranchera. The genre is also locally known as “música de cantina” and is played at every parranda, parties that feature local music and food.

He has laced the genre with urban and pop rhythms by teaming up with artists such as Wisin, Zion and Darrel, to name a few. Pipe has collaborated twice with his good friend and colleague Maluma on the tracks “La Invitación” (2014) and “Tequila” (2020). The former entered the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay chart in 2016.

Adriel Favela Releases New Single “En Este Amor”

Adriel Favela is opening up about love

The 30-year-old Mexican American singer has released the new single “En Este Amor.”

Adriel FavelaIn the track, Favela trades his signature sierreño sound for mariachi.

In the heartfelt ranchera, penned by Gussy Lau and Tamayo Aguilera, Favela opens up about a love that could no longer be, because the other person showed no effort and interest.

His powerful vocals belt out passionate lyrics about having the strength to forget his ex.

“Everything has been a happy accident because this song was aimed at another person, but at the end of the day, God has a purpose for us all and the song conveyed a lot,” he says in a statement. “I loved it! It has a beautiful essence which I think will differentiate itself from everything we’ve done before, and we’ve obviously put a lot of heart into it and we hope the audience receives it the same way.”

Alejandro Fernández Releases New Single “Inexperto En Olvidarte”

Alejandro Fernández can’t forget

The 51-year-old Mexican singer has released his new single “Inexperto En Olvidarte” via Universal Music Latino.For his first song of the year, Fernández goes the traditional route with a heart-wrenching ranchera.

Alejandro FernándezIt’s a quintessential song for Fernández, who’s long mastered the mariachi ballad — and this one is no exception.

Penned by Amanda Coronel and Fernanda Díaz, the track thrives thanks to its delicate mariachi arrangement, accompanied by an accordion for the ultimate norteño touch.

“Inexperto En Olvidarte” is Fernandez’s first single from his upcoming album, due later this year.