Grupo Firme to Take Part in ‘Superstar Panel’ During Billboard Latin Music Week

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Firme will be taking part in this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week.

The Regional Mexican band will take part in one of the various superstar panels during the event, which will take place on September 26-30 at Miami’s Faena Forum.

Founded by Eduin Caz in Tijuana, Mexico, in 2013, Grupo Firme — which straddles the genres of banda and norteño — is comprised of Eduin’s brother Jhonny Caz, Abraham Hernández, Joaquín Ruiz, Christian Gutiérrez, José Rubio and Dylan Camacho.

Touring titans, in 2021, the band secured a historic booking at Los Angeles’ 20,000-capacity Staples Center as the first Latin act to perform the most shows in a single calendar year at the venue with seven sold-out concerts this summer. (The only other artist who has done more in one year is Adele, with eight performances in 2016.)

Grupo Firme joins the already announced star-studded lineup that includes Romeo Santos, Camilo, Chayanne, Ivy Queen, Nicky Jam, Eslabon Armado, Bizarrap, Blessd, Yahritza Y Su Esencia, Luis R. Conriquez, Ovy on the Drums, Kunno, and The Rivera Family.

More participants will be announced in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Latin Music Week. Registration is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

For 30 years, Billboard Latin Music Week has been the longest running and biggest Latin music industry gathering in the world. After a sold-out 2021 edition that featured Q&As with Daddy Yankee and Karol G, as well as show-stopping performances by Anitta, Rauw Alejandro, and Natti Natasha, the event returns, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month.

Billboard Latin Music Week will also coincide with the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday, Sept. 29, in Miami. The Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Telemundo, and will also broadcast simultaneously on the Spanish entertainment cable network, Universo, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Grupo Firme Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Firme is hoping to take Regional Mexican music to the global stage…

The Mexican band has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for worldwide representation in all areas.

The L.A.-based agency also signed the regional Mexican group’s indie label, Music VIP.

News of the signing comes on the heels of Grupo Firme’s stadium tour across the U.S. with stops at L.A.’s Sofi Stadium, Metlife Stadium in New York, Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium and a final stop at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Mexican Independence Day weekend in September.

Grupo Firme — founded in Tijuana, Mexico, in 2013 — straddles the genres of banda and norteño and comprises brothers Eduin and Jhonny Caz, Abraham Hernández, Joaquín Ruiz, Christian Gutiérrez, José Rubio and Dylan Camacho.

Initially known for performing corridos, the group was catapulted into the mainstream in 2017 after signing a label and management deal with Music VIP.

Since then, the band — who won their first Latin Grammy last year with their album Nos Divertimos Logrando Lo Imposible — has achieved unprecedented success with many firsts under their belt, including making history by becoming the first banda ensemble to ever play at Coachella.

Additionally, on Billboard’s 2021 year-end Boxscore Charts, Grupo Firme landed at No. 23 in the Top 40 Tours chart after grossing $18 million from 19 shows thanks to their historic run at the Crypto.com Arena last year, when they helped relaunch the venue (then Staples Center) by playing its first concert in 513 days.

It also marked the beginning of the supergroup’s historic run at the arena with their first (of seven) full-capacity, sold-out show — making history as the Latin act to perform the most shows in a single calendar year at Staples (the only other artist who has done more is Adele, with eight in one calendar year).

Grupo Firme is managed by Isael Gutiérrez, founder of Music VIP. Management will continue to broker certain tour deals directly on their own.

Los Tigres del Norte Extend La Reunión Tour with 40 New Dates in 2022

Posted on November 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Los Tigres del Norte plan to stay on the road longer…

The legendary norteño band has extended its current La Reunión tour with new dates for 2022.

Los Tigres del Norte, which kicked off a tour in September, is set to continue with 40 confirmed dates in 2022, including February 11 at Ontario’s Toyota Arena, February 19 at San Jose’s SAP Center, March 12 at New York’s UBS, and for the first time in their career, Los Angeles’ Staples Center on April 2.

Full concert dates and venues for 2022 will be announced soon for the La Reunión tour presented by Zamora Live. To see ticket sales, click here.

In addition to going on tour, Los Tigres del Norte—Jorge Hernández, Eduardo Hernández, Luis Hernández and Oscar Lara—will premiere their upcoming EP, named after the tour, on December 3. The set will include six tracks, including the previously released title track.

Known as la voz del pueblo, Los Tigres del Norte have consistently spoken out against issues that directly impact the Latinx community. Through lyrics, documentaries and activism, the norteño band — whose career spans over five decades — has explored topics like immigration, gun violence and, most recently, cash bail reform.

Tito Ortiz to Fight Anderson Silva in Cruiserweight Boxing Match Next Month

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Tito Ortiz is preparing to fight a fellow MMA legend… But it won’t be in a cage.

The 46-year-old half-Mexican American mixed martial artist will fight Anderson Silva in an eight-round cruiserweight boxing match on September 11.

Ortiz and Silva will participate in the co-feature before Oscar De La Hoya faces Vitor Belfort in the pay-per-view main event, Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh tells ESPN.

The Triller PPV will take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will feature two other boxing matches: former heavyweight champion David Haye vs. Joe Fournier and Andy Vences vs. Jono Carroll in a battle of 130-pound fringe contenders.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity, along with my team, to get in the ring against Tito Ortiz on September 11 with Triller Fight Club, who are really shaking things up in the combat sports world,” Silva said.

The Silva-Ortiz and Haye-Fournier fights will be sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission, meaning they will be real bouts, not exhibitions. Silva and Ortiz will fight eight two-minute rounds, and Haye and Fournier will fight eight three-minute rounds.

“Big” John McCarthy, a former longtime UFC referee, will officiate Silva-Ortiz.

Silva scored an upset over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June, just his third pro boxing match, then entered negotiations for a fight with YouTube personality Logan Paul.

Silva is a former UFC middleweight champion and holds the record for longest title reign in promotion history at 2,457 days. He’s one of the most recognizable draws in MMA history, with 18 headline appearances on UFC PPV. He suffered a fourth-round TKO defeat to Uriah Hall in October — his seventh loss in his past nine appearances in the Octagon — and was released by the UFC one month later.

Ortiz was also one of the UFC’s most bankable stars. He’ll make his pro boxing debut at 46, nearly 10 years after his final UFC fight.

“I am excited to be taking on a new challenge and compete against another great fighter in Anderson Silva,” said Ortiz, a long-reigning UFC light heavyweight champion who made his debut at UFC 13 in 1997. “As a patriot, fighting on Sept. 11 means a lot to me.”

Danny Garcia Has Reportedly Agreed to Fight Errol Spence Jr. This Fall

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Garcia has lined up his next opponent…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican professional boxer, the former junior welterweight and welterweight titlist, has agreed to fight unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in a fall pay-per-view event, according to ESPN.

The bout — which needs a negotiation of final contract numbers — is expected to take place in November at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, according to sources.

But, Premier Boxing Champions, which promotes both fighters, has put holds on other venues around the country as it monitors the coronavirus pandemic and the guidelines in place for each state.

The Athletic first reported the agreement.

Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) was a unified champion at junior welterweight and a world titlist at welterweight. In his most recent fight in January, Garcia outpointed Ivan Redkach over 12 rounds.

Spence defeated Shawn Porter by 12-round split decision on September 28 in a tough fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Spence, who came into the bout as the IBF titlist, earned the WBC belt with the win. He was involved in a horrific one-car accident a few weeks later near Dallas, Texas, and suffered serious injuries, including facial lacerations and a broken jaw.

Before the accident, there was talk of Spence facing Garcia in late January 2020.

Spence is ranked No. 1 at welterweight in ESPN‘s divisional rankings, and Garcia is No. 6. Manny Pacquiao (WBA) and Terence Crawford (WBO) are the other titleholders in the division.

New Posthumous Jenni Rivera Single, “Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar,” Released to Celebrate Her 51st Birthday

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a new placein our hearts for Jenni Rivera…

To celebrate the late Mexican American bandasinger’s 51st birthday, Rivera’s family has released a new posthumous single “Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar.”

It was released on Wednesday, July 1 along with a music video that pays homage to La Diva de la Banda.

Penned by Luis Antonio López“El Mimoso” and Rivera, Rivera reflects on her hard work to get to the top with lyrics like, “It hurts them to see that I’m the diva, but I say what I feel … to earn respect, I’ve worked hard, I won’t stop.”

The video is a compilation of Rivera’s accolades like her Billboard awards and Premios Lo Nuestro, and footage from sold-out shows at the Staples Center and Arena Monterrey.

An unstoppable force, even eight years after her death, “Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar” follows Rivera’s two previous posthumous singles “Aparentemente Bien” and “Engañémoslo” released by the Rivera family.

Jorge Linares to Fight Javier Fortuna in August

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Linaresis heading back to the ring this summer…

The 34-year-old Venezuelan professional boxer and three-time world champion will fight Javier Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KOs) on August 28 at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casinoin Indio, California.

After Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) dispatched Carlos Morales in four rounds on February 14, a showdown with the undefeated Ryan Garcia was heavily rumored for the summer. That fight never materialized, and Linares and his representatives shifted their focus to another fight.

“We wanted that fight [with Garcia], Jorge wanted that fight more than anybody,” said Jose de la Cruz, who manages Linares. “I guess their camp is not being reasonable with Golden Boy.”

In regard to the potential July 4 fight, Garcia representative Lupe Valencia said, “What they offered Ryan was not acceptable. We can’t just accept it if we know it’s not reasonable.”

Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN, “Fortuna was willing to fight pretty much anybody, he was available. So we made the offer to Linares, and he took it right away.”

Gomez said there is a chance that this bout could be contested for the WBC interim lightweight title.

“It was a no-brainer,” said de la Cruz. “I think it’s the right time for Jorge to fight for a world title, and to stay active, number one. He’ll be 35 by the time he fights. How many fights does he have left? We all want to know.”

Linares, who is ESPN’s No. 6 lightweight, has had a memorable career, filled with substantial victories and mind-boggling defeats.

He’s captured world titles at 126, 130 and 135, but never had a long title run with any of those belts. Linares has victories over the likes of Oscar Larios, Kevin Mitchell, Anthony Crolla and Luke Campbell, and gave Vasiliy Lomachenko his toughest test to date as a professional.

But Linares has also been knocked out in all five of his losses, the latest of which was when he was stopped in the first round by Pablo Cesar Cano in an ill-fated experiment at 140 at the beginning of 2019.

The 31-year-old Fortuna, who is ESPN’s No. 8 lightweight, once held the WBA 130-pound title and had a strong showing as he knocked out a faded Jesus Cuellar in two rounds last November.

Fortuna, a southpaw from the Dominican Republic presents a formidable challenge for Linares with his above-average power. Should Linares overcome the challenge of Fortuna, he’ll be in line for even bigger fights.

“There’s [Devin] Haney,” said De La Cruz, mentioning the current WBC lightweight titleholder as one option. ”If Golden Boy can make the Ryan Garcia fight, if the virus doesn’t affect us late in the year, everything goes well, we want a championship fight or a big fight at the Staples Center. That’s what Golden Boy wants.”

The August 28 Golden Boy card is scheduled to be the promotion’s second of the summer, following a July 24 show headlined by Vergil Ortiz and Samuel Vargas.

Christina Aguilera Gives Stirring Performance of “Ave Maria” at Kobe Bryant Memorial

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera has celebrated the life of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

The 39-year-old half-Ecuadorian American took the stage at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Monday to deliver an emotional performance of “Ave Maria” at the Celebration of Life ceremony for the late NBA great and his 13-year-old daughter,who tragically died in a helicopter crash nearly a month ago.

Aguilera performed the iconic song in Italian while her backing string arrangement pulled on the heartstrings of the memorial’s star-studded audience, including Beyoncé, who performed the powerful duo of “XO” and “Halo” at the start of the event.

Aguilera wore a black suit jacket with lace-detailed sleeves and wide-legged trousers while letting her voice fill the arena, Bryant’s home for nearly 20 years as a member of the LA Lakers.

Cain Velasquez in Talks to Join WWE Full Time

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Cain Velasquezis wrestling with change…

The 37-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and wrestler isofficially stepping out of the Octagon and into the pro-wrestling ring for the foreseeable future.

Velasquez, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion, is in advanced talks to sign with WWE.

He made a surprise appearance on Friday on WWE SmackDown‘s Fox premiere at Staples Center, confronting Brock Lesnarin the closing moments of the show. Velasquez said he was not officially retired from the UFC, but pro wrestling is likely to be his focus right now.

Velasquez said no deal has been signed, and he also has been in discussions with other wrestling promotions, including upstart All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

WWE could look to set up a blockbuster match between Velasquez and Lesnar, also a former UFC heavyweight champion.

Velasquez knocked out Lesnar to win the UFC belt in 2010. Coincidentally, Velasquez headlined the UFC’s first show on Fox in 2011, and Friday he was a major part of WWE’s Fox premiere, walking to the ring with Rey Mysterio and hitting Lesnar with a double-leg takedown.

Velasquez debuted in pro wrestling in August with Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA. Velasquez is a celebrity in Mexico due to his UFC success and how he has marketed himself in the country. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound California native impressed at AAA’s Triplemaniashow in front of 18,000 at Mexico City Arena, pulling off athletic moves that were unexpected for a man his size.

Last month, Velasquez had a second match for AAA at Madison Square Garden‘s Hulu Theatre and his ability once again turned heads. The MMA star has been training full time in pro wrestling only since June, at Pro Wrestling Revolution in San Jose, California.

Velasquez has been doing it all with multiple torn ligaments in his left knee, an injury he suffered in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannouat UFC Phoenix in February.

Velasquez (14-3) is one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. He won the UFC heavyweight belt in 2010, and then again in 2012. Velasquez owns victories over the likes of Junior Dos Santos(twice), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueiraand Lesnar. Injuries to his knees, back and shoulders marred his run atop the division. Velasquez has fought just three times since 2013. He dropped the heavyweight title to Fabricio Werdumin 2015 and rebounded to beat Travis Browneat UFC 200 in 2016.

In 2018, Velasquez trained at WWE’s Performance Centerto see if he could physically work a match in the ring. He drew rave reviews from coaches there, but things didn’t work out at that time with WWE as far as a contract, and he ended up signing a short-term deal with AAA.

After his two appearances for AAA in August and September, Velasquez saw the interest in him increase. WWE came back to the table.

“We’ve talked a little bit back and forth and nothing happened,” Velasquez said. “They wanted to see my development. I think they’re pleased with what I’m doing now.”

Velasquez’s interest in pro wrestling comes at a particularly busy moment in pro wrestling history. The emergence of AEW, owned by the Khan family, which also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC, is the first major effort to enter a space dominated by WWE for 20 years. Additionally, WWE signed TV contracts valued at over $1 billion to bring SmackDown to Fox and extend Monday Night Raw on the USA Network.

Velasquez would join the likes of Lesnar and Ronda Rouseyas former UFC champions in WWE. WWE also has UFC veterans Matt Riddleand Shayna Baszlerunder contract.

“This is definitely my focus,” Velasquez said of pro wrestling. “My family is into it, they love it. They’re super excited. I haven’t seen them excited over something like this in a while. It’s cool.”

Ricky Martin to Perform Alongside Camila Cabello at This Year’s Grammys

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martinis getting into the Grammy spirit…

The Recording Academy has announced that the 47-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will take the stage during this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony.

Martin, a two-time Grammy winner, will join Camila Cabelloduring her show opening number.

In addition to Martin, J Balvin, Young Thugand Arturo Sandovalare also expected to appear alongside Cabello, a two-time nominee this year.

Additionally, the show will feature a special tribute to eight-time Grammywinner, Dolly Parton, who will also take to the stage for the first time in 18 years to perform her new music.

Set to perform the iconic country star’s classic hits will be Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Townand Maren Morris. Parton will then take center stage to sing her latest tunes from her 2018 album, Dumplin’ — the soundtrack to Netflix’s original motion picture by the same name starring Jennifer Aniston.

Previously announced artists performing during the biggest night in music include Cardi B, Dan + Shay, H.E.R., Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe,Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Diana Ross.

Hosted by Alicia Keys, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards will take place live from the Staples Center on Sunday, February 10 at 8:00 pm ET, and will be broadcast live on CBS.

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