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GRAMMYs

Becky G

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Billboard

News
Becky G & More Latin Artists On Being Latinx becky-g-more-latin-urban-artists-come-together-talk-being-latinx-urbano-genre-collab

Becky G & More Latin Urban Artists Come Together To Talk Being Latinx, The "Urbano" Genre & Collab Success

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Rising and megastars in Latin pop and urbano came together to chat about identity, the global growth of Latin music and other topics relating to what it is to be an artist in the age of social media on the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 16, 2019 - 11:05 am

Urbano music, or Latin urban, may have pop superstars like Drake and Justin Bieber singing whole versus in Spanish now, but in a panel featuring some of the biggest names in the genre, trailblazer Yandel of GRAMMY-nominated Puerto Rican duo Wisin Y Yandel, explained that he has spent the last 14 years of his career advocating for urbano music to get the respect it deserves.

"One of the hardest things for me was getting the genre accepted on the radio [and] on television. We have been here since the start when they didn't accept our music," he said on an intimate stage setting at the Neuhouse in Hollywood on the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, Oct. 15, when asked about the challenges he's faced. "Unfortunately because of the content or whatever, for many reasons, but later we began to better the music, getting the songwriting down and that's when we started to see a change, but it was hard."

J Balvin Latin GRAMMY Speech Honors Reggaeton

Yandel was joined by rapper/singers Wisin, Ozuna, and Farruko as well as singer Becky G to discuss identity, the global growth of Latin music and other topics relating to what it is to be an artist in the age of social media. 

In the time since the massive commercial success around Luis Fonsi's 2017 mega-hit "Despacito," artists in the reggaeton, trap and other pop-infused urban music genres are getting more global attention, thanks to YouTube and other online streaming platforms.

That wasn't always the case, Yandel reminded the crowd, but "we're here now."

When asked about the hardships she's faced as an artist before her rise in popularity, Becky G, who began rapping and singing in English at age 14 and is releasing her debut album under the Latin pop and urbano genres, said transitioning into Spanish-language music was a scary move for her. "Are they going to embrace me as one of their own?" she remembers asking herself. At the time she felt like she had to better her Spanish. Now the singer has had success singing alongside other urbano singers like Natti Natasha, who she featured in her hit "Sin Pijama."

Farruko, meanwhile, said the challenging part is staying relevant. Having fans continue to consume music in an age in which artists release music constantly online is key. "I think Farruko's point is really interesting," Wisin said when asked about the constant pressure to release music. "This is a content business. People no longer look for big names, they go after a good song." He noted that having an ear for good music that speaks to the culture now is vital to be successful.

On How Social Media Determines Success 

The panel artists agreed that social media has been great for their careers, allowing them to bring their music to the masses without having to physically be there, but as social media has grown to become a public sphere of opinions and critiques, balance is key. As an artist who was discovered creating covers of Kanye West and Jay-Z online, Becky G said social media definitely changed her life, but now it has also become an invasive aspect of it. "It's a blessing and a curse," she said. While she can connect to fans everywhere, she expressed that as a woman in the industry, some people take to social media to criticize her body and what she wears. "People feel entitled to speak on certain things."

Wisin later added that social media can be a tool that can help an artist become better. "The people that critique, some of the people that are the wisest about music are behind their phones," the "Escapate Conmigo" singer said. "Maybe a friend of yours won't tell you the truth because you are friends, but audinces [will]."

On Collaborating And Remixing

Several of the artists on the panel have been a part of successful remixes. Fellow panelist Ozuna said he felt like the remix is an opportunity to help advance artists' careers in addition to those of rising acts. 

"I think we are the genre that collaborates the most, the genre that comes together the most," the "Taki Taki" singer said. "We may have our differences, but when it comes to helping each other out, we always do."

Wisin added that collaborating is organically a part of the urbano genre. "Since the beginning, the genre began to sell itself as a project featuring several artists," he said, noting albums like Mas Flow- Los Benjamin by producers Tainy and Luny Tunes, which features various artists like Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee, Zion and more. 

"The genre is huge now, but if we decided going forward to no longer collaborate and start to feed our egos, I'm sure that despite the best music we would make, the genre wouldn't have the impact it has now," he said. "Collabing has allowed artists outside the genre that didn't keep up with it respect it now. Huge artists like Enrique [Iglesas,] Jennifer [Lopez, Ricky [Martin,] [Luis] Fonsi, big artists from other genres decided to bet on our music, that's the urbano genre's credibility."

Becky G also noted the amazing experiences she has had collabing with women in the genre, even if people told her they were her competition. One of her biggest hits has been alongside fellow singer Natti Natasha in "Sin Pijama."

Despite other people's hesitation, she went with it because "I was thinking in a moment that was greater," she said. "There's a lot of hits, but a moment in history that had never been done before was the women working together without men, just reggeaton."

 

RELATED: Closing The Gap: How Latina Artists Are Combating Gender Inequality In Urban Music

 

On The "Urbano" Genre

While collaborating has helped bring eyes and ears to the genre, Farruko said award shows looking to celebrate the genre should not use it as an umbrella term to celebrate it in one category. "The genre has grown so much that we need to have several sub categories," he said, adding that having only one category has made urban artists them feel segregated. "There's trap, reggaeton, reggae-pop, reggae-tropical, there are different fusions within the genre and we can't put them all on one grill."

Wisin added that more urbano producers should get more recognition as a whole. "No one knows who they are and they have collaborated with big names."

The panel, organized by Valance Media, was hosted by Billboard's Leila Cobo during the week leading up to the Latin American Music Awards.

L.A.'s Selena For Sanctuary To Feature Ceci Bastida & More

GRAMMYs

Ozuna

Photo: JC Olivera/Getty Images

News
Ozuna To Headline Madrid's 2019 YOLO Fest ozuna-headline-madrids-2019-yolo-fest

Ozuna To Headline Madrid's 2019 YOLO Fest

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The music fest will also feature fellow Latin urban stars Becky G, Zion & Lennox, and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 18, 2019 - 11:27 am

Madrid's YOLO urban music fest has its headliner: reggaeton star Ozuna. The hitmaker, one of Spain's most popular artists of the moment, will take the stage at the WiZink Center on July 7.

The one-day event, also known as the You Only Live Once music fest, will also feature fellow Latin urban stars Becky G, Zion & Lennox, Jon Z, Darell and Farina. 

According to Billboard, Ozuna's Aura album took the top spot on Spain's 2018 top digital album's list. His latest single release, "Vacia Sin Mi," features fellow fest artist Darell. 

Tickets will go on sale March 20. For more information, visit WiZink Center's website. 

GRAMMYs

Mau y Ricky

News
Reggaeton Pop Stars Mau y Ricky On 'Rifresh' mau-y-ricky-adding-punk-their-reggaeton-influenced-sound-rifresh-life-musical-family

Mau y Ricky On Adding Punk To Their Reggaeton-Influenced Sound On 'Rifresh' & Life In A Musical Family

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The Venezuelan singer/songwriters tell GRAMMY.com about the creation of their new album in quarantine, how proud they are of their brother-in-law, Latin GRAMMY-winner Camilo, and more
Lucas Villa
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2020 - 6:01 pm

Mau y Ricky are reinventing themselves on their aptly-titled new album Rifresh. Finally finding success as artists with their blend of pop and reggaeton on their 2019 debut LP Para Aventuras y Curiosidades after songwriting for years, the Venezuelan-born brothers used their time in quarantine to revamp their sound and image for their sophomore album. A little over a year after releasing their debut, the punk rock and '80s influenced Rifresh, released on Nov. 20, takes them to an edgier place musically.

On the new album’s vibrant cover, Ricky sports his Cruella de Vil-like black and white hair as he playfully kicks Mau in the groin, leaving behind the calm, cool and collected rock star demeanor displayed on their debut. There's a looser vibe on the album as well as the brother duo bounce around on rambunctious bangers like "Fresh" and "Mi Moto." It’s clear: They're enjoying the ride this time around and showing it.

"I feel like right now we're obsessed with evolving and doing new and different sounds and concepts that not only differentiate us from the rest, but most importantly, differentiates us from what we've done in the past," Mau tells GRAMMY.com over Zoom. "I think that's the beauty of evolving."

The evolution didn’t come fast for the singer/songwriters—it took them nearly a decade to find themselves as artists. Mauricio "Mau" and Ricardo "Ricky" Montaner, Jr. are the sons of Ricardo Montaner, the GRAMMY-winning Argentine icon who received a Latin GRAMMY lifetime achievement award in 2016. They began their careers as balladeers, following in their father’s footsteps when they began to make music as MR in 2011. But after not quite breaking through, they shifted gears into songwriting, penning hits like Becky G and Natti Natasha's 13-times Platinum "Sin Pijama" and Ricky Martin and Maluma's "Vente Pa' Ca," for which they received a Latin Grammy Song of the Year nomination in 2017.

In 2018, they found their pop groove as Mau y Ricky with their reggaetón-influenced breakthrough single "Mi Mala'' featuring Karol G. A year later, their debut album followed with Platinum success. They have become go-to collaborators featured on hits by Mexican superstar Thalía, Argentine pop princesses Lali and Tini, and Puerto Rican reggaeton OG Nicky Jam. They went global this year when they were invited to sing in Spanish on the remixes of John Legend's "Bigger Love" and JP Saxe's "Hey Stupid, I Love You." They have also brought GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Camilo, who married their singer/actress sister Evaluna Montaner earlier this year, to the forefront on their multi-Platinum singles "Desconocidos'' and "La Boca."

Now with their new sound, Mau y Ricky are “exploring the possibilities and showing the people that there is no limit,” Mau says.

The guys chatted with GRAMMY.com about Rifresh-ing their career with the new album and life in a musical family.

What's the experience like to work together in Mau y Ricky as brothers?

Mau: As brothers, it's a beautiful experience. We learned that our relationship is actually our biggest strength, and our connection as brothers I feel is what differentiates us from the rest of the people.

Has your dad Ricardo Montaner given you guys any advice on the industry?

Ricky: Throughout our entire life, we've seen his example. I think being grateful is the biggest advice. To always look at everything as a gift. Being able to write songs and do what we love for a living, I think that's beautiful. And appreciating every single step of growth. One is always focused on the end goal, but we tend to forget the small steps that it takes to get there.

The "Mi Mala" remix with Karol G, Lali, Becky G, and Leslie Grace was your first big hit as Mau y Ricky. How did your lives change after that song?

Ricky: That song definitely changed our lives. We did "Mi Mala" and the remix. Both those songs kind of set ground for us to start building off of that. We were able to grow a lot after that—and knowing that we played, even if it was just a small role, in this Latin women movement by having all these beautiful and talented artists on one song: Becky, Karol, Leslie, and Lali; It was the first song in Spanish to have that many women on it—To know that we were a part of that, I feel like that's a dream come true. We didn't do it intentionally. We just thought it would be really dope. It's beautiful and really set the way for everything that happened after that.

There are notably no artist features on rifresh. Why did you guys decide to do that?

Mau: When we decided to make this album, one key decision we made was to have no features. The beauty of a feature is that it's kind of [finding] that middle ground; having to surrender to certain things and the other artist doing the same and meeting in the middle. In this case, we were very clear on what we wanted, in our minds and hearts, to communicate on this new album and what we wanted to happen in our career, that evolution and that growth. We had to make sure that that message wasn't scattered. A lot of times when you work with other people, your message has to take a back seat, so that you're able to work as a team. It doesn't mean we won't do that in the future. We already started working on features on some upcoming projects.

Manuel Turizo has uncredited vocals at the end of the song "Dolería."

Ricky: That was a dope surprise we wanted to do for our fans. When we did the first arrangement of the song, we pitched my vocal down. We put it low so that it sounded like Manuel Turizo. It was a little bit of a joke. Then we thought it would be really cool to actually have him on it. The day I proposed to my girlfriend, [Stefanía Roitman], I was so nervous that I needed to get out of the house and ended up going to the studio with Manuel an hour before proposing. I was in the studio recording his part.

Mau: Rick was so nervous. He didn't even tell me. I called him like, "Yo, where are you?" Because we were an hour away from him proposing. He's like, "I'm at the studio." And I'm like, "What in the world are you doing at the studio? You're about to propose!" He's like, "I'm cutting Manuel's vocals." I'm like, "First of all, you're about to propose. No. 2, what the heck? You didn't let me know that you were cutting his vocals."

There's a punk rock influence on songs like "Pápas" and "Fresh." Where did that inspiration come from?

Mau: It comes from the music that we grew up listening to. It's this kind of hint of an influence, which I love. Most of it is in the album's aesthetic or in our music videos. We wanted to explore the possibilities of reggaeton music being combined with music like punk rock. We feel like people didn't think that could happen. We're here exploring the possibilities and showing the people that there is no limit. Anything can happen if you do it with excellence and love. If you actually believe in and be genuine to who you are, it'll sound dope.



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A post shared by Mau y Ricky (@mauyricky)

You worked with Bad Bunny's main director Stillz on your wildest music videos for rifresh like the creepy "Ouch." How did those collaborations come about?

Mau: During the quarantine, we found out Stillz was Rick's neighbor. We ended up reaching out to him. We started creating all the concepts together. It was a creative, awesome relationship growing through these videos. Most of the videos have come out already, but there's still some that haven't come out. In our opinion, they're some of the greatest music videos out right now. Stillz is one of the top directors. It's a huge honor to be able to work with him. He allows us to be extremely crazy with our ideas. We allow him to go crazy as well with his. We fit together.

What did you think when John Legend invited you guys on his "Bigger Love" remix?

Mau: We had two crossover moments, which are wild, in this quarantine: John Legend, like you're saying, and JP Saxe. Those two are our favorite collabs we've done. We went straight to the studio to write our part for that song. We sent it. They loved it. John actually asked us to do more, so we went back to the studio to record some more. It's crazy to me because he's an artist we've admired for awhile. JP Saxe is our favorite artist in the world. We've become friends with him in the past year. We have a beautiful relationship. He invited us to become a part of that remix and it's our favorite song.

How did you feel seeing Camilo win the Latin GRAMMY for Best Pop Song for "Tutu"?

Ricky: So excited! I busted my lip celebrating it. I'm still in pain. So much pain. We've all gotten nominated, but he's the first one in our family to win one.

Mau: It was this family moment, we all celebrated as if it was our own win. It does feel like it's our win. We're proud of him. He deserves it. Nobody works harder than him.

What can we expect from you next?

Mau: After "Ouch," there's two new videos coming that you're going to freak [about]. They're crazy and also with Stillz. There are a couple songs that we'll be releasing with other artists. One in particular comes out very soon with our entire family, which is a surprise that I wasn't supposed to tell, but because it's you, I'll tell you. It's our first song as a family that we're ever going to release together. It's one of my favorite songs in the world.

"Selena: The Series" Star Christian Serratos On Playing "La Reina" & The Importance Of Latinx Identity In Hollywood

GRAMMYs

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

News
Latin GRAMMYs Get First Intl. Emmy Nomination latin-grammys-presidentceo-gabriel-abaroa-jr-thanks-artists-music-professionals-first

Latin GRAMMYs President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. Thanks Artists & Music Professionals For First International Emmy Nomination

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The Biggest Night in Latin Music is nominated under the Non-English Language U.S. Primetime Program category along with "La Reina del Sur" – Season 2, "No te Puedes Esconder" and "Preso No.1"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2020 - 1:54 pm

The Latin GRAMMYs have earned their first nomination for the International Emmy Awards for their 20th broadcast show.

The Biggest Night in Latin Music is nominated under the Non-English Language U.S. Primetime Program category along with "La Reina del Sur" – Season 2, "No te Puedes Esconder" and "Preso No.1". Winners will be announced on Nov. 23 at a ceremony in New York. 

"Every year, a star team of Latin GRAMMY enthusiasts and our partners at Univision work tirelessly to create and deliver a one-of-a-kind international show that celebrates excellence in Latin music, and we are thrilled this hard work has been acknowledged by our first Emmy nomination,” said. President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy Gabriel Abaroa Jr. “It is with great pride that we celebrate this achievement. We are thankful to all the artists, performers, music professionals, members, sponsors and collaborators for their continued support."

https://twitter.com/LatinGRAMMYs/status/1309190426008707073

Normalmente tenemos el honor de anunciar que otros han sido nominados por sus colegas. ¡Hoy podemos compartir que nosotros hemos sido nominados @iemmys! 🎉🎉🎉#iemmys #iemmyNOMhttps://t.co/q62XCNtHO3 pic.twitter.com/DrLYVggSBi

— The Latin Recording Academy / Latin GRAMMYs (@LatinGRAMMYs) September 24, 2020

Show executive producer Jose Tillán added that the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMYs was a show honoring their legacy. 

“When we embarked on the adventure of imagining the 20th Anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards, we envisioned a show that illustrated the diversity of Latin music and the legacy of a ceremony that for 20 years has focused on celebrating musical excellence," he said. "Everyone involved in the show — from talent, to producers, creatives and crew to both the Latin Academy and Univision — embraced the idea of creating ‘a musical legacy.’  We are all humbled and honored with this recognition for our collective work."  

The 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards show will air Nov. 19 on Univision.

PREMIERE: KORDELYA And Jesse Baez Send "s a l u d o s" To Distant Lovers

Selena

Selena

 

Photo: Pam Francis/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

News
Apple Music To Honor Selena's 'Dreaming Of You' apple-music-celebrate-25th-anniversary-selenas-dreaming-you-radio-special-featuring

Apple Music To Celebrate 25th Anniversary Of Selena's 'Dreaming Of You' With Radio Special Featuring Demi Lovato, Karol G, Becky G And More

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Airing Friday (July 17), the one-hour special, which will discuss Selena's life and impact on the Latin and pop music worlds, will also feature interviews with the late singer's surviving family members
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jul 17, 2020 - 12:08 pm

Apple Music has announced a one-hour special in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Selena's final album, Dreaming Of You, Rolling Stone reports. The radio special will feature a diverse cast of guests including Demi Lovato, Karol G, Becky G, David Byrne and producer Keith Thomas as well as interviews with the late singer's surviving family members, including her siblings and former bandmates Suzette Quintanilla and A.B. Quintanilla and father Abraham Quintanilla. 

Hosted by Apple Music's Sandra Peña, the special will discuss Selena's "life and legacy," according to Rolling Stone, as well as her influence on the Latin and pop stars she inspired. 

The special will air Friday (July 17), one day before the album's 25-year anniversary, starting at 6 p.m. EST via Apple Music's global livestream.

Remembering Selena 25 Years Later

Released posthumously in July 1995, nearly four months after the beloved singer was murdered by the former manager of her chain of boutiques that July, Dreaming Of You marks Selena's fifth and final studio album. The release fully realized her mainstream crossover appeal: Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S., Dreaming Of You became the first predominately Spanish-language album to accomplish that feat.

"Her album Dreaming Of You is a gem, and those songs are timeless," Apple Music's Marissa Gastelum told GRAMMY.com in a special tribute in honor of the 25th anniversary of Selena's passing.

"She was a Mexican-American female musician dominating the Tejano, regional Mexican music scene, and at the same time, you could hear in her voice that American R&B style that I would hear later in the [1995 album], Dreaming Of You. That's what made her so special to me and such an inspiration," Marisol "La Marisoul" Hernandez, lead vocalist of GRAMMY-winning Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia, added. 

Earlier this year, Selena's family had plans for a special tribute concert, dubbed Selena XXV - Veinticinco Años, to honor the 25-year anniversary of her death. Produced by the family's own Q Productions and originally scheduled for May, the event was rescheduled in March and ultimately canceled in May, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Selena Forever: Remembering The Latin Pop Icon 25 Years Later

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.