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Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin

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Ricky Martin & Enrique Iglesias Announce Joint World Tour: "This Is A Special Moment In Latin Music"

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The Latin music kings are joining forces and bringing along Colombia artist Sebastian Yatra as a special guest
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 4, 2020 - 5:12 pm

Today, March 4, two of the biggest names in Latin music, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, have announced a joint world tour. 

The GRAMMY winners will launch the historic tour on Sept. 5 in Phoenix and will stop in more than 20 cities, including Los Angeles, Toronto, Miami, Houston and New York. 

Martin and Iglesias have been friends since the start of Igelsias' career and have thought about going on the road together for some time.

"We always spoke and we always stayed in contact and we thought that this would happen at some point," Iglesias said at a joint press conference in West Hollywood, Calif. "We didn't know exactly when, and I think we are in that point in our lives and our careers. We're going to have fun."

Martin said the two, who have each amassed several awards and number one hits, will go down memory lane and bring audiences together. 

The tour marks the first time Martin, who is currently on his Movimiento tour, has ever toured with another artist. Iglesias, who launched his career in the mid-'90s (shortly after Martin had established himself as a boy band member-turned-soloist), says he knows he will learn a lot from the "La Mordidita" singer. 

"I'm going to sit back watch and learn," he said.

The tour is still in its production stages so Martin and Iglesias did not have much to share about what fans can expect, but they could confirm that it would include new music and even teased a possible duet. (Iglesias is working on the follow-up to 2014's Sex And Love, which will be released later this year, and Martin says he likes to "improvise a lot" in his live shows.) 

"This is a moment in Latin music that is special," Iglesias said. "It's going to happen now. We don't know if it's going to happen again ever, so we want to enjoy it."

Martin said they would be joined by incredible musicians on tour and that fans should get ready to enjoy themselves: "Get ready to have a good time and just forget about all the issues."

The two superstars will have GRAMMY-nominated Colombian star Sebastian Yatra on tour with them. Yatra, who was also at the press conference and will release a song with Martin soon, said they are his biggest idols and visualized a moment like this for a long time. 

Presale for the tour begins March 11. More info here. 

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Myke Towers

Photo: Michael L. Rivera Avilés

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EXCLUSIVE: Listen To Myke Towers Address Racism & Police Brutality On "MICHAEL X"

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The Afro-Latino rapper expresses his thoughts and outlines his responsibility through his hip-hop track and visual inspired by Malcolm X
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jul 8, 2020 - 2:40 pm

Myke Towers recognizes that silence is a problem. 

"Soy parte del problema, si estos temas no los sacos," he raps in Spanish on "MICHAEL X." Translation: "I'm a part of the problem if I don't bring these issues up."

Towers, of course, is referring to the conversations stemmed from the police killing of George Floyd. As an Afro-Latino born in Puerto Rico who was deeply influenced by hip-hop culture and Black rappers like Jay-Z, who he named his son after, Towers, born Michael Torres, feels the need to support the struggle against police brutality and racism.

"For me, being a Latin artist who has been heavily influenced by Black culture, it is important to show my support and stand in solidarity with the African American community for what is right, what is humane," he told GRAMMY.com in a statement.

He expresses his thoughts and outlines what he feels is his responsibility as an artist with a platform on his track by channeling one of the most influential Black leaders in history. "MICHAEL X"'s powerful visual opens with Malcolm X's speech adressing police brutality in Los Angeles on May 20, 1962. 

Dressed in a black-and-white suit, Towers evokes X (at one point standing in front of a podium like X does in his famous 1962 Los Angeles speech), letting go of his usual lifestyle lyrics and trap/reggaeton beat. Instead, he adopts a more serious tone over a traditional hip-hop sound that takes him back to his roots.

"I wrote this song to really get so much I had inside me, out. I needed to say what you hear. I needed the world to hear my point of view as an Afro-Latino," he said. 

And so he does, using lyrics to reference slavery, immigration, 9/11, politics⁠—from police brutality to Puerto Rico's controversial Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced⁠—Black pop culture, including Wakanda, home of Black comic book hero Black Panther, and Kobe Bryant. In one verse, Towers also references Latin pop culture, using witty lyricism to reference fellow Puerto Rican rapper Rene Pérez Joglar, a.k.a Residente.

Beyond sharing his perspective, Towers uses "MICHAEL X" to uplift Black people and share his pride. "I like seeing how the beautiful faces of my Black people cheer up," he raps in a verse.

The powerful song began as just thoughts but quickly became something more. "At first, my intention was really penning down some thoughts and sentiments but then the lyrics just began flowing and before I knew it, it was a full song," he said. "I knew I had to record it. It was an intense and emotional moment you know?"

The rapper feels Floyd's death, who he mentions in the song, is a catalyst for change. "While unfortunate, the death George Floyd woke the world up. It is shaking its core," he said. "I feel in life everything is timed out and aligns how it is meant to be aligned, and us being in quarantine has really made us open our eyes."

Towers feels strongly about being a part of a generation that enacts change.

"The death of George Floyd has impacted the world very deeply," he said. "No man, woman or child should have to worry about being treated unjustly just because of the color of their skin. As a younger generation, it is our responsibility to TAKE part and BE part of the change."

Hear the full song above. 

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Jenni Rivera 

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EXCLUSIVE: Listen To A Preview Of Jenni Rivera's Never-Before-Heard Song "Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar"

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GRAMMY.com has an exclusive preview of the Mexican Regional music icon’s latest unreleased single
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 29, 2020 - 9:55 am

It’s been eight years since Mexican regional music lost their great lady, their "Gran Señora."

But Jenni Rivera’s one of a kind voice and rebellious, trailblazing spirt lives on in her latest never-before released track "Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar."

The unforgettable Mexican-American singer, who died in a tragic plane crash in 2012, paved the way for women in Mexican regional music with her command over several genre styles (banda, corrido and mariachi, to name a few) and a powerful, soulful voice that belted out lyrics about heartbreak, love, sex and mafia life. A female artist in a male-dominated genre, Jenni Rivera made room for herself and claimed her throne as banda’s diva, as she was lovingly known, with a spirit that was not afraid to break gender norms.

"Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar" exudes the confidence, determination, drive and outspokenness the world loved about her.

"They keep going with the same old story/ They judge and criticize my life/ I’m the diva and it hurts them/ I say what I want, I don’t care," she sings in Spanish over the brass heavy style of banda music. "They just want to talk to talk/ Because they don’t have any shame/Maybe they want to have my place and live the good life."

GRAMMY.com has an exclusive preview of the song, which will be fully released on what would be Rivera’s 51st birthday, July 2.

The unreleased song was discovered by Rivera’s brother Juan, who was unsure if the songs he had come across were new when he found them, after her death.

"When I found out they were unreleased records I wasn’t sure if it was sheer happiness or sadness," he told GRAMMY.com via email. "Happiness because it was something FRESH, TOTALLY NEW and UNHEARD for her fans. Sad because I’m afraid to find them all and reach that potential end."

"Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar" is the third single off a posthumous forthcoming album called Hablando Claro. No release date has been set. Juan and Rivera’s youngest son, Johnny, are aomg some that have worked on the album which will feature previously released singles "Aparentemente Bien," co-written by Erika Ender and Alejandro Lerner and "Enganemoslo" with Mariachi Los Reyes and written by Espinoza Paz.

Juan says working on the album has brought a new way for him to contribute to his sister’s legacy.

RELATED: The Spirit Of Jenni Rivera Is Forever Unbreakable

"It’s been the greatest honor and BLESSING. At times, difficult because as a brother i would have never imagined that I would have to work on her music in this manner," he said. "I had the honor of working with her on live performances and to see that PURE LOVE for her from her fans. Now, I can say I’m a part of her musical history via these new songs."

The family has been holding news of the album since 2017, waiting for the right moment to release it.

Rivera’s son, Johnny, has been looking forward to the album since then. For him, it’s been an honor to work on his mother’s music. He thoughtfully came up with the album’s title so that it could align with other albums in her catalog.

"I wanted to make sure it’d fit with the rest of my mom’s studio albums and so I chose Hablando Claro because she recorded that song on the album for my grandmother. She has the theme across many of her albums of honoring my grandmother with tracks like 'La Gran Señora,' 'Resulta,' 'Homenaje A Mi Madre' and 'Déjame Vivir.'" He said. "I feel this is her speaking her truth through her music."

Johnny reveals fans can expect his mother’s "most bold, broken-down and personal tracks" on the new album.

"She left behind some great music and I think she always had the thought in her that she wanted to leave music behind for when she was no longer here physically," he shares. She was always thinking about the future."

He adds that he hopes her fans, new and old, become touched by her emotion and resonate with every single one she leaves on the album—whether they laugh, cry, or celebrate with her.

"She knew her purpose in life was to help others through her music.,” he said. “That intention is still the main goal even almost eight years after she’s been physically gone."

The album’s release will be a bittersweet feeling for Johnny too.

"It makes it more real that she’s no longer physically here. This is her final album of original Spanish material," he said. "In a lot of ways you wanna hold onto it forever but I know this is going to hold such an important place in her legacy."

Hear a snippet of the song above.

Save The Date: The 2020 Latin GRAMMY Nominations Will Be Announced September 29

Erika Ender at the 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards

Erika Ender, winner of Song Of The Year as a co-writer of "Despacito"

Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

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GRAMMY Museum Experience Announces Online Learning Hub With New Podcast & Video Series Featuring Erika Ender

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The "Despacito" co-writer is one of the first guests of the museum's new video series called Behind the Songs
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 17, 2020 - 4:17 pm

The GRAMMY Museum Experience at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. has launched a new Online Learning and Content Hub that will feature a new podcast and video series.

The learning hub will contain free content and joins the museum's existing digital programming including its Mini Masterclass video series featuring Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Estelle and more. Their new video series called Behind the Songs will take listeners behind the songs of notable singers, songwriters and producers with host Mark Conklin, museum artist relations and programming director. Most conversations will be followed with an exclusive performance. The second episode with "Despacito" co-writer Erika Ender will be released on June 18 at 7 p.m. EST. New episodes will be released every Thursday at 7 p.m. EST. 

Musically Speaking, the museum's new podcast, will feature conversations with artists, songwriters, producers and industry executives, including DJ Khaled and Naughty By Nature, from past public programs held at the museum. The first episode released on June 15 at 7 p.m. EST featured rock legends The Zombies. Like Behind the Songs, new podcast episodes will publish every Thursday at 7 p.m. EST.

"Music is our greatest form of connection and it has never been more important to our society than it is right now," said Conklin in a statement. "We are thrilled to introduce our Online Learning and Content Hub and bring its programs to life. These online programs allow us to continue the museum’s mission to educate, entertain and provide music fans with an exclusive glimpse into the songs and artists that continue to be the soundtrack of our lives."

The GRAMMY Museum Experience will also be showcasing virtual exhibits from their museum and the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles soon. Among the exhibits, they will highlight virtually is Whitney! honoring Whitney Houston. 

Check out the new hub and new programs at GRAMMYMuseumEXP.org.

GRAMMY Museum Releases Two Songwriters Hall Of Fame Programs From Archive

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Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

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The Music Industry Calls For "Black Out Tuesday" In Response To The Death Of George Floyd

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In response to George Floyd's death, as well as the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and "other black citizens at the hands of police," music companies and artists are calling for the industry to observe "Black Out Tuesday" on June 2
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Jun 1, 2020 - 9:54 am

This past weekend, hundreds of protests broke out across the United States in response to the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who died at the hands of four police officers last week.

In response to Floyd's death, as well as the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and "other black citizens at the hands of police," numerous music companies and artists took to social media, calling for the industry to observe "Black Out Tuesday" on Tuesday, June 2.

"As gatekeepers of the culture, it's our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during loss," the statement says with the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused.

According to Billboard, the #Paused effort is coming from Atlantic senior directors of marketing Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, who describe this action as a response to "the long-standing racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard."

In their Instagram post, which you can read below, Agyemang and Thomas explain that TheShowMustBePaused is meant to "intentionally disrupt the work week... The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry that has profited predominantly from Black art. Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major corporations + their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people accountable."   

Numerous musicians joined in the protests over the weekend, including J. Cole marching in North Carolina, Tinashe and Ariana Grande in Los Angeles and Halsey in Santa Monica. 

"I dont know how to articulate the horrors of today," Halsey wrote on Twitter. "NG + officers firing rounds into kneeling crowds. We dont have enough medics on the ground on our side. I was treating injuries I am not qualified to. So much blood spilled. If you have med training pls go + standby outskirts."

"And if you’re a white ally who is gonna stand and shout and antagonize the officers and NG and then hide behind black bodies when the shots start firing, f--- you. You couldnt understand a shred of the bravery of the black folks at the front line. Thank you to everyone who stayed."