This past week consisted of Billboard’s most popular week of the year- Billboard Latin Music Week! The week kicked off on Monday the 26th with conferences at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach which included exclusive conversations, industry workshops, intimate networking opportunities, showcases, concerts, activations, and many more exciting activities. Industry professionals, artists, fans and aspiring industry professionals all gathered under the same roof for this eventful week.
Some highlights from the conference includes of “How I wrote the song: The producers” presented by BMI (Broadcast Music Inc) which included Cris Chil, Dimelo Flow, Kuinvi, Sky Rompiendo, Foreign Teck and moderated by Jesus Gonzalez, the VP of creative- Latin BMI. There was an “Icon Q&A with Ivy Queen” and “Making the hit live: Ovy on the drums and Blessd.” Another notable panel was “Culture Clash Live: Colorism and Representation in Latin Music & Media” which consisted of Kunno (influencer and TikToker) , Mauro Castillo (actor, singer, and musical producer), Yendry (singer-songwriter) and moderated by AJ Ramos (head of artist partnerships Latin music & culture, YouTube Music/ Google). During Romeo Santos Q&A, he decided to start singing “I Want it That Way” and had everyone singing along with him. There was a range of Latin artists from different genres and ages performing and speaking during the conferences.
Not only were there panels, but participants at the conference were able to participate in networking opportunities with music industry professionals. There were opportunities to network with Ingrooves, the Billboard Latin Editorial staff, Diaz Publicists and other notable industry professionals. There were photo opportunities with several Billboard Latin Music Week backdrops and Billboard merch in collaboration with Urban Outfitters for purchase. Attendees also were able to receive a copy of the 2022 Latin Power Players Billboard issue.
Each night throughout the week there were artist showcases at the Faena Theatre and Oasis. Monday consisted of the AP Global Music Opening Showcase and included Gonza, Bernier, Venesti and Joonti performing. Veronica Luchesi of LRDL performed during the conference which enlighten many since she sang in Italian! Maluma also presented his new record label “Royalty Records” with his two newly signed artists Abril and Paulina B. Both artists performed some of their own music. Towards the end of the presentation, Maluma performed alongside them, which won the hearts of many! Other concerts throughout the week included performances by Camilo, Gale, Audioiko, Christina Aguilera, Elena Rose, Justin Quiles, and Mariah Angeliq. Bzrp made his United States debut performing at Oasis which attracted many fans to watch the talented Argentinean producer live for the first time. The closing party of Billboard Latin Music Week was Bresh and surprised attendees with an appearance from Rauw Alejandro and Bzrp again.
On Thursday, the 29th was the Billboard Latin Music Awards, that was held here on campus at the Watsco. Some of the notable winners include Bad Bunny taking home nine awards in the biggest categories such as album of the year for “Un Verano Sin Ti.” Becky G and Karol G’s ‘Mamiii” won Hot Latin Song of the year representing all the women in music! Not only were musical awards given, but special awards such as Nicky Jam receiving the Hall of Fame Award for his contributions to the reggaeton genre and successful career in film, media and of course music. Performances from Ozuna, Camilo, Christina Aguilera and more made the night eventful.
If you are a lover of Latin music, culture or music in general, make sure you attend next year's Billboard Latin Music Week. The week is filled with so many great shows, panels, networking opportunities, educational panels and meaningful experiences.
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