When Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was announced as the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show headliner last December, two starkly different responses exploded over social media within minutes. One was brimming with eager anticipation at the prospect of the Super Bowl’s first non-English show and the other was quite loudly outraged for that exact same reason. The show ended up becoming a global spectacle, delivering on the artist’s promise that the world would dance.
I recently spoke with the Latin Grammy-nominated group Piso 21 of their upcoming new music and huge success over the last couple of years. The international group comprises Pablo, David (DIM), Juan (El Profe), and Lorduy, each bringing a different talent that creates their unique sound.
In Latin American territories and among their descendants, Anitta is one of the most recognizable performers in the game. And a decade after the girl from Rio signed her record deal with Warner Music [Brazil], she is receiving her flowers in the U.S. through new collaborations, pop-inspired releases, and global partnerships, including Lay’s. “As I continue to grow as an artist and a person, I do my best to focus on the positive and choose joy in every situation — to stay golden,” the singer-songwriter explained.
This past weekend, in collaboration with HBO Latino, Latin music artists Gente De Zona released the second edition of their Grammy-nominated music special “En Letra de Otro.”
Last Tuesday, “Verano Alteranativo”, BMI’s co-sponsored Latin American Music Conference was held at DROM in the East Village.
Tuesday, August 30th – I had the pleasure of meeting one half of Dallas based production duo and real-life brothers Play N Skillz at a private dinner in their honor at Sofrito’s in East Harlem.
Pianists, composers, and producers Marlow Rosado and Larry Harlow discuss their newly released collaborative album “Harlow Marlow Vol. 1”