From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Grupo Firme goes to the White House
Regional Mexican ensemble Grupo Firme took a little detour during their stadium tour and headed to Washington, D.C., to visit La Casa Blanca. According to a press release, Firme received an invitation from Vice President Kamala Harris’ office directly inviting them to see the White House and the Capitol.
“We feel very flattered,” said Isael Gutiérrez, Grupo Firme’s manager. “We went with our families and to me, it’s unprecedented that something like this happens. As a manager, label executive, as Grupo Firme, without a doubt it’s an achievement to have been invited. It was a true honor.”
Billboard Latin Music Week 2022
Billboard Latin Music Week unveiled the first round of participating talent set to take part at this year’s five-day legacy event. Among those confirmed include Romeo Santos, Camilo, Nicky Jam, Eslabon Armado, Bizarrap, Yahritza Y Su Esencia, and many more. Additional participants will be announced in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Latin Music Week, which is set to take place Sept. 26-30 at the Faena Forum in Miami.
Themed “Latin Goes Global,” Latin Music Week kicks off Monday, Sept. 26, and will feature an extensive lineup of workshops, performances, panels, exclusive conversations with artists, activations, and networking opportunities. Festivities will continue through Friday, Sept. 30, with Billboard’s En Vivo concert series, a series of concerts held at Oasis. Registration is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
Eurovision Song Contest expands to Latin America
After announcing in May it was expanding into Canada, the Eurovision Song Contest is now set to launch in Latin America too.
According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest generated high content views in Latin America with countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico among the top-performing markets for non-participating nations. Now, producers will begin the search for a host city for Eurovision Song Contest Latin America among the top-performing Latin American markets in the coming months.
Rumbazo Fest
The inaugural Rumbazo Latin Music Festival has announced its 2022 lineup, promising “el reventón del año” (the party of the year). Maluma will headline the first-ever Rumbazo fest, with sets from Prince Royce, Natanael Cano, Ivy Queen, Omar Apollo and newcomer Blessd, to name a few. As part of the festival, Becky G will host an invite-only welcome event on Sept. 10.
The two-day music and culture celebration, presented by Anheuser-Busch, will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, taking place Sept. 10 and 11 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Part open-air gallery and part music festival, the event is expected to draw 15,000 attendees per day, according to organizers.
Latin Grammy acoustic sessions
The Latin Recording Academy has unveiled the 2022 Latin Grammy Acoustic Sessions set to kick off later this month with a star-studded Regional Mexican lineup.
This year’s series, presented in partnership with Meta, will showcase two digital concerts filmed in Mexico City and São Paulo, where the artists will perform renditions of their personal favorite songs with surprising collaborations and storytelling, at remarkable settings.
The first concert, recorded at the Centro Cultural Roberto Cantoral in Mexico City, features performances by former Latin Grammy nominees El Fantasma and Lupita Infante, as well as Latin Grammy winners Los Dos Carnales. A digital concert from São Paulo will later premiere with more artists to be announced.
