Back in the 1980s and even the 1990s, Spanish artists like Raphael, Julio Iglesias and Camilo Sesto were hugely popular both in Latin America and among U.S. Latin audiences — a situation replicated in the 1990s and 2000s by the likes of global superstars like Mecano and Alejandro Sanz, both of whom hailed from Spain.
The advent of reggaetón in the early 2000s changed that, as a new, youth-oriented urban movement in Latin America took over Spanish music charts around the world and the term “Latin” rose to encompass music made in Spanish.
Following the advent of streaming, an influx of immigrants from multiple countries and the pandemic, “Latin” artists gained an even bigger stronghold in Spain, and now, acts like Bad Bunny and Karol G dominate that country’s chart. At the same time, a retro-pollination is happening in real-time, with Spanish acts increasingly collaborating with their Latin counterparts to create a new world of cross-cultural, collaborative hits. Witness Argentine DJ Bizarrap’s sensational “Session” with Spanish rapper Quevedo, which topped the Billboard Global Excl. US chart.
This crossover on both sides of the Atlantic was the topic of the opening panel at Billboard’s first-ever Spanish Language Music Summit, which took place in Madrid on March 19, presented by la Comunidad de Madrid. Superstar managers Walter Kolm (Maluma, Carlos Vives), Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas (Camilo, Rels B), Fede Lauria (who owns Dale Play Records and also manages Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole), Rosa Lagarrigue (Rozalén, Raphael) and Sony U.S. Latin president Alex Gallardo candidly discussed the challenges and opportunities currently facing artists both in Spain and in Latin America.
Here are five takeaways from the conversation. You can also watch the full panel here.
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Spaniards and ‘Latins’ Have Found Common Ground
“Today, Spain has accepted being seen as part of the Latin movement, and the Latin movement has accepted being seen as part of the Spanish movement,” said Ferradas, citing collabs like the one between Bizarrap and Quevedo. Years ago, added Ferradas, who has long worked between Spain, the United States and Latin America, the word “Latin” in terms of music didn’t have the positive connotation it has now among Spaniards. “The pandemic allowed people to really listen, and it opened ears and doors.” For Ferrada’s client Camilo, collaborating with Spanish stars Dani Martín and Pablo Alborán opened the doors to his vast acceptance in Spain, where he now sells out arenas.
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Conquering the World Without Leaving Your Country Is Tough
Spanish artists sometimes aren’t willing to make the sacrifices needed to “conquer the world,” said Kolm, who manages Maluma, Vives, Wisin and Emilia, among others, via his WK Entertainment. “Look at the Colombians: Vives, Maluma, Camilo, Shakira, Karol G, Fed,” he said. “They made a decision to conquer the world, and that takes commitment. Conquering the world without leaving your country is tough.”
“You need to have desire and a spirit of sacrifice,” added Lagarrigue, who, from her home base in Spain, has managed superstars like Sanz and Mecano in the past. “You have to move, travel, work a lot and get to know the other markets without losing your identity.”
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There Is No Single Path
“I identify with how each artist decides to develop his or her career,” said Lauria, noting that an artist like Argentine rapper Duki is playing a stadium in Spain this summer and is only now beginning to play arenas in the United States. “The industry may not always see it, but there’s a young fan that’s engaging strongly in other ways.” Plus, added Ferradas, different cultures embrace different music. When reggaetón came to the forefront, “Youth culture in Spain, Argentina and Mexico responded with their own cultural answer of what they were living in their own countries. Exporting that takes more time.”
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Success in the U.S. Is More Important for Some Artists Than Others
There was no clear consensus on how important the U.S. market is to global success. While Lauria has worked his artists first in their local markets, and then in places like Spain and Mexico, Kolm is a big proponent of U.S. success in the global journey. “The U.S. market may not be as profitable unless you sell a lot of tickets, but it’s a major window,” he said. “It’s where the most important award shows take place and it reflects what people are consuming. You have to work it. We did it 10 years ago with Maluma, when he moved to the U.S., and now we’re doing it with Emilia. Things move very quickly in pop and competition is fierce. You have to be ready.”
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You Need a Plan
It sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating. “There needs to be a strategy,” said Gallardo, noting that in the physical album days, there was a threshold of 100,000 albums that had to be sold before an artist could be exported. Streaming has, of course, changed that. But still, “If a Spanish artist wants to break in America, what does that mean? It’s a giant continent. You need to build a plan and start small where you already have a fan base, whether it’s Argentina or Mexico.” Gallardo, like Kolm, cited Emilia as an example. Originally signed to Sony when she was a brand-new solo artist living in Miami, she moved back to Argentina to build her fan base there. “And now, she sold out 10 Movistar Arenas in Buenos Aires,” and is breaking in the United States, he noted.
