Back in the 1980s and even into the 1990s, Spanish artists such as Raphael, Julio Iglesias and Camilo Sesto were extremely popular both in Latin America and with US Latin audiences – a situation that repeated itself in the 1990s and of 2000 by global superstars such as Mecano and Alejandro. Sanz, both of whom were originally from Spain.
The advent of reggaetón in the early 2000s changed that, as a new urban movement in Latin America took over the Spanish music charts around the world and the term “Latin” grew to include music made in Spanish.
After the advent of streaming, an influx of immigrants from many countries and the pandemic, “Latin” artists gained an even bigger stronghold in Spain and now, acts like Bad Bunny and Karol G dominate the chart in that country. At the same time, a cross-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 Argentinian DJ Bizarrap's sensational “Session” with Spanish rapper Quevedo, which topped the Billboard Global Excl. USA chart.
This crossover on both sides of the Atlantic was the subject of the opening panel at Advertising signThe first 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” Ferratas (Camilo, Rels B), Fede Lauria (who owns Dale Play Records and also manages Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole), Rosa Lagarig (Rozalén, Raphael) and Sony President of Latin America Alex Gallardo candidly discussed the challenges and opportunities facing artists in both Spain and Latin America today.
Here are five excerpts from the discussion. You can also watch the entire panel here.
-
The Spanish and the “Latins” found common ground
“Today, Spain has accepted to be considered part of the Latin movement and the Latin movement has accepted to be considered part of the Spanish movement,” Ferradas said, citing partnerships 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” when it comes to music did not have the positive connotation it has now among Spaniards. “The pandemic allowed people to really listen and opened ears and doors.” For Ferrada's client Camilo, working with Spanish stars Dani Martín and Pablo Alborán opened the doors to massive acceptance in Spain, where he now sells out arenas.
-
Conquering the world without leaving your country is difficult
Spanish artists are sometimes unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to “conquer the world,” said Kolm, who manages Maluma, Vives, Wisin and Emilia, among others, through 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 requires commitment. Conquering the world without leaving your country is difficult.”
“You have to have desire and a spirit of sacrifice,” added Lagarig, who, from her home 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.”
-
There is no single path
“I identify with how each artist decides to develop their career,” Lauria said, noting that an artist like Argentine rapper Duki is playing a stadium in Spain this summer and is just now starting to play arenas in the United States. “The industry may not always see it, but there is a young fan base that is heavily engaged in other ways.” Furthermore, Ferrada added, different cultures embrace different music. When reggaetón came to the fore, “the youth culture in Spain, Argentina and Mexico responded with their own cultural response to what they were experiencing in their countries. The export that takes more time.'
-
Success in the US is more important to some artists than others
There was no clear consensus on how important the US 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 supporter of US success on the world tour. “The US market might not be as profitable if you don't sell a lot of tickets, but it's an important window,” he said. “That's where the most important awards are held and it reflects what people are consuming. You have to work at it. We did it 10 years ago with Maluma when he moved to the US, and now we're doing it with Emilia. Things move very fast in pop and the competition is fierce. You have to be ready.”
-
You need a plan
It sounds obvious, but it bears repeating. “There has to be a strategy,” Gallardo said, noting that in the physical album days, there was a limit of 100,000 albums that had to be sold before an artist could be exported. Streaming, of course, has changed that. But again, “If a Spanish artist wants to break in America, what does that mean? It's a giant continent. You have to make a plan and start small where you already have fans, 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 returned to Argentina to build her fan base there. “And now, he sold out 10 Movistar Arenas in Buenos Aires” and is making waves in the United States, he noted.
