As the Spanish music market grows stronger, with live music attendance at a record high and greater interest than ever in Spanish-speaking artists, the Community of Madrid—the region that includes the nation's capital—has launched several initiatives to expand its musical footprint.
Initiatives range from the Sesión Vermú – a series of concerts that in 2023 included 90 concerts by 46 bands in 24 municipalities – to the huge concerts of Latin headliners Camilo and Carlos Vives at the iconic Puerta de Alcalá, in the center of the city.
“Madrid is the musical bridge between Latin America and Europe,” says Madrid Community President Isabel Díaz Ayuso. “The Madrid Community is dedicated to supporting new talent and new creations and bringing fans the best emerging music from Spain. Likewise, it is committed to the global circuit with major music events and festivals.”
These include the First Music Forum in Spanish, presented by Advertising sign and is scheduled for March 19, which will include industry and artist panels and an exhibition by Argentinian rapper-singer Nicki Nicole.
“I'm very excited about this as a Spaniard,” says Sony Music US Latin vice president of business development Rafael Madroñal, who is based in Miami.
Madroñal helped secure partnerships between Sony and the Community of Madrid to revitalize the city after the coronavirus pandemic with massive, free concerts as part of Hispanidad, a week-long festival held annually in Madrid celebrating music, the dance, theater, cuisine and Ibero American folklore. The first concert of the festival, by Colombian singer Camilo, drew around 80,000 people in October 2022. The second, by fellow Colombian Vives, attracted over 100,000 the following year and featured both local and international guest artists such as Ana Mena , Ryan Castro, Prince Royce and Juanes.
“Hispanidad 2024 will be even more ambitious both in terms of the number of activities and the artists and countries that have been invited,” says Díaz Ayuso.
“La Puerta de Alcalá, for us and for me, meant many things,” says Vives. “We were not only celebrating—in Spain, in an emblematic city—our 30 years of career and [my album] La Provincia, but also celebrating 30 years of singing about that wonderful and diverse land. If I can sum up what my concert at Puerta de Alcalá represented: the shout of affirmation of my pride in being Spanish-American.”
The day after the event, Camilo called the show “the biggest concert of my life” on Instagram.
And the benefits of such bookings go beyond the magic of the moment, says Madroñal, recalling that shortly after their respective appearances, Camilo and Vives returned to Spain for a tour.
This year, Madrid will reopen the renovated and expanded Santiago Bernaéu Stadium to offer another big music scene, with superstars such as Luis Miguel, Taylor Swift and Karol G already confirmed for concerts.
“Here, quality and excellence reign,” says Díaz Ayuso, “and the best from here and there come together to create real magic.”
This story will appear in the March 9, 2024 issue Advertising sign.
