Myke Towers, Ivy Queen and Vivian Tu Among Creatives Celebrated in Variety’s Miami Entertainment Impact Report

CEO 
The Latin Recording Academy  

Abud’s appreciation for Miami is multi-layered. The Latin entertainment and business exec has lived there for the past decade, as it’s the only other place in the world he’s spent the most time in besides his home country of Mexico. He credits the city’s vastly diverse and expanding entertainment network for the Academy’s international expansion in Mexico, Brazil and Spain. “The Latin Recording Academy is a global organization and, just like me, it has made Miami its home for the past decade because we believe it is a city that truly reflects the global and inclusive character of our organization. Part of [our] evolution means international expansion in order to fully support music creators around the world, not only in a particular region.” 

CEO 
Loud and Live 

Within the last 14-month period, independently owned global entertainment and live events company Loud and Live presented over 400 shows under the leadership of Albareda — with 20% of those shows produced in Miami. After the pandemic, the industry-wide challenges of inflation and venue availability in the live entertainment space were anticipated by Loud and Live, who “came out of the gate swinging with offers and tours” ready to meet the “significant pent-up customer demand,” according to Albareda. “We’re looking to diversify the type and genre of artists we work with and continue to grow our global market share as a leading live entertainment promoter, including continued expansion into Latin America and Europe.” 

Artist 

Born and raised in Miami, Angeliq launched her career when she was 16 as a trap artist with R&B influences. But as the boisterous energy of the city caught up to the rising star, Angeliq found her voice in urban music and she went on to cultivate a steady stream of chart-topping collaborations, from “Bobo” with Bad Gyal and Maria Becerra to “El Makinon” with label mate Karol G. “Miami has become the place to be if you want to become an artist,” she says. “My career all started because of the people I met in this city. Even though I wasn’t fluent in Spanish when I started, I was empowered by being a Spanglish artist.” 

Head of Local Originals for Latin America, Canada and Australia 
Amazon Studios 

Balmaceda believes her purpose as the head of Amazon Studios’ original content is to show “the greatness of all Latin American storytelling.” Balmaceda, who oversees production for Latin America, Canada and Australia, led teams in seven countries with more than 30 projects launched in 2022, including the critically acclaimed “Argentina, 1985,” which won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination. “I felt that not only is it relevant to Latin American history, but today, it really exemplifies the fragility of democracy and the work that we can all do for justice, within the confines of the systems that we have,” she says, in reference to the film’s success. For future productions, Balmaceda wants to continue to find stories that resonate with Amazon’s customers in Latin America and “that break out into the global footprint.” 

Founder 
BorderKid Records 

Barrera’s career just keeps getting hotter. As the producer and composer for countless major artists including Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Grupo Firme, Maluma, and Becky G, he’s one of Miami’s most in-demand producers these days. “My career has taken over a big chunk of my daily life, so at this point my biggest personal goal is to find a new balance,” he says. Barrera will also have to find time for his BorderKid label too. “For sure my biggest challenge [recently] was launching my new label,” he says. “There was so much I had to learn but I surrounded myself with very knowledgeable people that have supported me from day one.” The Grammy-winner’s advice for up-and-comers in the industry? “Remain authentic to your sound. Authenticity is more valuable than any other trend happening at the moment.” 

SVP and Managing Director, International Productions, Latin America and U.S. Hispanic  
Sony Pictures Television  

With Bond’s leadership at Sony Pictures Television, the company has produced shows such as “Ligeramente Diva,” the Spanish-language adaptation of “Drop Dead Diva,” as well as “De Brutas Nada” for Amazon Prime Video and “Dona Beija” for HBO Max, while also taking a first dip into scripted reality with shows such as “Clinica X.” “It’s a very different kind of format,” she says of scripted reality. “So, it’s really understanding the identity of each property, and how to position that.” Bond is also in charge of overseeing productions that the company refers to as “light drama,” which she says there is always an appetite for, as well as comedies. “We have the best team that we can have, surrounding each one of those titles, whether it be in front of or behind the camera.” 

Artist 

In the year since releasing her critically acclaimed third studio album “Familia,” Cabello has kept busy. Between appearances on NBC’s hit “The Voice,” and prepping for her voice role as Viva in animated franchise “Trolls Band Together,” she launched an ASMR sleep story as part of a partnership with leading mental health brand Calm. Plus, she’s also been supporting the launch of her grandmother Mercedes Rodriguez’s novel, “Los Boleros Que He Vivido.” ¡Familia es todo! 

Gabrielle Mella
Marketing Director

Andrea Galicia
Marketing and Sales Director

Mella and Galicia have worked together to launch and develop the global careers of genre-crossing artists like Afro-Latina artist Immasoul. The duo is always looking for fresh sounds and faces — with a special emphasis on bringing more women into the industry. “There are so many female producers, engineers, singer-songwriters, and managers that are not given the opportunity to shine. Women have had to be aggressive for too long in a male-dominated music industry. It’s time to really support each other instead of bringing each other down,” says Galicia. “The dream is always to find the next superstar. I hope that in the next year our artists achieve global recognition,” adds Mella. 

Florida Regional President 
Live Nation  

Flores thinks there’s still mountains of untapped potential to be discovered in Miami. “Other cities like L.A., New York, Nashville, and Austin can be seen as where you need to go to have a career in music, but there is so much opportunity to work with students here,” she says, adding that her next big career goal is to “create an accelerator program for students interested in working in the live entertainment industry.” In the last year, Flores helped put together the Jazz in the Gardens festival in partnership with the city of Miami Gardens to host headliners Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., Rick Ross, the Isley Brothers, SWV and the Roots. “It’s important we are always ensuring the live events we put on are reflective of what this market looks like, listens to, and that it’s the artists they want to see live.” 

Head of Global Latin Music Touring Group

CAA 

CAA’s Miami office topper represents globally known performers including Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Luis Fonsi, among others. Recent successes include securing a casting for comedian Marcello Hernandez on “Saturday Night Live,” only the fourth Latino ever to permanently join the show, and spearheading negotiations for Estefan’s casting in the recent “Father of the Bride” remake through Plan B/Warner Bros. In addition to anticipating signing more clients over the coming year, he would also like “more cross-collaboration with K-Pop and Afro Beat artists since those two genres — along with Latin — are breaking musical boundaries globally. 

Founder 
Groot Hospitality  

Grutman began merging entertainment and hospitality way before owning instagrammable restaurants was cool in Miami. Grutman, who opened the game-changing LIV 15 years ago and now counts the hot eatery Komodo as part of his portfolio, has shifted the hospitality scene in Miami, encouraging A-listers to open unique dining concepts in the city. In partnership with Bad Bunny, Grutman launched Gekkō in 2022. “Bunny always wanted to do a sushi restaurant, so when this opportunity came up, I did say ‘Hey, listen, I think I have the most perfect one for you,’ and it worked out,” Grutman says. Grutman is opening Casadonna, an Italian concept, with TAO Group this summer. 

Artist  

El Guincho (born Pablo Díaz-Reixa) may have been born in Spain, but the artist, songwriter and producer is now all about Miami. “Settling in Miami after many years of working in Barcelona was probably not only my biggest challenge, but my biggest success over this past year … it’s been really great for me and I wish I had done it earlier,” he says. Nominated for a Latin Grammy for his work on “La Fama” by Rosalía this past year, he is a close collaborator of the artist, co-producing multiple tracks on her lauded album “Motomami.” He’s worked with everyone from FKA Twigs to Travis Scott to Bjork, so expect big looks soon from the songsmith. “I’m currently working on some of my dream projects, and I’m excited for when some of the major collaborations I’ve been working on can be released,” he says. 

Dionne Bermudez
VP, Product Strategy, Latin America 

Jesus Rodriguez
VP, Global Curation/Merchandising 

Launching HBO Max in Latin America during a corporate merger and restructuring was a big challenge for Bermudez, who leads the product experience team in shaping the app experience across all major platforms in Latin America, and Rodriguez, who oversees HBO Max Latin America’s editorial strategy. “Our local product team, integrated with the global team, was able to intimately partner with local business groups, allowing us to successfully launch specific but essential market features for our consumers (e.g., local payment methods), while maintaining the global approach they expect from a brand like ours,” says Bermudez. Adds Rodriguez, “One of the biggest challenges we faced in launching HBO Max was to work out an effective content curation process and programming lineup that expanded beyond the HBO brand, enhancing the overall value proposition for our consumers by embracing local preferences and scaling up on local original productions [and] content acquisitions. The significant increase in content investment allowed us to create a new narrative with fans, without jeopardizing the long-term business. It was one critical challenge and a great achievement.” 

Managing Director  
GTS Universal US Latin 

Over the past three years, Kaminsky, as Sebastián Yatra’s manager, has helped spearhead important milestones in the artist’s career. From singing the 2022 Oscar-nominated “Dos Oruguitos” from “Encanto” (and performing on the Oscar show) to his debut as a lead actor on Netflix’s “Erase Una Vez Pero No,” Kaminsky has been there every step of the way. “On the management side, my vision is that you need to develop an artist long-term,” says Kaminsky. “It’s harder because the market [today] is very fast. In the case of Sebastián, I think we’re working amazingly because he is very open to discussing all of these ideas. We bring opportunities to him and he’s always open to deliver in a way.” 

Nestor Casonú – President, Latin America
Leslie Ahrens – SVP, Creative, Latin America

Kobalt’s Latin office may be the proverbial new kid of the block in Miami (they opened their office just eight years ago), but they have quickly made their presence in the city known, with many awards already under their belt, including 51 Latin Grammy Award wins. “My proudest moment in the last year would be seeing the awards our clients have received and the recognition executives of my staff have received for their contribution to the industry,” he says. Casonú recently oversaw the contract renewal for chart-topper Karol G, coinciding with the Colombian artist’s recent back-to-back hits, “Provenza” and “MAMIII” (with Becky G).  Ahrens was also involved with Karol G’s creative process the last year, and she additionally has worked with top Latin singer-songwriter Justin Quiles, as well as helping to renew songwriter/producer Ovy on the Drums (Karol G’s go-to producer) deal at Kobalt.  

Founder and CEO, WK Entertainment 
Founder and Owner, WK Records/WKMX 

Client roster success stories for Kolm saw Maluma starring in his feature film role while also launching his own mezcal brand, a fragrance, a clothing line and earning a Grammy nomination. Carlos Vives’ release of “Cumbiana II” led to Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations and a casting in the Disney Plus series “The Low Tone Club” featuring his own songs. Kolm notes that as a company, “our biggest successes also came with some of our biggest challenges” but that perseverance paid off. Looking ahead, Kolm plans to grow the company and help clients and staff create and surpass their own objectives as well. 

Managing Partner, Maluma 
WK Entertainment 

A key player in Grammy-nominated Maluma’s global career, Lua has been instrumental in creative decision-making and deal-closing for the Colombian talent’s major events, including his homecoming 360 concert “Medallo en El Mapa” for 50,000 fans with surprise appearances by Madonna and Grupo Firme, and his starring role in “Marry Me” opposite Jennifer Lopez. Lua guided Maluma in the launch of his own mezcal brand, fragrance, clothing line, production company, their joint venture Royalty Records and closed 2022 with a Nicki Minaj and Myriam Fares collaboration for the official FIFA World Cup Anthem. Goals for 2023? “Continue seeking major general market collaborations for Maluma and actively conversing with major Hollywood motion picture studios to land his next major acting role.” 

Director of Format Sales and Production 
NBCUniversal Formats 

The Miami-based Marfil had success with the Mexican adaptation of NBC hit “Superstore,” and is currently leading the adaptation of the series “That’s My Jam.” Through partnerships she has fostered between NBCUniversal Formats and Telemundo, Marfil will oversee the second series of “Top Chef VIP,” and shepherded a Turkish version of “New Amsterdam.” “There’s always going to be an element of risk with bringing formats out to new markets, but it feels so magical when you do indeed find a format that truly resonates with new and local audiences,” she says. Interestingly, it’s currently a boom time for original content as much as it is for international adaptations which excites me.” 

President, Managing Director 
Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic  

While Warner Bros. Discovery is on track to launch the merged HBO Max Discovery+ streaming service in Latin America before the end of 2023, WBD is also fully “committed” to combining global U.S.  content with “extremely compelling IP created locally” in Latin America, says Medin. He cites two titles from Brazil, true crime docuseries “A Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez,” and the development of “City of God,” a series continuation of the Oscar-nominated 2002 movie. Mexico’s “Mariachis,” “Coyotl” and Argentina’s “Felices los 6” feature are among the scripted series set to bow on HBO Max in 2023 or 2024. Unlike some of its streaming rivals, WBD is “present on every single platform, from linear to cinema to streaming. We are wired to take advantage of that omnipresence in the video ecosystem,” Medín says. 

President, U.S. Latin and Latin America 
Warner Chappell Music 

Warner Chappell’s recent announcement of strong quarterly results is, in part, driven by the standout year Menéndez’s team had with new signings of top-tier talent and the continued development of its roster of legendary and current hitmakers. Last year, Menéndez was awarded the Ralph S. Peer Publisher Award at the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, but what he really wants is “my own Bizarrap session!” He notes: “We’ve seen artists break through at an incredible pace. This is happening not only in urban music, but also in new regional Mexican subgenres. Our challenge has been to adapt and react to the speed that the business is moving, without losing sight of our strategy.” 

President, Univision Television Networks Group  
TelevisaUnivision 

Meyer steers TelevisaUnivision’s business expansion and transformation, helping to integrate his U.S.-based team with the content and operations teams in Mexico. Based in Miami, Meyer’s 20-plus years in media and music informs his strategic promotion of the company’s portfolio of brands, including Univision, UNIMÁS, Galavisión and TUDN. Describing 2022 as a “transformative” year, he says: “We faced a shift in the audience composition, a decline in television viewers and rapid adoption of internet-connected devices while going through a historic combination of two market-leading companies, Univision Communications Inc. and Televisa, and launching ViX, the Spanish-language streaming service. This transformation was an opportunity to evolve our business from a domestic broadcast network to a global content organization to serve nearly 600 million Spanish-speaking customers around the world, and we did it seamlessly without continuity issues.” 

Beau Ferrari
Chairman, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

Karen Barroeta
EVP, Production and Development, Telemundo Global Studios

Ronald Day
President, Entertainment and Content Strategy

Monica Gil
Chief Administrative & Marketing Officer

Eli Velazquez
EVP, Sports Content, Telemundo Deportes

NBCUniversal Telemundo continues to increase its audience reach, and its top executives have renovated and re-evaluated the strategy for the network. “With the pandemic being behind us, we searched for new opportunities and formats that were not only fit for TV, but that could also be available across our many platforms,” explains Day, who leads the company’s content strategy with a particular focus on daily entertainment and in collaboration with Telemundo Global Studios, network news and sports. “We’ve brought two new reality shows and we are preparing another two productions for 2024. We plan to continue with the success of ‘La Casa de Los Famosos,’ ‘Top Chef’ and more projects that are on the way” he adds. Further investing in means of production, the network inaugurated its Telemundo Global Studios in Mexico City, with Barroeta leading in the execution of the project and the production of series, including the network’s release of the eighth season of “El Señor de los Cielos,” which the network brought back by popular demand. “In understanding the Latino audience in the United States; what they are watching and why, we create characters who have those same virtues and that excite our viewers,” says Barroeta. In sports, Telemundo — which Ferrari referred to as a “growth engine for NBCUniversal” — also recently hit record numbers. “From a production standpoint, ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022’ was our biggest execution ever,” says Velasquez, who leads the network’s sports division. “We delivered 2,000+ hours of programming across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and digital,” he adds. “As the number one producer of original Hispanic content in the U.S., we know that our audiences are multifaceted. We lean into their vast preferences, their diversity and the many ways in which they consume content to develop and share scripted and unscripted narratives that embody the Latino of today,” notes Gil. Goals for 2023? “To continue to build on our position as a leading producer and innovator of content across platforms, regardless of language. And by doing so build on our growth trajectory as a leader in media regardless of language,” says Ferarri. 

Lex Borrero
Co-Founder

Tainy
Co-Founder, Producer

Two figureheads of Latin music, multi-pronged entrepreneur Borrero and his super-producer client Tainy (Bad Bunny, J Balvin) launched Neon16 in Miami two years ago as an artist incubator. Since then, they have expanded into publishing with 22 Publishing in partnership with Sony. More recently, they started the content company Ntertain, producers of the docuseries “Los Montaner” on Disney+ and the music competition show “La Firma” on Netflix. Borrero takes his business cues from Jay-Z and Sean “Puffy” Combs, looking to push Latin culture everywhere possible: film, television, advertising and gaming—for a start. “We want to have a No. 1 album, No. 1 song and a No. 1 TV show,” say the duo. 

Entertainment Banking Team Leader, Miami 
City National Bank 

Nieto-Galvis opened City National Bank’s Miami office in 2019, and today, his team works with Latin musicians, songwriters, producers and business managers as well as other entities in the Latin entertainment industry. Through the pandemic, he helped clients build online business, and uses City National’s subsidiary, Exactuals, to aid in royalty collection and tracking — a plus for clients based internationally. “CNB opened an office in Miami to support the Latin Entertainment Industry holistically,” he says. “The rapid growth and global popularity of the Latin Music Industry and TV content has increased the financial complexities experienced by Latin entertainers and producers.  CNB has been supporting these Latin entrepreneurs with financial solutions and financial education to manage their global operations.” 

General Manager, Latin America 
Spotify 

Named a Leading Woman in Entertainment by the Latin Recording Academy, Nygren is a believer in “hard focus, prioritization and by doing less you can achieve more.” This philosophy is working for Nygren, who has seen double-digit growth in all markets, across all metrics for the regions she oversees. Nygren credits her “very passionate and dedicated team” for this achievement, particularly highlighting their delivery of “innovative initiatives.” She notes that “2022 was a year of macro challenges that shook the landscape. This new reality needed a shift in focus and prioritization. It’s inspiring to see how streaming continues to lead the way for growth in music consumption and revenues.” 

Creator 
hellotefi 

The MTV “Merch Masters” host has been busy solidifying partnerships with brands including Milk Makeup, YSL Beauty, DKNY, W Hotels and Uber, among others. She also has served as InStyle Magazine’s TikTok host and was named a Latinx Agent of Change for People en Español. Upcoming projects include a podcast, a book and additional hosting opportunities. Pessoa credits her successes to “delusion. Absolute and total self-deception, in the best way,” adding: “I like to imagine my dreams as a cold pool and all I have to do is cannonball.” Some hoped-for future collaborators include Salma Hayek, Gloria Estefan and Selena Gomez.  

Artist 

The singer has been running the game for nearly three decades, and as pop music heads toward languageless territory, she’s just getting started 20 years after the release of her breakthrough hit, “Quiero Bailar.” “Through lyrics, I encouraged other Latinas that stand around me to stand for themself and also to not stay quiet when something hurt,” she said recently. Today, she still shatters barriers with women-empowering hits like her iLe collaboration “Algo Bonito,” and continues to send a message of unity among her peers. 

Head of Artist Partnerships, U.S. & Latin America 
YouTube 

Ramos has worked closely with artists like Feid, Daddy Yankee, Maverick City, Young Miko and Grupo Marca Registrada on their Shorts and other YouTube content. He has also supported the YouTube Songwriters Program Credits playlists with such heavy-hitting Miami songwriters and producers as Foreign Teck, Elena Rose, Edgar Barrera and Tainy. He was also involved with Camilo’s “Puerta de Alcalá” live stream from Madrid, Spain. Throughout all his endeavors, Ramos makes sure that “we remain authentic and protect Latin music and culture, giving visibility and a voice to artists who represent the entire spectrum of our culture and genres.” Goals for 2023 include “Creating more community, mentoring and pushing our culture forward from the streets to the C- Suites.” 

Billy Corben
Director

Alfred Spellman
Producer

As two kids who grew up in Miami, Corben and Spellman have built a career documenting and telling some of the city’s most infamous stories. Their hit “Cocaine Cowboys: Kings of Miami,” which currently streams on Netflix, earned them an Edwards R. Murrow Award in 2022. “It was nice to get recognized for our journalism because, at the end of the day, our work is somewhat of a hybrid,” says Spellman. The duo’s company, Rakontur, also produced Hulu’s hit “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty,” about the downfall of evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr. “We’re always in service of the truth, obviously in nonfiction filmmaking but we do have, I believe, an obligation to the audience to entertain them,” says Corben. 

EVP, Distribution and Networks, Latin America  
Sony Pictures Entertainment 

Rossiter oversees Sony Pictures Television’s international production, TV distribution, networks and home entertainment for Latin America. “The next few years, we’ve got a couple of pillars around lighter drama, comedies, melodramas as being kind of a sweet spot of where to go because we feel that this is something where our clients are asking for that,” he says. Under his leadership, SPE debuted Sony Movies, and also focused on the growth of the company’s Spanish-language FAST channels, which he explains created a positive outcome. “While everybody else concentrated on streaming, we were able to launch a show, or launch a channel in the more traditional space,” he notes. 

Artist 

Santos was surprised with how easy it was to find his groove in Miami. “I’ve written some interesting tunes in Florida and [that] has been motivating to explore,” he says before making the sly disclaimer that he’ll “always be a New Yorker at heart.” With the release of ‘‘Fórmula, Vol. 3,” the third installment of an album series he launched in 2011, Santos achieved his fourth top 10-charting album and has since been busy on stadium stops across the U.S. and Latin America. Often considered the King of Bachata music to his millions of listeners, Santos thinks the genre still has more life to give. “To hear new rhythms, and fresh flows, and seeing many cross into other genres unapologetically has helped genres like bachata. It’s sort of stimulating for me to stay on my ‘A’ game and continue to reinvent myself.” 

Afo Verde – Chairman and CEO, Sony Music Latin-Iberia
Maria Fernandez – COO and EVP, Sony Music Latin-Iberia
Alex Gallardo – President, Sony Music Entertainment, US Latin
Rafa Arcaute, Bruno Duarte – Co-Presidents, 5020 Records
Jorge Mejia – President and CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin, Sony Music Publishing

Maluma, Becky G, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez and Romeo Santos are some of the stars in the Sony Music constellation, led by Verde. Fernandez has steadily risen through the Sony ranks, landing her role in 2018 and continuing to help keep the org moving upward. Arcaute and Duarte oversee 5020 Records, which launched last year with artists including Residente, Kany García, Tini and Beéle. Tini’s “Cupido” debuted at No. 2 on the Spotify global chart. Mejia and his team celebrated the global success of several hits including Bizarrap’s “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” and-Bizarrap’s follow-up single “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Shakira, whose “TQG” with Karol G recently debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. In 2022, SMP won ASCAP’s 2022 Publisher of the Year, and SESAC’s Publisher of Year honor, among other accolades. SMP also reps such superstars as Edgar Barrera and Tainy, and recently signed Colombian producer/songwriter/engineer Julio Reyes.  Gallardo has notably signed such hitmakers as Rauw Alejandro, Ozuna, Anuel, Natti Natasha and more. “We don’t consider ourselves a traditional record label,” Gallardo says. “We’re more like a multidisciplinary company. We’re trying to provide solutions in every aspect of the business. Our goal is to develop careers, and we work in the shadows for our roster to shine. I’m just another member of the team who’s passionate, believes in the artists, and does everything I can to support their success.” 

SVP, Latin 
The Orchard 

With almost 20 years at the Orchard, Tesoriero has the longest tenure of any female executive at the company. She closed 2022 with 25% of the U.S. Latin market share. She also brokered deals with Bizarrap, Duki and Harry Nach. And Bad Bunny continued his world domination with career-high chart positions in 15 global markets and maintained his status as the most-streamed artist in the world. “My colleague Albert Torres relocated from Barcelona to help create a bigger presence for the Orchard in [the newly opened] Miami office, which is now the hub for the company’s Latin music business,” she says. 

Artist 

Puerto Rican rapper Towers dubs Miami “the Latin Hollywood.” Last month, Towers released his fourth album, “La Vida Es Una,” which features him experimenting with a multitude of sounds. Over 23 dance-ready tracks, Towers offers his spin on dancehall and pop-house, and of course, his signature brand of hip-hop-infused reggaeton. “It is the end product of a careful selection of over 50 songs I recorded [over] the last two years,” says Towers of “La Vida Es Una.” “My biggest challenge was to make different music without losing my essence and staying relevant between all the new artists out there.” 

Founder and CEO 
Your Rich BFF 

Tu says her career as an online content creator began out of pure coincidence. After leaving her Wall Street job in 2018, where she “helped rich people get richer,” she started a media job. However, an influx of colleagues asking for personal finance advice inspired her to make videos and put them on her social media account, @YourRichBFF. “The very first video I made went viral and I had 100,000 followers by the end of the week, which I recognized as a completely not normal, creator experience,” says Tu, who now has 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Tu is launching a podcast this year and plans to release a book in 2024. Currently living in Miami, she plans to diversify her content so followers of all generations can make smarter financial decisions. “I think Miami is a city that’s perfectly known for work hard, play hard and I want that to come across in my content.” 

Jesús López – Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin América & Iberian Peninsula  
Aldo Gonzalez – SVP, A&R, Universal Music Latino  

Universal Music Latino kicked off 2023 with a historic bang Karol G’s “Mañana Será Bonito” becoming the first all-Spanish-language record by a female artist to hit No. 1 in the U.S. “All songs are special but the one that stands out for me is ‘Mientras Me Curo del Cora,” says Gonzalez of the record he helped A&R. “Though Karol is known for her trademark rhythmic urban anthems, it’s remarkable that this slower tempo record is among one of the most streamed songs in the album.” Adds Lopez, “Music is always in a state of evolution, and for that to happen in Latin music, we need to facilitate and embrace cross-pollination. The demographics of the consumers of Latin music are now first, second and even third generation Latin-Americans who are bi-cultural and bilingual.” 

Alexandra Lioutikoff – President, Latin America and U.S. Latin 
Ana Rosa Santiago – SVP, Latin Music 

In addition to Bad Bunny’s “surreal” global success, UMG’s Latin publishing team has been riding high off the breakthrough year of another urban music star — Colombia’s Feid, who joined the company six years ago. “The last few years have seen the growth of artists, producers, and songwriters from all over the world coming together in Miami to work,” says Santiago. “It’s something you can feel here,” echoes Lioutikoff, whose time in the city spans stints with Disney, ASCAP and now UMPG. “I’ve been fortunate enough to watch Miami grow into the center of the Latin music business and for good reason,” she says. As for what’s on the horizon? “Music from Africa is finally getting recognized globally and Latin rhythms and collaborations can complement it,” says Lioutikoff. “Equally, one region I think really stands out is Brazil — it’s so diverse and bursting at the seams with different indigenous types of great music.” 

Alejandro Duque
President, Warner Music Latin America

Roberto Andrade
Managing Director, Warner Music Latina

Aton Ben-Horin
Executive Vice President of A&R, Warner Music Group; CEO, Plush Management LLC

Duque oversees WM Latina as well as Warner’s offices across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. This past year, Anitta, Blessd, Danny Ocean, Paulo Londra and Tiago PZK, stormed the charts. At one point, Duque’s roster occupied both the global Spotify No. 1 (Anitta) and No. 2 (Paulo Londra) spots. Andrade has worked alongside Duque in putting a new structure in place to help break artists across borders even more quickly and has helped accelerate the label’s vision to be a truly artist-first label with a globalized approach to artist development. Warner Music Latina boasts such stars as Sebastián Yatra and Carlos Vives, and rising stars Elena Rose, Ovy on the Drums and Maldy, among others. Ben-Horin’s management roster includes JVKE, Coi Leray and Johnny Goldstein, among others, and at WMG, he works closely with such artists as David Guetta, Jason Derulo and Jax. “We’re delighted that we have managed to build a roster of big stars in each of our Latin markets that we’re looking forward to breaking regionally and globally,” says Duque. “In Colombia, we’re excited about Blessd, who also had a global Top 50 song with ‘Medallo,’ and will be coming with several surprises this year. In Mexico, we signed Yng Lucas and his debut single ‘La Bebe (Remix)’ has skyrocketed to the global Top 10 in under a week!” 

Artist 

Xplicit’s songwriting career was already in high gear the last few years, but 2023 sees the Miami-based hitmaker poised to level up. “A major success for me the past year was identifying my new publishing partner for this next phase of my career, I am confident I have found that in Katie Welle and Sony,” he says of his new A&R and publishing deal, which he signed in late 2022 (he also signed with Electric Feel for management last year). This year, the Miami based, Grammy-award winning songwriter has already landed a co-write (“Had It”) on Morgan Wallen’s latest album and also a cut (“Sleepwalker”) on Ava Max’s new LP. The Florida native is also bullish on Miami’s growing role in the music industry. “The vibe is amazing [here] as it’s becoming a creative hub once again,” he says of the city. 

Artist 

Yatra recalls dreaming of winning a Grammy as a kid, and in 2022, it came true. His third studio album, “Dharma,” scored two Latin Grammys for pop vocal album and his No.1 hit “Tacones Rojos” won for pop song. He also earned a Latin pop album Grammy nom for “Dharma.” “You later realize that it’s not even about winning the award. Everything that got me to that point gave me a lot of life lessons that help me see that it is much more about having a purpose,” says Yatra. When it comes to reinventing himself, Yatra believes that staying in constant motion is key. “The challenge is to be constantly creating and when you stay vibrating in that space, where it’s all about creation, I think that you can have a long career,” he adds.