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.
Rudy Mancuso releases limited edition NFT
The multifaceted musician and actor Rudy Mancuso has partnered with Aoki Industries for a limited-edition NFT series that includes a “first-of its-kind” machine that translates musical notes into physical paintings. According to a press release, the artwork titled Synesthesia is “a physical representation of the neurological condition in which sound involuntarily evokes an experience of color, shape and movement.”
“As a synesthete myself (chromesthesia & original linguistic personification), I’ve always been obsessed with the relationship between music and visuals,” Mancuso said in a statement. “Although at times debilitating, I’ve found that this condition has enhanced my abilities as a creative and is ultimately what inspired this experiment. We’ve seen art pieces created to sound or inspired by music. What we haven’t seen much of is art that’s actually being created by the music. For the first time done in this way, we’ll see what the music actually looks like. The music is the artist.”
The four-piece NFT series is now available here. To get a better understanding of how the performance art was actually created, watch the video below.
Juanes album + documentary
Juanes has confirmed that his new album, Origen, will be released May 28, along with a documentary set to premiere on Amazon Prime that same day. As a preview to his 10th studio album, a collection of reimagined songs that have inspired his career, the Colombian star previously dropped his version of Fito Paez’s “El Amor Después del Amor” and a Spanish-language version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.”
“Our origin is where the direction of our life and place in the universe begins and takes shape,” Juanes said. “For me, it is built upon a love of music instilled by my family, appreciation of my culture, and the discovery of the songs and artists that first completely stirred my soul. It’s the music deep in my heart, never to be forgotten.”
Watch the documentary’s trailer below.
Three new must-watch tropical music documentaries
Renowned Tropical artists Juan Luis Guerra, Romeo Santos, and Tony Succar unveiled their upcoming music specials or documentaries, respectively, proving that tropical music is very much alive.
Bachata crooner Romeo announced his concert film Romeo Santos: Utopia Live From MetLife Stadium and documentary Romeo Santos: The King of Bachata, which fans can watch through pay-per view on June 25. Dominican superstar Guerra confirmed his upcoming HBO Latino special, Juan Luis Guerra: Entre Mar y Palmeras, for June 3. And the award-winning Peruvian musician, composer and producer Succar is premiering his music documentary Mas De Mi on May 20 (more info on how to watch here).
Camilo announces first-ever U.S. tour
On May 21, tickets go on sale for Camilo’s first-ever U.S. outing, the Mis Manos (My Hands) tour, titled after his recently-released album. The tour, produced by Loud and Live, hits theaters in 14 cities, beginning with Miami’s Filmore on Oct. 22 and ending at San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Coca-Cola Theater on Dec. 3.
“This is the first time I’m going on stage to perform my songs with my band,” Camilo tells Billboard. “The expectation of looking my fans in the eye, and having them look into my eyes and sing those songs, which are anthems of hope, makes this an almost mystical encounter.”
Twitter Space chat ft. Rauw Alejandro, Sech & Mariah Angeliq
Rauw Alejandro, Mariah Angeliq and Sech came together virtually via Twitter Spaces on Thursday (May 13) for a Road to the Billboard Music Awards conversation on how reggaeton has helped popularize Latin music in the U.S. and globally, the importance of collaborations in the Latin space and social responsibility.
The three artists kicked off the candid conversation talking about the projects they’re currently working on. Both Alejandro and Angeliq are in the studio adding the last touches to their forthcoming albums. “Albums are very special for me,” said Alejandro, while offering some advice to Angeliq, who will drop her debut set this year. “Take your time and if you like it, that’s all that matters.” Meanwhile, Sech is focused on promoting his recently released album 42.
For more highlights from their conversation, check here.
