From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Becky G’s Greenspace

The Vita Coco Company teamed up with Mexican-American star Becky G to build a new greenspace at her elementary school in Inglewood, Calif. The newly-opened space at Oak Street Elementary School, is an initiative of the company’s social impact program, the Vita Coco Project, which focuses on empowering communities, according to a press release.

“Growing up, my Inglewood community shaped who I am today,” the “Mamiii” singer said in a statement. “Partnering with Vita Coco to reimagine a space where students can learn and play means everything to me. We wanted each element to be intentional, reflecting my own experience in middle school and addressing the needs and dreams of the community.”

“As a parent, I understand the desire to want the best for our kids. And one of the most overlooked resources is a child’s right to play — outside, in fresh air, climbing trees, and getting dirt under their fingernails,” added Mike Kirban, co-founder and executive chairman of The Vita Coco Company. “This project is more than just a greenspace; it’s about ensuring that every kid and their families — regardless of socioeconomic status, identity, or background — has the right to a safe and enriching environment. Let kids be kids so they can grow their curiosity about the natural world and how it works.”

More Stars Added to Latin Music Week

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week is just around the corner, and ahead of its arrival, Billboard unveiled a new group of artists who have officially joined the already star-studded lineup. These additions include Feid, Grupo Frontera, Álvaro Díaz, Debi Nova, Jasiel Núñez, Junior H, La Joaqui, Luck Ra, Mario Bautista, Nacho, Saiko and Tito Double P. Additionally, soccer stars Leo Campana (Inter Miami CF) and Igor Lichnovsky (Club América) have also joined the weeklong event taking place Oct. 14-18 at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, tickets for Billboard Latin Music Week are available for purchase here.

A Pitbull Residence

Pitbull is set to debut his new musical residency in Las Vegas on Nov. 8 at the Fontainebleau, Billboard Español exclusively announced on Friday (Sept. 20).

The Cuban-American hit-maker will take the stage at the BleauLive Theater with his “Pitbull: Vegas After Dark the Residency” — a series of eight weekend concerts between the end of this year and the beginning of the next. The dates are Nov. 8-9, Jan. 24-25, and March 7, 8, 14 and 15. Tickets go on presale on Tuesday (Sept. 24) and to the general public the next day at 12 p.m. ET on the Fontainebleau website.

Juan Gabriel’s Special Screening in Mexico

Juan Gabriel’s Mis 40 en Bellas Artes is set to be projected at a free event organized by Mexico City’s Secretary of Culture at the Zócalo on Sunday (Sept. 22) at 7 p.m. local time. The screening will take place there after the cancellation of a second showing at the Cineteca Nacional that was originally scheduled for Sept.14. “The city government, committed to cultural access, is offering the country’s most important plaza and stage so that more people can enjoy this memorable concert in a festive and family-friendly environment to continue the patriotic celebrations,” announced the Secretary of Culture in a statement.

Mis 40 en Bellas Artes is an iconic Juan Gabriel concert performed in 2013 in celebration of his four decades in music, accompanied by the International Orchestra of the Arts and its choir. There, he sang some of this greatest hits, including “Caray,” “He Venido a Pedirte Perdón,” “Querida,” “La Diferencia,” “Me Nace del Corazón,” “¿Por Qué Me Haces Llorar?,” “Abrázame Muy Fuerte,” and “Así Fue.”

Ángela Aguilar’s Fashion Exhibit in Houston

To celebrate 10 years in music, Ángela Aguilar has launched an exhibit at the Mexican Consulate in Houston, which has arranged a special area for visitors to see a collection titled “Ángela Aguilar: 10 Years Singing and Dressing Mexico.”

According to a press statement, the exhibition is free and open to the public indefinitely, from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (local time). It includes 25 outfits, including the one she wore in the “Solamente Una Vez” music video, a song included in her Latin Grammy-nominated album, Bolero.

Also on display is the Mexican flag-inspired dress she wore while on her family’s Jaripeo Sin Fronteras Tour, as well as the princess cut dress that she donned to meet Queen Sofia of Spain.

Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

An alleged Kim Porter memoir, comprised of reported diary entries, has landed on Amazon amid Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest. Kim’s Lost Words: A Journey for Justice from the Other Side… was released on the retail site on Sept. 6, around a week before Combs was indicted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

According to Daily Mail, the 60-page book was published by Chris Todd, a Los Angeles producer who alleges that the book contains details Porter saved on a flash drive and gave to friends prior to her sudden death almost six years ago. Todd released the unauthorized memoir under the name “Jamal T. Millwood,” per Daily Mail. He’s listed as co-writer along with Porter.

The book is currently No. 1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list in the category of Western U.S. Biographies.

Todd provided no evidence to prove disturbing allegations in the book, which includes multiple claims of physical abuse.

“I was lucky enough to meet someone that purported to have Kim Porter’s flash drive,” he told the media outlet. “I know the celebrity source pretty well. I know how close they were to Kim and Diddy, and all the people in the hip-hop community. This was supposedly for Kim Porter from the grave, to come forward and tell her story.”

Todd added, “This is a dangerous situation, and I didn’t want to claim ownership of Kim’s words. But now I’m willing to come forward because of the recent arrest of Sean Combs. Now [that] the federal government has finally acted, I feel safer to come forward.”

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Federal authorities arrested Combs in New York City on Monday. The next day, authorities released a 14-page indictment stating in part, “For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”

The 54-year-old rap mogul, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was twice denied bail and currently remains at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His release date is listed as unknown.  

As previously reported, Combs has been placed on suicide watch as a procedural measure for high-profile inmates. In a statement to Billboard, Combs’ spokesperson noted, “Mr. Combs is strong, healthy and focused on his defense. He is committed to fighting this case and has full confidence in both his legal team and the truth.”

Porter, a mother of four who shared three children with Combs — son Christian and twin daughters Jessie and D’Lilah – and an elder son, Quincy, with R&B singer Al B. Sure, died from pneumonia in November 2018.

Shares of Spotify rose 8.0% to $365.00 this week to lead all music stocks in a week the Billboard Global Music Index reached a new high and many of its largest components posted mid- to high-single digit gains. 

The Swedish music streaming giant was boosted by a report by Pivotal Research Group that increased its price target to $510 from $460 and reiterated its “buy” rating. Spotify’s intraday high of $368.29 on Thursday set a new 52-week high for the stock and was its best mark since Feb. 21, 2021.

Spotify led the 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) to a record high 1,873.87, up 4.1% for the week, as ten of the stocks posted gains this week, nine lost value and one was unchanged. After a 4.8% drop the week ending Sept. 6 and stagnating since March, the BGMI has gained 7.4% in the last two weeks and raised its year-to-date gain to 22.2%—more than two percentage points above the gains of the Nasdaq composite (up 19.6%) and the S&P 500 (also up 19.6%). 

Stocks generally had a good week after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday a rate cut of half a percentage point, the first time the central bank lowered the overnight borrowing rate since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Investors had expected the Fed’s move, though, and had priced the effect of a rate cut into stock prices. Still, the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5% to 17,948.32 and the S&P 500 rose 1.4% to 5,702.55. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index improved 0.7% to 2,736.81 and China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.2% to 2,736.81. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 fell 0.5% to 8,229.99.

Warner Music Group gained 4.9% to $30.44. WMG’s Atlantic Music Group laid off about 150 people Thursday as part of a restructuring plan that began in February. The week’s intraday high of $30.88 was WMG’s highest price since reaching $32.34 on July 24. The company also announced in an SEC filing this week it secured a $1.3 billion term loan that will be used to repay an existing loan and pay associated fees and expenses.

Live Nation shares also gained 4.9% to $103.65 and brought its year-to-date improvement to 10.7%. Thursday’s intraday high of $105.42 was its highest mark since April 1 and less than $2 below its 52-week high of $107.24. The concert promoter scored a win in Portland, Ore., this week after the city council upheld an August decision to allow the development of a 3,500-capacity music venue that will be operated by Live Nation. 

Two other promoters also posted gains this week. MSG Entertainment, rose 4.6% to $42.16, while CTS Eventim improved 1.2% to 87.90 euros ($98.23). Another live entertainment company, Sphere Entertainment Co., dropped 2.7% to $41.09. 

K-pop companies’ modest decline was an improvement from their consistently steep drops in recent weeks. The four South Korean companies had an average loss of 1.2% this week. HYBE fell 2.4%, JYP Entertainment dipped 1.2%, YG Entertainment slipped 0.9% and SM Entertainment lost 0.2%. After surging in previous years, the quartet has an average year-to-date loss of 40.4%. 

Universal Music Group fell 3.6% to 22.75 euros ($25.42) following its Capital Markets Day on Tuesday. Analysts generally felt UMG set reachable financial targets and presented a believable roadmap about its strategy for the next four years. The Amsterdam-listed company laid out a strategy to achieve 8% to 10% cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) for its subscription revenue and above 7% CAGR for total revenue.

Music streamer LiveOne had the biggest decline of the week, dropping 6.1% to $1.38. That put shares of LiveOne into the red for 2024 with a 1.4% year-to-date loss.