Billboard & the Community of Madrid Announce First-Ever ‘Encuentro de la Música en Español’ Event in Spain

Billboard and the Community of Madrid announced on Wednesday (March 13) the first major Encuentro de la Música en Español, an event scheduled for March 19 that will feature a performance by Nicki Nicole and celebrate the global rise of Spanish music.

Set to take place at the WiZink Center, the inaugural Encuentro de la Música en Español, powered by Billboard and Billboard Español, will bring together artists such as Raphael, Ana Mena, Luis Cobos, La Mala Rodríguez, Maikel Delacalle and Paula Cendejas, in addition to managers and executives from major record labels.

In the words of Leila Cobo, Billboard‘s chief content officer for Latin/Español, Spain is, “in addition to being one of the largest and most important music markets in the world, an indispensable pillar of Spanish music and one of the main axes of its growth in the last decade,” Cobo said in a statement. “For Billboard — the world’s most recognized music brand — and for Billboard Español, it is an honor to bring our brand to the Spanish capital, hand in hand with the Comunidad de Madrid, with an avant-garde event that celebrates the industry and the artists from both sides of the Atlantic.”

During the event , which can only be accessed by invitation, music industry professionals will have the opportunity to attend various panels that put into context the current state of Spanish music through the testimonies of musicians, managers, and executives from large record labels. In the first panel of the day, titled Entre Dos Aguas (Between Two Waters), will feature Jorge Ferradas of FPM Entertainment, Alex Gallardo of Sony Music US Latin, Walter Kolm of WK Entertainment/WK Records, Rosa Lagarrigue of RLM and Federico Lauria of Dale Play Records.

This will be followed by a tribute to one of the icons of Spanish music of the last half-century, Raphael, who will be interviewed by Cobo; the panel The New Face of Spanish Music, with the participation of stars from the current pop and urban scene (Ana Mena, La Mala Rodríguez, Maikel Delacalle and Paula Cendejas); and a talk from the president of the Academia de la Música de España (Academy of Music of Spain), Luis Cobos, titled La Academia de la Música Española y un capítulo para la música en España (The Spanish Music Academy and a chapter for music in Spain).

The event will conclude with one of the pioneers of the current female urban movement: Argentine rapper and singer Nicki Nicole, who will offer a Q&A followed by an exclusive showcase. In addition to a cocktail courtesy of Enrique Tomás, which will also feature other collaborators such as Hard Rock, the Society of Performing Artists or Performers of Spain and Magusa Global Cargo.

“This important professional event allows the Madrid region to contribute to the development of the music industry and build bridges between Latin America and Spain around our language,” added the minister of culture, tourism and sports of Comunidad de Madrid, Mariano de Paco Serrano. “We want to expand the connection between culture and Comunidad de Madrid hand in hand with the sector, and contribute so that the public and tourists identify our region as an indisputable reference of international music. The strategy is completed by involving major artists and professionals in such emblematic spaces as the WiZink Center, the great musical jewel of our community.”