The Association of Music Producers’ West Coast Chapter has announced plans for a virtual panel: “Latin Music: The ‘Takeover’ Of The American Ad World,” which takes place on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 1pm PT/4pm ET.
Hosted by AMP West Board member Beto Vargas of BV Music Productions, “The Takeover” will present a group of Latin Music experts to discuss the new phenomenon in the entertainment and advertising business, which is being described as a “takeover.” Since the extraordinary reception of the song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi (ft. Daddy Yankee) in 2016, the American advertising audience has become increasingly accepting of entertainment and commercials performed in Spanish. The result is that the doors have opened wide to Latin artists in America.
This panel will explore how this trend impacts creators and providers of Latin music to brands and agencies.
As Vargas explained, “This is a very exciting time for Latin music, and for the world. As awareness grows on the expanding Latin U.S. population and its buying power, brands, media companies and the music industry itself have set its eyes on Latin music and the impact it can have. Our panelists will give us the backstory on recent jobs that reflect this change, and discuss how producers and creatives are using Spanish influence in music and sound to reach the American Market.”
The panel will include the groundbreaking producer team of Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo. Under their leadership, “Despacito” became the first Spanish-language song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in over 20 years, earning the duo the coveted Latin Grammy for Record of the Year, the Billboard Latin Music Award for Producer of The Year and a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year in 2018. That same year, they were honored by Spotify at the Secret Genius Awards for their work on staple tracks like “Échame La Culpa” (Luis Fonsi ft. Demi Lovato) and “Báilame (Remix)” (Nacho, Yandel and Bad Bunny.)
Torres and Rengifo are known for their ability to dip in and out of different genres of music and master all of them, a prowess reflected in their catalog, which includes Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Anitta, Jonas Brothers, Sabrina Carpenter, Monsta X, TINI, Daddy Yankee, Sebastian Yatra, One Republic, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Reik, Farruko, Carlos Vives, Alejandro Sanz, Alejandro Fernandez, Silvestre Dangond, Fonseca, Aitana, Andres Cepeda, Cali Y El Dandee, Tini, Khea, Piso 21, Morat, and Greeicy.
From the agency perspective, the panel will hear from Chip Herter, music director, Deutsch/LA. With just over a decade in the industry, Herter is no stranger to the world of music and creativity. At Deutsch LA, he’s led the production of music and sound for campaigns for clients such as Taco Bell, Dr Pepper, Lowe’s, Nintendo, and Walmart, to name a few.
With the evolution of sound in advertising pushing music to the forefront, Herter’s work on the return of Taco Bell’s Mexican pizza, in partnership with multi-award winning singer/rapper Doja Cat, has become one of his most notable achievements to date. Ushering in the brand’s return to the Super Bowl after a five-year hiatus, Herter oversaw the musical partnership, culminating in an epic mic-drop moment with the artist announcing the return of the Mexican pizza at Coachella 2022. Herter has also been integral to the strategic development of Lowe’s sonic branding, producing a custom brand mnemonic, sonic toolkit and custom music library specific to the brand’s sonic values.
For the artist’s perspective, the panel will include CRYS. An independent Cuban-Boricua artist based in Los Angeles, she’s a creative visionary whose work varies from her own studio Latin-infused pop records to voice acting and on-screen performing. As a professional vocalist, she’s contributed her talents as the star of the California Freestyle Campaign for Real California Milk, and on the stage as a background vocalist for Becky G. She continues to integrate herself within the Latin music space, not only as a pro singer but also as a songwriter for other artists, inspiring more young creatives to use their voices to shift culture in a positive way.
The label perspective will be represented by Felipe Arévalo, co-founder of the record labels SOMOS, SOMOS MÁS and Asia Record Collective, part of the West One Music Group. This Latin Grammy-nominated producer is in charge of international productions and specialty projects for West One Music Group across Latin America, Asia and Europe.
A singer/songwriter/producer from Bogotá, Colombia, panel moderator Vargas mixes styles from American rock ‘n roll with the roots from his childhood and Latin music. Surrounded by music since he was 13 years old, he graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2012. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he paved his way in the music industry by founding a music production company, producing over two hundred artists, making music for film and TV and releasing his own music. His new work brings a new edgier sound with a modern production, as well as English lyrics.
The panel is open to the public; to register, click here.
