Tag: Silvana Estrada

EQUAL Marks Two Years of Celebrating Women Artists And Spotify Announces the Next EQUAL FEST

April 28, 2023

From Japan to Argentina, Malaysia to the U.K., women artists, engineers, and producers continue to be vastly underrepresented in the music industry. But there’s incredible talent worldwide that must be highlighted and celebrated. So in 2020 Spotify launched EQUAL, an always-on global program to drive equity for women in music. EQUAL represents our commitment to amplifying the voices of women musicians and creators locally, regionally, and internationally. 

The more fans listen to women, the more opportunities that are created so that women can enter the industry. Through our suite of EQUAL playlists and marketing tools, we provide women with more space on and off our platform to share their work; at the same time, we’re giving fans the chance to remember that by listening, they too are taking action.

“EQUAL is about the power of raising voices together to drive equity in music and standing together to fight for a common goal that has no borders—it’s about acknowledging the difficulties and celebrating each other all year round,” says Bel Aztiria, Equity Global Music Programs Lead at Spotify. “It is much more than a program: EQUAL represents a mission and a community that stands together.” 

Celebrating two years of EQUAL

Two years later, the work is far from done, but we have a lot to be proud of as we continue on this journey. Our EQUAL artists have collectively wracked up millions of streams and advanced other women creators in the process. 

“On platform, in the studio, onstage, and on billboards, more women are having their voices heard, no matter where they come from and no matter at what stage of their career they are,” says Bel. “Beyond global support, EQUAL honors this as its mission with the deepest respect for each local culture. Since our inception, we have launched 40 local EQUAL programs. Thanks to these programs, we’ve been able to host the first-ever EQUAL Festival with an all-women lineup in Colombia, offer studio residencies in the U.S., and invite women to our offices in France to participate in mentorship opportunities; and we’ve seen sorority and artistry prevail every time we come together.”

Catch some of EQUAL’s notable stats.

EQUAL Fest resumes this September in Spain

Last April, we held the first-ever EQUAL Fest in Bogotá, Colombia. Thirteen outstanding women musicians, each representing a variety of genres, took to the stage at El Teatro throughout the month. The headliners—Goyo, Paola Jara, Lido Pimienta, Andrea Echeverri, Farina, Elsa y Elmar, Ventino, Karen Lizarazo, Juliana Velásquez, Nidia Góngora, María Cristina Plata, Bad Milk, and Las Villa—collectively represented over 3.4 million monthly listeners as made a statement for gender equality in music on stage. 

“Being a part of the first EQUAL Fest was really an honor,” Elsa y Elmar, a singer-songwriter who creates synth-pop music with a folk flair, wrote to For the Record. “I am a woman musician from Colombia, but most of my music is done in Mexico City. So being considered as one of the first Colombian women to inaugurate this festival made me feel proud of my journey and actually very thankful for the support that Spotify has given me.” 

“As women, it can be a bit harder—if not much harder,” she noted. “So, it’s really a space for empowerment, it’s a space for acknowledging our place in the music industry, and it just feels really special. Sometimes music made from a woman’s perspective is different: It’s sentimental, it’s special, it has a different value than other music. So creating a space for that, where people know what they’re going to get, is just a very, very valuable thing.” 

On September 22, we’ll bring EQUAL back for a full-volume, all-women set of performances at EQUAL FEST held at the Wizink Center in Madrid, Spain. We’re excited to share that Argentinian Spanish singer, songwriter, and dancer Nathy Peluso will headline alongside several other established and developing Spanish and Latin women artists. 

“There are so many women artists, and we are claiming our space and visibility,” says Nathy. “That’s why I’m happy to be a part of EQUAL and to continue to build fairer spaces. It’s an honor to perform at EQUAL FEST with so many incredible women.”

More must be done to put women artists front and center, and with Spotify EQUAL Fest in Madrid we’re turning up the volume on women and reminding everyone that they can be part of a more equal world. 

Tickets will be available soon—so stay tuned for more details. 

“We’re so proud of what EQUAL has achieved in its first two years: through our editorial, marketing, and partnership capabilities, we have celebrated and uplifted the voices of thousands of women artists on and off the platform, and our ambassador program has celebrated almost 800 women artists from over 50 countries,” Bel noted. 

And there’s much more to come. 

Stream our flagship EQUAL playlist below.

Spotify Predicts the Latin Grammys Nominees Who Could Win Big in 2022

November 15, 2022

On Thursday night, the Latin Grammys will make its return to Las Vegas to celebrate the artists and industry professionals who make Latin Music the global sensation it is today. With more than 50% of Spotify listeners streaming at least one Latin song per month—amounting to approximately 215 million users globally—this annual awards show features many of the most-streamed artists on the platform.

Leading the pack of nominees is Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2020 and 2021, Bad Bunny, who has earned 10 Latin Grammy nominations on the back of his blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti. Rauw Alejandro and ROSALÍA have each been nominated in eight categories this year, and Christina Aguilera, Jorge Drexler, and Tainy follow closely with seven nominations each.  

When it comes to the big four awards—Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year—the competition is fierce. Any of the nominees could take home the coveted gilded gramophone. But we have a few predictions for who will nab the top awards this year. 

Record of the Year

Often confused with Song of the Year, Record of the Year honors the performing artist on the song as well as the producers, sound engineer, master engineer, and sound mixers. Among those nominated, Spotify data suggests that it’s going to be a close call between Bad Bunny’s “Ojitos Lindos,” KAROL G’s “PROVENZA,” and Anitta’s “Envolver,” all of which have generated millions of streams.

Album of the Year

It’s been a big year for both ROSALÍA and Bad Bunny, who are two of the hottest Latin artists of this generation and our favorites to take home this major achievement.

ROSALÍA’s album MOTOMAMI has been loved by fans across the world, but especially in cities like Mexico City, Santiago, and Madrid. With its futuristic visuals and catchy, genre-bending sounds, fans couldn’t get enough of her music (and even showed their support by getting “tattooed” at our album release event in March).

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti has held the top spot on Spotify’s USA Chart for over 20 weeks. And the artist known as “El Conejo Malo” stayed true to his Puerto Rican roots, tapping a mix of rising and legendary acts from his home country to feature on his fifth album. This also marks Bad Bunny’s fourth nomination in this category. 

Song of the Year 

If Spotify streams are any indication, the winner for Song of the Year will come down to two widely loved tracks: KAROL G’s “PROVENZA” and Camilo’s “Indigo.” 

In 2021, KAROL G was Spotify’s most-streamed female artist globally. She currently sits among the top 50 most-streamed artists with more than 37 million monthly listeners. Inspired by the Provenza neighborhood in her hometown of Medellin, “PROVENZA” is nominated in multiple categories this year.

Also hailing from Medellin, Camilo is one of the most influential Latin artists, with five Latin Grammys to his name. And when it’s all said and done, it’s possible “Indigo”—a track about the birth of his daughter that also features his wife Evaluna Montaner—will earn him a sixth award. 

Best New Artist

With 10 nominees in the running, this category is packed with talent. But looking at our data, we think there are three artists in particular who could take home this award. 

Yahritza y Su Esencia have experienced a meteoric rise in 2022. Based out of Washington’s Yakima Valley, their unique brand of Mexican music has attracted nearly 4 million monthly Spotify listeners. 

Pol Granch also had a breakthrough 2022, reaching 6 million monthly listeners made up of fans from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.

Silvana Estrada is the young Mexican singer-songwriter who was among the first artists featured on Spotify’s RADAR playlist when it launched in 2020. Her signature voice and emotional lyrics take listeners through feelings of love lost and found, sadness, and anguish.

RADAR artists continue to make an impact

Since the launch of our RADAR program in 2020, more than 50 Latin artists have been featured across our playlists. And over the last 12 months, these artists have collectively generated more than 2.5 billion streams and attracted more than 25 million followers.

But even more impressive, a number of Latin artists featured on RADAR have worked on some of the biggest tracks of the year, and their contributions are being recognized at the Latin Grammys. 

In addition to her nod for Best New Artist, Silvana Estrada’s album Marchita is up for Best Singer-Songwriter album award.

Ovy On The Drums, who was first featured on RADAR Andinos in 2020, is also nominated across several categories as a producer and songwriter. This includes Record of the Year (KAROL G’s “PROVENZA” and Sebastian Yatra’s “DHARMA”), Song of the Year (“PROVENZA”), and Best Urban Song (“DHARMA” and Becky G and KAROL G’s “MAMIII”).

And rounding out this list are Maria Becerra—whose album Animal is nominated for Best Urban Music Album—and Trueno—whose song “Dance Crip” is nominated for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song. 

Along with these four artists, there are eight other RADAR artists who have been nominated for Latin Grammys in previous years: GIULIA BE, Lasso, Boza, Humbe, Covi Quintana, Los Dos Carnales, Nathy Peluso, and LOUTA.

The party kicks off at Casa Spotify

Given that Latin music streams on Spotify have grown more than 1,000% over the last seven years, November 17 is sure to be a big night. And that’s why we’re also hosting our Casa Spotify experience in Las Vegas.

Open today and tomorrow, Casa Spotify celebrates the achievements of the nominees and those who have pushed Latin music forward. It will also serve as an oasis for invited guests to network and collaborate, with a private room for listening sessions and meetings, a content capture studio, and additional photo-worthy areas throughout the space.

We’ll be sharing more from Casa Spotify as the week unfolds, so stay tuned and check back for the latest happenings. 

Looking for more of the hottest tracks from top Latin artists? Press play on our flagship playlist, Viva Latino:

 

La Nueva Cara del Folklore Mexicano, Silvana Estrada, Lanza un Cover de Manu Chao y una Nueva Versión de “Tristeza” para Spotify Singles

April 20, 2022

La voz de Silvana Estrada cautiva primero por una cualidad física y termina atrapando por su dulzura y profundidad. La cantautora mexicana de apenas 24 años se ha convertido en una de las artistas más prometedoras de la canción popular latinoamericana, siguiendo los pasos de mujeres como Natalia Lafourcade. 

Silvana creció en el exuberante estado de Veracruz, México, en una familia de músicos e instrumentistas. Desde muy joven, estuvo rodeada de guitarras, violas y violonchelos que su familia labraba minuciosamente. Criada cantando son jarocho mexicano y música coral barroca, y luego educada en jazz, Silvana es una artista con un estilo personal y un estilo de composición íntimo.

Como multiinstrumentista, Silvana toca con mayor frecuencia el cuatro venezolano, un instrumento delicado que se sincroniza con las variaciones de su voz.

En 2020, Silvana se convirtió en la primera artista mexicana de RADAR, el programa global de Spotify que apoya a los artistas emergentes. Hoy tiene más de 600,000 oyentes mensuales en la plataforma.

Luego que Marchita, un álbum íntimo que narra la historia de un primer amor y una dolorosa ruptura, recibiera elogios de la crítica y una entusiasta recepción de sus fanáticos, Silvana grabó un par de canciones para Spotify Singles en la Ciudad de México. La primera cara es una nueva versión de su tema “Tristeza” y el anverso es “Clandestina”, una versión del clásico del rock alternativo de Manu Chao.

For the Record habló con Silvana sobre este nuevo lanzamiento, su proceso como autora y lo que la inspira como artista.

¿Por qué elegiste “Tristeza” de tu álbum Marchita y en qué se diferencia esta versión?

Lo que más me gusta de “Tristeza” es el juego entre la melancolía de la canción y la intención de la melodía, que me parece más alegre y vivaz. Ese contraste me pareció agradable de explorar en una versión para Spotify Singles, algo más orgánico ya la vez nostálgico que la versión del álbum. También es una canción que en los conciertos se vuelve una plegaria contra la tristeza, así que quise darle esa intimidad de cuando cierras los ojos y deseas algo con mucha fuerza. 

¿Por qué elegiste hacer “Clandestina” y cuál era la intención que querías imprimir en esta versión?

Para mí “Clandestino”, la versión original de Manu Chao, es una canción icónica y siempre vigente en nuestra cultura latinoamericana. Estas palabras que cuentan la historia de un migrante me tocaron el corazón. Naturalmente cambié la letra; sin pensar dije ‘clandestina’ y así cantando la canción supe que me había encontrado dentro de ella. La migración es un tema que siempre me ha conmovido el alma. Ese acto está lleno de esperanza y fuerza, dejando la tierra amada en busca de un futuro mejor.

Hacer esta versión significó tomar un himno atemporal y encontrar mi lugar en él, darle mi visión que creo que es la de muchísimas mujeres mexicanas y latinas que cruzan fronteras y se descubren en esa soledad tan dura y tan hermosa de la que habla Manu Chau, “sola voy con mi pena, sola va mi condena”.

Marchita es un álbum introspectivo con sabor nostálgico. ¿Qué te inspiró a escribirlo?

Marchita es un viaje interior, un viaje que comenzó con el proceso de un duelo amoroso. Nació del dolor y del deseo de comprender las dificultades del alma y salió a la luz ya la curación de las heridas. Para cuando apareció la pandemia ya tenía todas las canciones de Marchita hechas, entonces no podría decir que influyó en el proceso. Sin embargo, puedo decir que en la cuarentena todo lo relacionado con Marchita tomó mucho más peso en mi vida. Fue como volver a enfrentarme a esa soledad que ya había experimentado al escribir el disco pero ahora con todas esas canciones alumbrando mi camino.

Nos gustaría saber más sobre tu proceso creativo. ¿Cómo empiezas a escribir una canción?

Mis procesos siempre son desordenados. A veces empiezo con una melodía ya veces con un poema. Tengo que profundizar mucho en las ideas para poder darles dimensión y convertirlas en canciones. Me ayuda mucho leer y siempre llevo una libreta donde escribo lo que se me ocurre.

¿Cómo influyó en tu forma de abordar la escritura crecer en una familia de instrumentistas y músicos en Coatepec, Veracruz?

Creo que crecer en un ambiente musical y artístico me dio sobre todo libertad. La libertad de saber que mi instinto es lo más importante aunque a veces me equivoque y la libertad de encontrar espacio para jugar sin miedo dentro de la disciplina que también se necesita generar constantemente.

¿Quiénes son las cantantes femeninas que te inspiran y han influido en tu música? ¿Cuáles son los autores que más admiras?

Las cantantes a las que recurro cuando me siento perdida son Mercedes Sosa, Soledad Bravo, Ella Fitzgerald y Billie Holiday. Mi autora favorita de todos los tiempos es Violeta Parra; Ella es una inspiración.

 

Escucha los Spotify Singles de Silvana Estrada aquí.

Celebrate Six Months of RADAR Around the World

September 17, 2020

In March, we announced RADAR, our emerging-artist program spotlighting rising talent from around the globe—from Brazil to Japan to Germany to New Zealand and beyond. Now, six months and more than 2 billion streams later, we’re excited to share the debut of our on-platform RADAR hub, home to extensive, original, and exclusive RADAR content.

The launch of this emerging-artist program has propelled the growth of RADAR artists around the world—and fans are listening. Take a look at how much they’ve streamed these rising artists:

36 New Artists Around the World That Are on Spotify’s RADAR

March 9, 2020

Lauv. The Blaze. King Princess. Lil Baby. Official HIGE DANdism. Jorja Smith. These are undeniably prominent artists in today’s global musical landscape. They’ve been making their way onto Wrapped cards and festival headliner slots—but not so long ago they were just starting out, working their way up for a chance in the spotlight. Each was assisted in this journey by Spotify’s commitment to bringing up-and-coming artists to your attention—something we’re excited to continue with the launch of RADAR.

Through RADAR, our global emerging-artist program, we’re deepening our commitment to emerging artists at all stages of their development and strengthening their connection to audiences. With this global launch, we’ll continue to build on Spotify’s history of working with emerging artists through 19 sister programs featuring up-and-coming creators from more than 50 markets worldwide, all focused on helping artists from around the world reach the next stage in their careers.

“Spotify is a major reason why I’m able to be an independent artist,” says American singer-songwriter/producer Lauv, who was featured through Spotify’s developing artist program a few years ago. “Having their support from day one in making my music accessible to millions of users around the world has allowed me to grow as an artist and share music on my terms over the past five years. To have fans, whether in the Philippines, Peru, or Philadelphia know the words to songs all before I ever toured there speaks to Spotify’s global reach and ability to speak directly to fans with music that resonates around the globe.”

The launch of the program brings a mixture of Spotify’s best-in-class editorial and marketing abilities. Our playlists feature new and emerging talent around the world, and our marketing campaigns provide fans with the opportunity to get to know their new favorite artists.

“Spotify is thrilled to announce the launch of RADAR this year with an incredible group of emerging artists from across the globe,” said Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “RADAR will become an influential program for up-and-coming artists across all genres worldwide and a great way for our global marketing and editorial teams to support the next generation of international superstars.”