For journalist Leila Cobo, from Billboard, reggaeton made Latin music seen

On July 20, Leila Cobo was acknowledged on the fifth version of the Icono Awards with the Icono Máximo award, for her excellent contribution to the Latin music business. Her efficiency and profession have made her one of the vital vital journalists in Latin music.

Leila Cobo was born in Cali, is a journalist from Javeriana College in Bogotá, studied piano efficiency from the Manhattan Faculty of Music and has a grasp’s diploma in communication from the Annenberg Faculty of the College of Southern California.

As a pianist, he carried out as a soloist with the Valley Symphony Orchestra, Antioquia and Colombia. As a journalist and author, she has printed a number of books, together with novels, biographies and particular music books, however she is above all recognized for being the director of Latin and Spanish content material for Billboard.

When she was passing by way of Medellín, EL COLOMBINO spoke to her.

How would you clarify what reggaeton has meant after so a few years?

“I feel it was a turning level for the Latin music business, as a result of reggaeton actually made Latin music. Prefer it or not, however he did it. That music was exported very effectively. Daddy Yankee and J Balvin actually had an affect that hadn’t occurred earlier than in Spanish, after which got here streaming…”

Due to? How do you clarify that?

“Reggaeton was a non-English style. You may’t even say it was hip hop in Spanish, as a result of there was already hip hop in Spanish, however that reggaeton rhythm (the dembow) was new and I feel that is what helped. I’ve stated this many instances, however I prefer to say, reggaeton is just like the little black gown, it goes with all the things.”

Now folks see Mexican regional music as a phenomenon, however that is not precisely new…

“In the US it was the style that bought essentially the most and was essentially the most consumed till reggaeton arrived. Though for years reggaeton did not attain it both.”

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So what’s taking place with Mexican music is not any shock…

“No, however the fact is that that is at world degree the primary time I’ve seen it like this. We as Colombians love ranchera and all that music and we have now all the time liked it. That is not new right here, however that this music could be heard in Argentina, for instance, that is new and I feel that this goes hand in hand with the move phenomenon, that you could presently listening to music anyplace, but in addition as a result of it is a younger phenomenon…”

You could have identified that it’s music with a band and that it has an thought extra like that of hip hop.

“Reggaeton comes from being studio music. It is you, the pc, the beat and that is been dominant for therefore lengthy… impulsively there’s music that is utterly alive, proper? They do not use beats, they’ve the complete band there and I feel it is the distinction in sound that broke it. One all the time wants totally different sounds to make them break, so that there’s a sound earlier than and after. And I feel that was it.”

Reggaeton was in some way already giving him floor…

“I imagine this may occur in any motion. It begins, it is new, and abruptly all people will get on the bus and all people needs to do it and it turns into more durable to do one thing that does between – distinction to you.

Reggaeton is now at the moment, what are they going to do to make it sound totally different? So that every music will not be like the opposite 50 they launch. There’s quite a lot of that, that is why there’s all the time like 10 artists within the dome after which there’s one other 300…”

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These days, anybody could make music… it appears simple, however how simple is it?

“It’s extremely troublesome. And sure, everybody needs to make music they usually do it, and I feel there are momentary successes, however it’s very troublesome to take care of that. And it is one thing it’s a must to good your craft.

A music profession for me is similar to an athlete’s profession. It is not that you just get up and say, oh, I need to be Leo Messi. No.

Why is Leo Messi Leo Messi? Effectively as a result of he is actually good, sure, but in addition as a result of he is skilled his entire life. It is not that he appeared on the court docket in the future and stated, Right here I’m. I feel the identical factor occurs with music. Now everybody needs to be Karol G, however she is absolutely cute like few folks and that is the outcome.

And I feel the worst factor that may occur and what’s taking place is that folks need to be a musician or an artist as a result of they need to be well-known or as a result of that they need to be proven. That’s not the rationale. The people who find themselves actually good at this are individuals who cannot do anything, as a result of it is the one factor they’re captivated with and if they do not make music, they will die. “These are the individuals who will stay, who will stay.”

Talking of Karol G, how do you clarify Medellín’s prominence in music?

“I do not know, however I want to know and I feel there was quite a lot of discuss discovering an id after the time of Pablo Escobar, however I really feel so deeply it was that there was a bunch of people that began the enterprise, with a recording studio and a motion was created and I feel that had not occurred in Colombia earlier than. It has been superior.

Karol talks lots about it. She says that Nicky Jam shook her hand at first, everybody invited her to sing right here and there. That’s lacking. I feel for a very long time, everybody was so centered on their fame {that a} motion did not occur and that is it. In Colombia there have been free stars, Shakira, Juanes and Vives had been there, now why this occurred in Medellín I could not let you know, let that child inform me.”

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What does Latin market imply?

“For us, Latin music is music in Spanish. I can not let you know what number of instances we discuss Rosalía and somebody says… Oh, they do not know that Rosalía is Spanish and never Latin. In fact we all know this, however to be on Billboard’s Latin chart, the music should be 51% in Spanish. “

That Latin market, which is so variable, is the Latin in Latin America altering a lot in relation to the Latin in the US?

“I imagine that each market is a world. What you hear in Argentina is totally different from what you hear in Mexico, however there are issues which are in every single place.

For instance, Karol G and Daddy Yankee are in every single place. Now Ryan Castro is beginning to obtain vital issues in the US, however not as a lot as this.

Colombian well-liked music could be very massive right here and there it begins to work. It hasn’t exploded but, however it’s beginning. I prefer it. I feel it is a very fascinating transfer.”

The Mexican area could be very well-liked…

“Very totally different. They seem like cousins, however they are not. It’s totally different and the US report is complicated. It is laborious to get in and hit. “Each nation is a world. “

What do you suppose is lacking in Latin music proper now?

“We want the norm: new faces doing fascinating issues. You’ll suppose that with so many individuals making music there can be thousands and thousands of recent faces doing thrilling issues, however that is not true.

New artists are requested to be genuine, however that authenticity has additionally change into a dialog they repeat from others… they discuss the identical factor, they inform similar story…

“It is laborious to generate one thing new, and I feel you’ll be able to solely generate one thing new whenever you’re doing issues on a regular basis. It is not only one music, it’s a must to try to exit and play it and say, this may not work, this may, that is higher for me, that is worse.”

I feel the unhealthy factor about networks and all that’s that you just begin and from the primary second you are already out and that does not provide you with time to cook dinner by yourself, like so to talk, then issues come out and they’re uncooked… when they’re nonetheless not the time to exit. “Typically I see what they ship me and I say, oh, they should not have despatched this to me like that.”