5 LATIN MUSIC ACTS
Latin music has been hiding in plain sight here for years. But Romeo Santos brought it into the mainstream with his massive hit Despacito. Montreal, where more than 120,000 people speak Spanish as their mother tongue, is a welcome stop for top stars.
ROMEO SANTOS
The self-proclaimed King of Bachata music. After finding success as the lead vocalist of Aventura, the Bronx native now has three solo albums under his belt. He’s credited with infusing traditional bachata music from the Dominican Republic with modern pop sensibilities. His latest album is 2017’s Golden, which features a torch-passing collaboration with Spanish pop icon Julio Iglesias. Santos performs at the Bell Centre on March 3.
LUIS MIGUEL
The 47-year-old Mexican balladeer has received just about every accolade in his home country and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. He’s an old-school crooner flanked by mariachis, with his latest being something of a return to more traditional music. His ¡Mexico Por Siempre! (Mexico Forever) Tour lands at the Bell Centre on June 8.
DADDY YANKEE
Prior to Despacito, the Puerto Rican reggaeton star was known for another hit, Gasolina, which is generally considered the first reggaeton song to reach anglophone audiences. He performed at Stade Uniprix in August 2017 and recently made news for having fallen in love with Quebec City while filming a music video at their Ice Hotel, so perhaps a hasty return is in the cards.
NICKY JAM
Daddy Yankee may be reggaeton’s one household name, but it’s the American-born Nicky Jam who has the distinction of having headlined a Bell Centre gig, which he did in September 2017. A former protégé of Yankee, the 36-year-old Nicky Jam feuded with his mentor and fell from stardom, only to rise from the ashes and reconcile with his adversary. He named his comeback album Fénix, understandably.
J. BALVIN
Although the 32-year-old Colombian pop-skewing reggaeton singer didn’t pick Montreal for his most recent tour, he did open for Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull at the Bell Centre in 2014. He’s only gotten bigger since then — an arena headliner in his own right — thanks to U.S. Latin chart toppers Mi Gente and Bobo. A Montreal return seems inevitable.