“They broke the mold and reinvented the rules, making millions of fans fall in love with them without having to change who they are,” said Rocio Guerrero, global head of Latin Music at Amazon Music.

Slated to tributes are new Amazon Originals from different genres, including a remake of the classic merengue hit “Suavemente” by legendary merenguero Elvis Crespo, out on October 21. Other Originals include a beautiful tribute to the one and only Jenni Rivera by Mexican music star Eden Muñoz, through his version of “Inolvidable,” out on September 23, and singer-songwriter and producer Cuco’s cover of the classic “Mi Querido, Mi Viejo, Mi Amigo” by beloved artist Roberto Carlos, to be released on October 7. Cuco’s song will be accompanied by a Hollywood-themed video shot by Mexican Academy Award-nominated director Carlos Lopez Estrada.

Amazon Music will also launch the The Game Changers playlist, featuring some of the greatest artists and songs that reshaped the music scene as we know it. These artists revolutionized the way music was consumed, expanding its reach globally and proving music is its own universal language. Artists featured include Daddy Yankee, who has the most-viewed music video in YouTube  history; Celia Cruz, known as “The Queen of Salsa,” who received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for her “outstanding artistic contributions to the field of recording;” Selena, whose album Dreaming of You was the fastest-selling album by a female artist in pop history per Billboard; Bad Bunny, the first artist to ever top the Billboard chart with a non-English album; and Romeo Santos, who holds four Guinness World Records. Other artists include: Ricky Martin, Jenni Rivera, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Aventura, Jennifer Lopez, Juanes, Carlos Vives, Roberto Carlos, Hector Lavoe, Luis Miguel, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Alejandro Sanz, Wisin & Yandel, Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Marco Antonio Solís, Juan Gabriel, and Vicente Fernández.

On October 5, Amazon Music will be premiering the podcast La Semanal, hosted by Christian Acosta and Jessica Flores. Inspired by the playlist of the same name, the podcast will dive deep into the top entertainment news of the week, the hottest new releases, and the most relevant artists in Latin pop culture, from every genre.

The campaign will also celebrate game-changing songwriters and producers who deliver hit after hit. On the “Written By” and “Produced By” playlists, Amazon Music recognizes the game changers behind all-time favorites that hold a place in music fans’ hearts and will feature demos from some of the most iconic and game-changing songs in history. Fans will be able to enjoy unreleased versions of their favorite songs, only on Amazon Music. 

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The Success Story of Kiki Melendez’s Kiki Mobile Featured at NAPTE

Miami, FL — NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) is the premier global business forum for content creators, distributors and buyers across all platforms.  Attendees include media buyers, broadcast and cable networks and channels looking to acquire programming, program distribution companies, financiers, advertisers, technology companies, and content producers.
So if you are a content creator, you should be at NATPE this week.  It’s where shows like Oprah were sold into syndication and the rest, as they say, is history.  American Latino and Latination are two Latino themed shows that were originally sold into syndication by Robert Rose, producer and founder of AIM Tell-A-Vision Group and which continue to air on LATV to this date (Rose currently has his travel show Raw Travel at NAPTE).   These are only two examples of NATPE success stories, there are countless with a long list of successes dating back to its founding in 1963.
The NATPE 2018 Marketplace & Conference takes place at the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc in Miami Beach and will run for three days, Tuesday, January 16th – Thursday, January 18th; its theme fittingly,   “A Changing Industry In A Changing World”
Where once the biggest syndication deal were made at NAPTE, in the ever changing world of content creation and distribution, has manage to stay relevant.  This year NATPE is gearing up to boost international content, reality and Local TV.  And this year, as the trend continues, content from Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market are what is trending.
Alon Shtruzman, CEO of Keshet, the Israeli production and distribution company of such shows such as Homeland and The A Word, told the trades. “For us, NATPE became a great market for Latin America. NATPE was reborn thanks to the Latin American and Hispanic market.”
In that vein, actress/producer Kiki Melendez fits the bill. A true success story Melendez took her idea for the Kiki Mobile to Miami last year and got connected in a big way.  Melendez returns in 2018  having secured a time slot for her mobile talk show, the Kiki Mobile, on A&E Network’s FYI lifestyle channel which aired thirteen episodes.  She will speak to that accomplishment on Tuesday, January 16 on the ROI or FYI: Stop Interrupting & Start Entertaining Panel; about the true opportunities for brand-generated from the differing platform and distribution options now available to independent producers.
Executive producers Melendez and Julia Carias-Linares will also be meeting with international buyers and connecting with national and local media outlets about further distribution for the Kiki Mobile.
The Kiki Mobile is the only talk show on wheels with Melendez (creator of Hot Tamales Live) hosting and driving force behind this unique, first-of-its-kind show. WATCH HERE
Programming making its debut this year will be the NATPE Streaming Summit, which will take a holistic look at the current OTT and streaming landscape and its outlook for the future. Facebook’s Head of Global and Creative Strategy, Ricky Van Veen, will be lending his voice to the OTT conversation during NATPE Miami at a session breaking down what is in store for Facebook Watch, their new content platform.

Other highlights from the Conference include a planned spotlight conversation with Roma Khanna who was recently named CEO, Revolt TV, as well as multiple sessions covering the topics of diversity, inclusion and empowerment. Panels include one on how innovative creators are engaging the LGBTQ community across multiple platforms and another on the business of inclusivity.
The Station Group Forum will return and cover topics such as how ATSC 3.0 will change the business of broadcasting. An additional session titled OTT and Me: A Station Group Research Report, presented by PromaxBDA is also on the schedule.
The nine tracks for this year’s Conference include Brands & Advertisers, Music+Vision, Development, Deals & Data, Platforms & OTT, Scripted, Unscripted, Station Groups, Global and Latin America.
A full robust group from independents to major studios, networks and broadcast stations will be exhibiting during NATPE Miami.
NATPE has made sure that the presence of Latino, both U.S. Latinos and from Latin America is felt.  The conference opens with a concert by Elvis Crespo; Soledad O’Brien, Host of Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien & CEO of Starfish Media Group will be one of the participants in the Keynote Conversation with Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Cesar Conde, Chairman of NBCUniversal International Group & NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is one of the six recipients of the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award Reception and joins an illustrious group which includes actress Jane Fonda, writer Greg Berlanti,  Kevin O’Reilly, President of TNT & TBS, and actor Tom Selleck.  There is also a high attendance from buyers and sellers from Latin America and an increasing presence of U.S. Latinos.
There are various forward looking panels, and networking events schedule packed into three days where a lot of deals will be made that will make their way to you viewing screen.  For a full list of events and information on the who is who of attendees CLICK HERE.
 

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