ANDRÉS LÓPEZ

Comedian, storyteller, writer, actor, creative, host, lecturer and much more, Andrés López became the pioneer of stand-up comedy in Colombia in 2004 when he created the show “La Pelota de Letras”, and set the record for the highest-selling DVD in Latin America.  With over 1,500 live performances, “La Pelota de Letras” has been seen by over 2.5 million people all over the world through 6 years of international touring and theatrical residencies.  “La Pelota de Letras” was twice awarded sales milestones, first Diamond DVD sales in 2006 and later Double Diamond DVD sales in 2007.  After unprecedented success with “La Pelota de Letras”, Andrés released his second DVD “Me Pido La Ventana” in 2007, which almost immediately was awarded Diamond DVD sales for exceeding 70,000 sold units, more than 50,000 of which were sold within 2 months of its release.  In 2008, Andrés debuted the show “Me Pido La Ventana con Frutica Picada”, which has been performed over 600 times live and has been enjoyed by 1 million fans and counting.

In addition to having toured the world with his shows, Andrés has creatively collaborated with more than 40 companies and brands.  His book “La Pelota de Letras – El Manuscrito Original” not only turned into a Bestseller at the 2010 Feria del Libro, but outsold every other book at the event.  A master of imitation, Andrés has done all kinds of voiceovers that have been used in radio, television, web content and cartoons.  Andrés is one of the most popular personalities in Colombia, with over 1 million Twitter followers and over 1.8 million Facebook fans.

CARLOS BAUTE

Born in Venezuela, talented singer-songwriter Carlos Baute started his career at the age of 13 with the boy band “Los Chamos”. Today, he is one of the biggest artists in Latin Pop, with a discography spanning 8 albums, a catalogue of singles with over 200 million YouTube views, and multiple top Billboard lists, radio and sales records.

Carlos’ first international hit single “Te Quise Olvidar” turned heads across the Spanish-speaking world. The single reached #1 for several weeks on Billboard charts. This achievement was succeeded by his first international release, “Dame de Eso”, which reached Platinum sales in its first week. In 2004 Carlos dropped “Peligroso”, produced by the world-renowned Humberto Gatica, and in 2006 followed up with his self-titled album “Baute”, which contained another smash single “Te Regalo”. Two years later Carlos launched “De Mi Puño y Letra”, with “Tu No Sabes Qué Tanto” as the first single, making digital sales marks with over 300,000 downloads. It was the second single and duet with Marta Sanchez, “De Mi Puño y Letra”, however, that completely shattered international records: #1 on 27 physical sales lists, 43 consecutive weeks as the highest-selling single in Spanish history, Top 5 on radio across Latin America and across Billboard Latin charts. The single currently has sold more than 2 million digital copies, has more than 100 million YouTube views, was awarded platinum records for physical sales in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Spain, and a Gold record in the United States.

His latest album “Amarte Bien” made Top 10 on the Billboard Latin Pop charts with two singles, which combined have over 50 million YouTube views. “Amarte Bien” reached Platinum sales in Spain, Mexico and Argentina and has taken him to some of the best stages around the world.

JOVANOTTI

Throughout the course of an ever-evolving 25-year career consisting of 12 albums and worldwide record sales in excess of 5 million units, socially conscious Italian superstar Jovanotti has notched eight #1 albums and ten #1 singles. Initially influenced by artists like the Beastie Boys, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC, Jovanotti first exploded onto the scene with his debut album “Jovanotti for President”, which established him as the only Italian to break through as a rapper and turned him into the face of the youth, selling over 400,000 copies and slating multiple #1 hits. More recently, his 2008 album “Safari” debuted at #1 and sold over 600,000 copies, and his 2011 album “Ora” also sold over 600,000 copies, making them the best selling titles in Italy those years. Today, Jovanotti continues to crank out #1 hits and is the most-followed Italian on Twitter with over 1.2 million followers, cementing his place as Italy’s most emblematic artist.

Constantly reinventing himself, Jovanotti has incorporated different styles of music into his own and has collaborated with a wide variety of artists, including Amadou & Mariam, Gogol Bordello, Juanes, Ben Harper, Bomba Estereo, Michael Franti, TV on the Radio, Bono, Carlinhos Brown, Jorge Drexler, the Beastie Boys and the late Luciano Pavarotti. A multi-generational icon, Jovanotti has been on the covers of Italian editions of renowned magazines Vanity Fair, GQ, Rolling Stone, and many more. His socially-conscious lyrics and progressive activism have had serious impact; the anthemic 2000 song “Cancella il Debito”, coupled with Bono’s support, played a part in getting then-Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema to reduce debt in developing African countries.

Jovanotti consistently sells out stadiums and arenas in his native Italy, and performs on the world’s biggest stages. As his international imprint continues to grow, his music and high-energy live shows reach new territories and captivate new audiences. In 2012, Jovanotti played some of the United States’ most well-known festivals, including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Austin City Limits. Soon, he will be performing for fans across Latin America, where hits like “Serenata Rap” resonated loudly throughout the continent.

MALA RODRÍGUEZ

Latin Grammy winning artist Mala Rodríguez forever changed the face of Spanish rap with her smash debut “Yo Marco El Minuto” by becoming the first female to gain respect in a male-dominated genre.  More than a decade later, she remains the top urban female artist in the Spanish-speaking world.

In 2000, Mala Rodríguez released her first album “Lujo Ibérico”, which was one of the highest-selling albums in Spanish hip-hop history and almost immediately reached Gold sales, proving that her flamenco-roots rap was here to stay.  Mala Rodríguez launched her second album, “Alevosía” (2003), garnering interest overseas and achieving Gold sales. Yet, it was “Malamarismo” (2007) that turned Mala Rodríguez into a worldwide artist, gaining her audiences all across the US and Latin America.  This third album received glowing critical acclaim and several awards and nominations: MTV Latin America for “Best New Artist”, MTV Europe for “Best Spanish Arist”, and a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Urban Music Album.” Mala was also featured on tracks released by international acts Akon, Calle 13, Bajo Fondo, Kumbia All Starz and Julieta Venegas, further cementing Mala’s place on the world stage.

Mala Rodríguez´s latest release, “Dirty Bailarina”, was launched worldwide in 2010, and its first single “No Pidas Perdon” won a Latin Grammy in 2011 for “Best Urban Song.”  Shortly before the Latin Grammy Awards, Nelly Furtado released a single and music video featuring Mala Rodríguez, “Bajo Otra Luz”, which set a record as the #1 Most Viewed Video Worldwide with 2.7 millions views in its first week.  Mala Rodríguez and Nelly Furtado also performed “Bajo Otra Luz” live during the 2011 Latin Grammy Awards Telecast.

NATALIA JIMÉNEZ

Born to a Spanish father and Portuguese mother, Natalia is an internationally-renowned Grammy and Latin Grammy winning artist.  Throughout her career as the lead singer of La Quinta Estación and as a solo artist, Natalia has sold over 2 million albums worldwide, recorded duets with Latin music’s biggest stars including Marc Anthony (Recuérdame) and Ricky Martin (Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú), toured the world, and performed live at the Latin Grammy Awards Telecast.

Once Natalia’s brother taught her to play the guitar, the rest was history – unable to stop, she played everywhere she could, from schools, to bars, to Madrid’s plazas and even at Metro stops.  In 2001 she became the leader of the group La Quinta Estación and signed a major deal with Sony.  While their first album enjoyed modest success, their second album, “Flores de Alquiler”, was released in 2004 and was a smash hit, selling over 500,000 copies in Mexico and the United States.  This album also went Gold in Spain and its singles charted all across Latin America.  In 2006, La Quinta Estación launched their third album, “El Mundo Se Equivoca”, which won a Latin Grammy Award and went Platinum in several countries including the US, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain. In 2007, “El Mundo Se Equivoca” was named the 5th-most selling Latin album of the year.  The group’s fourth album, “Sin Frenos”, was released in 2009 and shot to the top of several Billboard charts, winning a Grammy award.

In 2011, Natalia launched her solo career with a self-titled album that debuted at #1 on the iTunes Pop Latino chart, won her “Breakout Artist of the Year” at Premio Lo Nuestro, and received a Billboard Latin Music Award nomination for “Female Artist of the Year.”  In addition to being a global musical force, Natalia is a trendsetting fashion icon and the focus of every red carpet she graces.