We Speak Latin

J Balvin, Feid, Trueno and a Room Full of Legends Salute Daddy Yankee at Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Gala

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

Daddy Yankee with students at a Latin Grammy In The Schools event in Las Vegas

Daddy Yankee did not just receive an award in Las Vegas. The artists who built reggaeton with him, and the artists who grew up on his records, walked his story back on stage, from the barrios of San Juan to the songs that carried Puerto Rico to the world.

The Latin Recording Academy® honored Daddy Yankee at the 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™ Gala with a musical journey through his career. The multi-Latin GRAMMY® winner and multi-GRAMMY® nominee, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, was recognized for his nearly three-decade career as a driving force behind the globalization of reggaeton, and for his humanitarian efforts. The celebration brought together past and current Latin GRAMMY® winners and nominees, artists who shaped Daddy Yankee’s sound, and artists inspired by him.

The show began as a celebration of Daddy Yankee’s story, starting where his music did, in the barrios of San Juan in the 1990s. Jorge Drexler led with a moving rendition of “Ante La Duda, Baila,” in which he recited the verse about “Ley 112,” the obscenity law used in 1995 to confiscate reggaeton cassettes from San Juan record stores. It was a reminder of what the genre was up against, and of what Daddy Yankee and his generation turned into a global movement. DJ Playero, one of the creators of reggaeton and the first to record Daddy Yankee, took the stage for a special set of the formative tracks of that era. Anthony Ramos then performed “Coraza Divina,” an autobiographical song about Daddy Yankee. Reggaeton pioneers Tito El Bambino and Jowell & Randy joined next-generation artists Feid and Trueno for “Gasolina.” Reik and Luísa Sonza performed “Ella Me Levantó,” and Farruko, Kapo, and Rawayana took the stage for a reggae version of “La Despedida.” Milly Quezada and Alex Zurdo joined forces for “ABCD/Bonita,” while Pablo Alborán and Natalia Jiménez gave “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta” a pop rock turn. Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavárez brought “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó,” Gente de Zona reimagined “Sabor a Melao,” and Pedro Capó and Elena Rose performed “Ora Por Mí,” the most personal song Daddy Yankee has written.

The celebration then turned to the musical influences that helped define Daddy Yankee’s sound, from the music of the 1980s and hip-hop to New York salsa and merengue. As a gift to the artist, The Sugarhill Gang performed “Rapper’s Delight,” a song he credits as a major influence and one as pivotal to hip-hop as “Gasolina” was to reggaeton. Sheila E. and Dante Spinetta performed a mashup of her 1980s hit “The Glamorous Life” and “Pasarela,” opening with a timbal intro that nodded to Daddy Yankee’s father, a timbal player. The salsa segment, produced by Sergio George, had the room dancing, with Tito Nieves performing “I Like It Like That” and “Qué Tengo Que Hacer,” Oscar D’León performing “Llorarás,” and D’León and Nathy Peluso performing “Despacito,” with Nieves joining them at the end.

The show also featured the next generation of artists influenced by Daddy Yankee, a showcase of his impact on global Latin music. Ryan Castro, J Noa, and Feid, back on stage, set the room alight with “Rompe,” Paulo Londra delivered “Gangsta Zone,” and Trueno took on “Talento de Barrio,” before the whole group came together for “Somos de Calle.” Then, in a memorable moment, J Balvin took the stage for “Tu Príncipe.” The night closed with Daddy Yankee himself taking the stage to perform “Sonríele,” “BOTZ” and “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó.” Daddy Yankee received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™ award from J Balvin and LL Cool J.

The Senior Vice President of Production at The Latin Recording Academy®, Ayleen Figueras, along with Macarena Moreno, served as executive producers of the gala. The musical production was led by Danny Flores and Roberto Trujillo served as musical director.

Live Nation served as presenting sponsor of the gala for the third consecutive year. Official sponsors included Turismo de Andalucía, BACARDÍ, Bulova, JP Morgan Chase, Mastercard, Rémy Martin and YouTube.

The 27th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 12. The three-hour telecast will air on Univision, UNIMÁS, Galavisión and streaming on ViX, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central), preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT (6 p.m. Central).

About The Latin Recording Academy

The Latin Recording Academy® is a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring, and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, The Biggest Night in Latin Music®, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It also provides educational and outreach programs for the music community through the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

Romeo Santos and Prince Royce Pack Out Estadio Vélez as Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour Hits Buenos Aires

Published

3 hours ago

November 15, 2026

We Speak Media

Romeo Santos and Prince Royce performing together on stage in front of the Mejor Tarde Que Nunca tour train set

Romeo Santos and Prince Royce perform together during the Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour stop in Buenos Aires. Photo courtesy of Artist Solutions.

Bachata’s king and prince turned Buenos Aires into a Caribbean party on Saturday night, as Romeo Santos and Prince Royce brought their joint Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour to a completely sold-out Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, with more than 45,000 fans singing along to one of the most anticipated concerts of the year.

Romeo Santos and Prince Royce arrived in Argentina on their hugely successful Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour, after touring Latin America, Europe and the United States with more than eighty sold-out performances.

More than 45,000 fans fill Estadio Vélez Sarsfield at night for Romeo Santos and Prince Royce

Before a completely sold-out Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, the two biggest names in bachata worldwide delivered a monumental show of more than two hours. With an imposing stage production and world-class visuals, Romeo Santos and Prince Royce sealed their great bond with the Argentine public through an unbeatable repertoire of generational anthems such as “Propuesta Indecente,” “Darte un Beso,” “Llévame Contigo,” “Ay! San Miguel” and “La Diabla,” among others that had more than 45,000 people vibrating.

Romeo Santos and Prince Royce seated together on stage during the Buenos Aires show

The opening was an energetic shared block in which both revisited the songs from their recent joint project Better Late Than Never, drawing a huge ovation from the very first minute.

The concert flowed smoothly between shared moments and individual segments. Romeo Santos showed off his magnetism, sensuality and vocal mastery at the front of his biggest hits, while Prince Royce dazzled with his pop charisma and melodic warmth. The chemistry between the two shone at every moment live, playing with the crowd’s complicity and measuring the fervor of the stands in a true Caribbean party.

Romeo Santos performing live in a black leather jacket

Prince Royce smiling on stage during his solo segment

The Buenos Aires stop had a luxury warm-up in Córdoba, where the iconic duo won over the Córdoba crowd under the open sky at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes with the same chemistry and artistic power on November 12.

The night at Vélez brought together two bachata icons on their Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour, a historic run through 20 countries and more than 80 massive concerts across Latin America, Europe and the United States, cementing this summit as an unrepeatable event in the history of the genre. The Argentina dates closed with Córdoba on November 12 and Buenos Aires on November 14, both sold out.