Latin Music From Canada to the World

Written By Speaking Non-English

2023 CCA Latin Program participants together with industry stakeholders including Andre Galuban (Canadian Consulate in LA, Canadian Creative Accelerator ), Diana Rodriguez (Criteria Entertainment) Mauricio Ruiz (SNE).

As part of the initiatives and collaborations under part of its export strategy, Speaking Non-English partnered with the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles as domestic and outreach consultants for their latest edition of the Canadian Creative Accelerator dedicated to managers of Latin-Canadian talent.

The initiative took place between September and November 2023 and consisted of 3 weeks of mixed programming including virtual sessions as well as in-person meetings in Los Angeles and during the Latin Billboard Week in Miami. The program received 27 applications from acrossCanada.

“In a major first, The Canadian Creative Accelerator (CCA) for Latin Music had its debut with Canadian Latin Music managers/rightsholders repping Canadian creators & repertoire to potential partners in the US and LATAM markets. The brilliant and determined work of Andre Galuban from the Canadian Consulate in LA, Latin Music consultant Diana Rodriguez, CEO of Criteria Entertainment” said Andres Mendoza (Vice-Chair, SNE)

Representatives of the selected seven companies had the opportunity to connect directly with US industry stakeholders and discuss potential business development opportunities. The program also included a songwriting camp in Miami curated with Livia Piomelli and Motion Creative and a mixer hosted by Qiana Conley Akinro at the Recording Academy.

The project teams consisted of Andre Galuban (Canadian Consulate in LA, CCA), Criteria Entertainment (US Latin Market consultant), and Speaking Non-English (domestic Canadian consultant). The speakers curated by Criteria Entertainment included 30 key industry stakeholders from a wide range of companies and organizations such as The Recording Academy, Live Nation, the Lincoln Centre, KEXP, SiriusXM, Rebeleon, Gibson, and Warner Chappell among several others.

“Working with the SNE team was a crucial aspect of the success of the CCA Latin Music program. As experts in the Canadian Latin music market, and with a deep knowledge of Canadian music companies and artists in this genre, this allowed for not only a strong pool of applicants into the program but also a method to generate interest towards new support for the community. I’m looking forward to the continued work SNE will lead for the growth and development of the Latin music industry in Canada!” Andre Galuban, Canadian Consulate in LA, CCA.

The selected artist managers and companies for the program:

  • Jeff Kwok from Crooked Lid Records.

  • Maude St-Amand-Courcy from Impresaria.

  • Max Bernard from COOLtura.

  • Roberto Testa from Fito Blanko Publishing Corp.

  • Sarah Goodacre from  Caracol Records.

  • Juana Hermida and Tracy Jenkins from Lulaworld Records.

  • Yatxan Labrada from Farandula Records.

“Few Canadian music industry executives and leaders possess the vision and understanding of the intricacies and sensitivities inherent in Latin Music. There remains a significant need for education and dialogue to broaden the Canadian Latin Music landscape, leveraging the strides it has made in pop culture stateside. Such opportunities enable us to overcome barriers and showcase the distinctive vision of Latin-Canadian artists to the world, even if local recognition is still lacking.” - Fito Blanko, Artist and CCA Participant.

Mere weeks after the accelerator, the program has already achieved quantifiable results with  Caracol Records entering an agreement with Empire Agency for Alex Cuba and Fito Blanko signing a royalties management deal with Regalias Digitales.

“This was an important initiative that needed to be brought to the forefront. The success we saw from the first ever Canadian Consulate Accelerator is proof of it. Identifying, developing and exporting talent matters. This is only the beginning” Mauricio Ruiz, Co-Founder SNE

For more information regarding the Canadian Creative Accelerator, you can visit the Linkedin page for the Canadian Consulate General in Los Angeles.

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Speaking Non-English