Christian Nodal & Cazzu Announce Birth of Their Child & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and those little, important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Christian Nodal & Cazzu are parents

Christian Nodal and Cazzu have welcomed their first child together. The couple took to social media on Thursday (Sept. 14) to share a sweet photo of Nodal and Cazzu holding their baby’s tiny hand and captioned it with the date “14.09.23.” Cazzu, who started dating Nodal last year, revealed she was pregnant in April during a concert at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina when she dropped her white coat unveiling her baby bump. 

See the baby’s adorable first picture on social media here.

Eslabon Armado makes history on Good Morning America

To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month festivities, Eslabon Armado performed on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday, Sept. 15 — making history as the first regional Mexican band ever to sing on the show. The Mexican-American band from Patterson, Calif., performed their blockbuster hit “Ella Baila Sola.” The sierreño song with Peso Pluma peaked at No. 4 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

“I think it’s a blessing for us,” Eslabon’s lead singer said minutes before performing on GMA. “It’s totally another feeling for us … we’ve been on other shows but this is one of the most important one for us. I remember going to school and my teachers putting on the Good Morning America show.” Watch their performance below:

Ricky Martin gets special award

Chicago’s National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture hosted its 10th annual Raíces Gala on Thursday (Sept. 14), where Ricky Martin received the National Ceiba Award bestowed by fellow Puerto Rican icon, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The gala celebrates the heritage and contributions of the Puerto Rican community in the U.S.

“My mission is to get out, travel and share, through my music or anecdotes, a little bit of what we are made of in our island. That’s all. I am so grateful to be here after many years, to feel all these emotions,” Ricky said in his acceptance speech. “Get ready because there’s ton of new music coming. Puerto Rico, Chicago always united for music. I love you.”

Ricky Martin joins a star-studded roster of fellow Puerto Ricans who’ve received the National Ceiba Award including Rita Moreno, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Lin-Manuel Miranda himself.

Jay Wheeler gets three songs RIAA certified

Puerto Rican artist Jay Wheeler received three new Platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for “Lugar Seguro” featuring Noreh, “Eazt” and “Dícelo,” his latest collaboration with his wife, Zhamira Zambrano. He now holds a total of 14 Platinum records.

“I’m very grateful to receive these certifications with these three songs that are more than special,” Wheeler said in a statement. “Seeing that my music continues to reach new heights within the industry always fills me with pride and gratitude towards my fans, who are the ones who make it possible by supporting, feeling, and listening to every song I release. We have new music coming soon, and I hope you continue to enjoy and support every project that I work on with the same love and affection that you have always given me.”

Spirit of Hope honoree

Colombian superstar Karol G will be honored with the Spirit of Hope award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday, Oct. 5. The special award — which was established in 1996 in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla — will recognize Karol for her exceptional commitment to civic, community and humanitarian causes beyond their artistic success.

“I am grateful for this special recognition,” Karol G said in a statement. “My commitment with Con Cora Foundation is a fundamental part of my life and I am proud to be able to help the women who need it most.”

A 13-time finalist at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, earlier this year Karol made history with Mañana Será Bonito, becoming the first woman to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with an all Spanish-language album. Currently, she’s on her U.S. stadium tour, which wraps up Sept. 28 in Boston.

Billboard Español turns 1

Happy 1st birthday to Billboard Español! One year ago, Billboard launched the Spanish-language platform with Colombian star Camilo, as the first digital cover. A website that started from scratch, by the end of September 2022, Español had surpassed 70,000 visits with almost 30,000 unique users. Today, only 12 months later, Billboard Español has more than 850,000 users per month, and for the month of August it had over 14 million visits to the page. In other words, it went from zero to 14 million in one year.