From Ricky Martin to Milo J: Tommy Mottola & Alex Gallardo Explain How Latin Music Went From ‘Underdog’ to Global Powerhouse

From Ricky Martin’s Grammy breakthrough to the rise of música mexicana, Tommy Mottola and Alex Gallardo offered a candid look at how Latin music conquered the mainstream — and why its next evolution will depend on artists willing to break the mold.

Moderated by Billboard ’s co-chief content officer Leila Cobo, The Rise of Latin Music Globally took place Monday (Oct.

19) at the Faena Theater in Faena Forum Miami Beach, Fla.

Mottola, founder and chairman of Mottola Media Group and former chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and Gallardo, president of Sony Music U.S.

Latin, traced Latin music’s transformation over nearly three decades — from the early crossover successes of Shakira and Ricky Martin to the digital era, which has made Spanish-language music more accessible worldwide.

Mottola recalled that, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Latin music remained a small niche within the U.S. market despite the global potential he saw in artists including Shakira, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez.

At the time, he said, the primary path to international success was to record in English or Spanglish and break through in the United States.

One defining moment came when Mottola pushed for Ricky Martin to perform at the Grammys.

When the ceremony initially resisted, Mottola said Sony threatened to withdraw its artists from the broadcast.

The label ultimately got its way, and Martin performed “The Cup of Life,” helping introduce him to a broader U.S. audience.

Mottola described those early crossover efforts as an attempt to transform “this amazing, wonderful music” and “these amazing stars” into global artists.

The strategy helped fuel Latin music’s first major mainstream explosion in the United States.

According to Gallardo, the rise of streaming, social media and reggaetón later changed Latin music’s position worldwide.

He noted that Mexico, Brazil and U.S.