Nacho, Danny Ocean, Elena Rose, Mau y Ricky and Lele Pons shared their pride in Venezuela during the Venezuela Rising panel on Wednesday (October 16) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024.
Coordinator Sigal Ratner-Ariasits deputy editor Billboard Españolimportant and timely conversation captured a moment in time as a number of Venezuelan actors are not only charting, but have become the voice of a generation using their platform and art to echo a sense of hope for their country after from perhaps one of the most consequential presidential elections held in July.
Below, find some of the best quotes from the Venezuela Rising panelists:
Nachos: For a new generation of Venezuelan hitmakers: “I am very proud to see how the country shows that it has talent that also has all this knowledge that the previous generations left us, especially in Venezuelan pop music, we come from this formation, even if many have not heard their music , all this is mutating and evolving what is happening today”.
Elena Rose: About the Venezuelan artist's deep lyrics: “We want you to receive this love that we want to give you. Venezuela is a rich country in a thousand ways, especially because we share values like faith and happiness and it is transmitted through any artist who comes from a country like Venezuela, it makes us unique to see life like this. Our generation has been exposed to adversity, Venezuela is still fighting and looking for reasons to move forward, it has a purpose, an intention, we want Venezuela to shine. There is nothing that will stop us, we are stronger. The country deserves to be happy and free.”
Ricky: On artists' responsibilities to speak out and use their platform to call out injustices: “It's important to be responsible with the instinct he has, mine and my brother's (Mau's), Caracas Hotel and, apart from making an album, what we wanted was to show the world why we fight, what we stand for. And it may differ from the responsibility others felt. “
Lele Pons: On her role as a social media influencer: “Everyone has a voice and it's very important to use it. As an influencer, I have done many things in my career. I told my mom and dad that this is the most important thing I can do. When Danny told me he wanted to do something, I said how can I not do it if it's our country. Did people not know what was going on? Who will tell them? The most important thing I've done in my career is to be a voice for someone who needs a voice. And that was very important to me at the time.”
Mow: Returning to Venezuela after 15 years: “This trip changed my life. Leaving as a child and having people in your family who stayed, or even friends, tell you that you're not Venezuelan anymore because you left and you don't deserve to say you're Venezuelan or have an opinion on certain things, it breaks you. Over time you start to realize that you have these wounds, and it starts to create a domino effect because you start to think that you shouldn't really give an opinion about your country. One lives with anxiety thinking one is not Venezuelan. This trip for us, we healed and went because there came a time when we couldn't keep putting it off. After the pandemic we were left with an identity crisis and decided, despite the fear, to return because it was more than 15 years of accumulation of this fear. The trip healed a lot of things.”
Danny Ocean: For the momentous and deeply personal EP venequia.: “I had to get these Venezuelan-inspired songs out of my system, it was the right time to say what I felt. My life has changed since I released “Me Rehuso” and I always thought that moment was so drastic. Venice. it's for the 8 million Venezuelans abroad and what we long for: to be able to spend time there.”
2024 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards airing at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 20, on Telemundo. It will be available simultaneously on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/2024-billboard-latin-music-week-venezuela-rising-best-moments-1235802513/