Kany Garcia and Joaquina sing at the Latin Grammy Showcase, plus more soulful moments

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements, Advertising sign The editors highlight heartwarming moments in Latin music. Check out what happened in the world of Latin music this week.

Best New Artist Exhibition

The Latin Recording Academy hosted its first Best New Artist Showcase of the year at the Museo de Arte de San Juan in Puerto Rico. Former Best New Artist Latin Grammy winners Kany García (2008) and Joaquina (2023) were the special performers of the evening. “Bringing the Best New Artist Showcase to Puerto Rico for the first time, along with Joaquina and Kany García, is an exciting opportunity to continue celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMYs,” said Manuel Abud, CEO, The Latin Recording Academy in one statement. “The support of Mastercard, our Presenting Partner and Official Sponsor of Rums of Puerto Rico, enables us to continue to fulfill our mission of promoting the next generation of Latin music creators.” The next exhibition will be hosted later this year.

Marc Anthony's son turns one year old

Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira's son Marco celebrated his first birthday party this week. “Today marks one year since you came into the world, to teach me so many things… one of them is the greatest love there is… to be your mother, my son,” the Paraguayan model said on her account on Instagram, sharing one sweet photo of her and her son. “There is no way to explain the immense love I feel for you and the excitement of watching you grow and learning new things every day. Happy birthday to the greatest blessing of my life. My dear Marco!'

The couple announced their son's arrival in a joint Instagram post they shared on Father's Day last year via a black and white photo of Anthony holding their newborn and holding Ferreira's hand. “God's timing is always perfect. Happy Father's Day,” read the sweet and short caption. This is Ferreira's first baby and the salsa singer's seventh child, following sons and daughters Arianna, Chase, Cristian, Ryan and twins Emme and Maximilian. shares twins with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.

Jay Wheeler and Zhamira are waiting!

In other baby news, Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano are expecting their first child. The two-part announcement was made through one Post on Instagram featuring four images of the couple loving each other and a new single from Zambrano called “Bienvenida”. “My life is about to change in a few more months,” she croons sweetly over a slow pop ballad. The accompanying music video follows the timeline of her pregnancy as she is embraced by her husband.

Zambrano and the Puerto Rican artist met at the East Hotel in Miami and made their relationship official on Instagram in February 2022. They tied the knot later that year in December in a civil ceremony. The pair collaborated on “Dicelos” and “Extrañándote”. The latter earned Zambrano her first top 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart and Wheeler her third. They performed the song at the 2024 Latin American Music Awards in April.

Honorary Doctor of Giordano

Italian-born Venezuelan singer-songwriter Yordano di Marzo will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of the Andes in Colombia in recognition of his prolific musical career spanning more than five decades. “Di Marzo has been one of the most influential singers and songwriters of his generation, notable for his social sensitivity, the literary quality of his songs and the high level developed in each of his albums,” reads the official press statement, also noting . that the artist “raised the name of Venezuela, with his undeniable contribution to the development of the arts, especially music, as a pioneer in the fusion of elements from the heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean with rock, pop and jazz”.

Yordano — who was previously honored with a 2022 Latin Grammy for Music Excellence — will receive ULA's honorary doctorate during a June 22 ceremony at the university's Mérida campus. He now joins past honorees such as fashion designer Giorgio Armani, tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Catalan soprano Monserrat Caballé, among others.