Latin Music’s Global Rise Spotlighted at Taiwan’s 2026 Golden Melody Festival

In 2026, the Golden Melody Festival conference convened in Taipei, Taiwan, under the theme “The Rise of Latin Music: From Regional Niche to Global Force.” Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, opened the session before delegates from the global music industry.

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Abud outlined three phases. The first featured standards—Consuelo Velázquez’s “Bésame Mucho,” Dámaso Pérez Prado’s “Mambo No. 5,” Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz’s “The Girl from Ipanema,” and “La Bamba”—which spread Latin sounds via covers. The second phase, driven by immigration, brought Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Shakira to the U.S. mainstream, though their biggest hits were English. The third phase, driven by streaming and social media, began with Luis Fonsi’s 2017 hit “Despacito,” showing authenticity can dominate global charts.

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Consuelo Velázquez and Pérez Prado anchor the classic era; Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Shakira illustrate the diaspora-English crossover; Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” signals the streaming breakthrough; Bad Bunny opened the 65th Grammy Awards, won Album of the Year in 2026 with an all-Spanish record and performed at a Super Bowl halftime show, illustrating the current phase.

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Abud noted that Latin music, mainly in Spanish and Portuguese, reaches 900 million listeners worldwide and generates “billions” in streaming revenue, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.

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The conference emphasized that language is no longer the barrier to worldwide success. Streaming has expanded the audience from U.S. diaspora communities to European markets, and genre-fluidity suggests collaborations will drive growth.

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Abud affirmed that the diaspora—Puerto Rican and Cuban communities—historically anchored Latin music’s U.S. expansion. He noted that streaming platforms have opened European markets. The Academy expressed satisfaction that its creators now top global charts, crediting decades of collaboration. Looking ahead, Abud projected that cross-cultural collaborations and genre-blending will define Latin music’s continued international ascent.

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• “For decades, sounds and rhythms have been transcending borders,” — Manuel Abud, CEO, Latin Recording Academy

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• “At The Latin Recording Academy, we are pleased to see our creators at the top of global music charts; we feel this reflects the collaborative efforts over the last decades.” — Manuel Abud

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• “For decades, the global music industry operated under a simple assumption: if you wanted to reach the world, you had to do it in English. Latin music and K-pop have challenged that assumption,” — Manuel Abud

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Abud concluded that the next chapter will be marked by collaborations blending diverse sounds and blurring genre boundaries, suggesting chart successes will stem from joint projects that combine Latin rhythms with global influences.

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