Gabriel Abaroa

Last updated
Gabriel Abaroa Jr.
Gabriel Abaroa By Omar Cruz (3) (1).jpg
Gabriel Abaroa Jr. in 2019
Born
Mexico City, Mexico
NationalityMexican-American
Occupation(s)Former president and CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, music executive, attorney

Gabriel Abaroa Jr. is a Mexican entertainment executive and attorney, best known for his role as the president and CEO of the Latin Recording Academy (LARAS), which presents the Latin Grammy Awards, from 2003 to 2021. Under his nearly two-decade leadership, the Latin Recording Academy experienced significant growth, including the establishment of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, where he served as founding president, and the transition of the Latin Grammy telecast from English to Spanish. After stepping down in August 2021, he was named president emeritus of the academy, a non-full-time paid position. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Coming from a very musical family, Abaroa grew up in an environment deeply rooted in music. His father transformed their family home in Mexico City by removing walls between two rooms to create a small home auditorium. "Passing bands in Mexico would stop by, whom my father invited to perform so his friends could pay to see them," recalls Abaroa. "Most of these musicians were so dedicated to art that they forgot to charge even though they had nothing to live on." [2] At the age of 15, Gabriel began to play the drums and sing, starting his professional musical career in 1976.

He later pursued legal studies at two prestigious universities in Mexico. The combination of law with his passion for music paved the way for his career. He co-founded the Special Annual Seminar on Music Entertainment Business at Anahuac University, where he taught entertainment law for five consecutive years.

Career

Early career

Abaroa created Legal Corp, a firm providing legal services to most multinational record labels based in Mexico and to major artists. In 1994, he moved to Miami to cover the Latin American market and worked alongside the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to support the growing Latin music industry.

In 2000, along with a group of visionaries, he founded Wireless Latin Entertainment, the first U.S.-based Latin content producer, focusing on developing ringtones for the untapped U.S. wireless market.

The Latin Recording Academy

Motivated by his brother Mauricio, who was the founding vice president of the Latin Recording Academy, Abaroa began his association with the organization as the vice-chairman of its board of trustees. In March 2003, he was appointed president of the academy, and in August 2010, he was promoted to president and CEO.

Under Abaroa's leadership, the Latin Recording Academy experienced significant growth, becoming a respected international entity with exceptional financial stability and strong credibility. He led the establishment of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation in 2014, serving as its founding president. By 2020, the foundation had allocated over $6.5 million toward scholarships, grants, musical instrument donations, and educational events in the United States and Ibero-America. [3]

In 2018, Abaroa led the negotiating team to secure an unprecedented multi-million-dollar agreement extending the partnership with Univision, the largest U.S. Hispanic network, through 2028, with multi-platform coverage of the Latin Grammy Awards.

He was instrumental in transitioning the Latin Grammy Awards telecast from English to Spanish, broadening its appeal to Spanish-speaking audiences worldwide. In recognition of his influence in the industry, he was listed among Billboard's Latin Power Players in 2016. [4]

After nearly 20 years at the helm, Abaroa stepped down from his role in August 2021 and was named president emeritus of the academy.

Other activities

Abaroa has been involved with various organizations throughout his career. He has been a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Council of La Raza, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the USO's Entertainment Committee, the Mexican Entrepreneur Association (AEM), and the task force to create Spanish-language categories for the Daytime Emmy Awards.

He currently serves on the boards of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) and MusiCares. Since 2014, Abaroa has been an international judge for the Platino Awards, which honor excellence in Ibero-American cinema. Additionally, he has been a permanent member of the Grammy Awards' TV Committee for the past 15 years and is a voting member of both the Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Gabriel</span> Mexican singer, songwriter and actor (1950–2016)

Alberto Aguilera Valadez, known professionally as Juan Gabriel, was a Mexican singer-songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed Juanga and El Divo de Juárez, Juan Gabriel was known for his flamboyant style, which broke norms and standards within the Latin music industry. Widely regarded as one of the best and most prolific Mexican composers and singers of all time, he is regarded as a pop icon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibero-America</span> Countries in the Americas which were formerly colonies of Spain or Portugal

Ibero-America or Iberian America is generally considered to be the region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages. Spain and Portugal are themselves sometimes included in some Ibero-American diplomatic circles, such as the Ibero-American Summit and the Organization of Ibero-American States. The Organization of Ibero-American States also includes Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea, in Central Africa, but not the Portuguese-speaking African countries. The Latin Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the Latin Grammy Awards, also includes Spain and Portugal as well as the Latino population of Canada and the United States in their definition of Ibero-America.

The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Gabriel</span> Mexican singer and songwriter

María Guadalupe Araujo Yong, known professionally as Ana Gabriel, is a Mexican singer and songwriter. With over 40 million records sold worldwide, Gabriel is the best-selling Mexican female artist, and one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. Dubbed as the "Diva de América" and the "Luna de América", during her long career, she has performed different genres of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikki Carr</span> American vocalist

Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona, known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than five decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicente Fernández</span> Mexican actor and ranchera singer (1940–2021)

Vicente Fernández Gómez was a Mexican mariachi singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente", "El Charro de Huentitán", "El Ídolo de México", and "El Rey de la Música Ranchera", Fernández started his career as a busker, and went on to become a cultural icon, having recorded more than 100 albums and contributing to more than 30 films. His repertoire consisted of rancheras and other Mexican classics such as waltzes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin Grammy Awards</span> Accolade by the Latin Recording Academy for music in Spanish and Portuguese

The Latin Grammy Awards are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been released in Ibero-America. Ibero-America, as defined by the Latin Recording Academy, encompasses Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the Latino population in Canada and the United States. Submissions of products recorded in languages, dialects or idiomatic expressions recognized in Ibero America, such as Catalan, Basque, Galician, Valencian, Nahuatl, Guarani, Quechua or Mayan may be accepted by a majority vote. Both the regular Grammy Award and the Latin Grammy Award have similar nominating and voting processes, in which the selections are decided by peers within the Latin music industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Antonio Solís</span> Mexican musician

Marco Antonio Solís Sosa is a Mexican musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Ario de Rosales, Michoacán, Solís began his musical career at the age of six, performing with his brother Joel Solís as Los Hermanitos Solís. In 1975, he co-founded Los Bukis, of which he was the lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist. The band split up after nearly two decades of success, with Solís pursuing a solo career. Solís released his debut solo album, En Pleno Vuelo, in 1996 by Fonovisa Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Latin Recording Academy</span> American Latin music organization

The Latin Recording Academy, formally known as the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, is a multinational membership-based association composed of Latin music industry professionals, musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other creative and technical recording professionals. The Latin Academy of Recording places greater emphasis on aesthetic and technical accomplishments than on sales or chart positions. They aim to provide a broader platform and raise the profile of Latino artists and creators, both domestically and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Recording Academy</span> American music organization

The Recording Academy is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely known for its Grammy Awards, which recognize achievements in the music industry of songs and music which are popular worldwide. The Recording Academy is a founding partner of the Grammy Museum, a non-profit organization whose stated mission is preserving and educating about music history and significance. The Recording Academy also founded MusiCares, a charity with the stated goal of impacting the health and welfare of the music community. The Recording Academy's advocacy team lobbies for music creators' rights at the local, state, and federal levels.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their "artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts". Award recipients are honored during "Latin Grammy Week", a string of galas just prior to the annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony. Until 2023, the award was only presented to artists of Ibero-American heritage, when Laura Pausini became the first Italian artist to be presented with the honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Brant</span> Musical artist

Claudia Alejandra Menkarski, known as Claudia Brant, is an Argentine composer, producer and singer in diverse genres and multiple languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin music</span> Music from Ibero-America or sung in Spanish or Portuguese

Latin music is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the Latino population in Canada and the United States, as well as music that is sung in either Spanish and/or Portuguese. It may also include music from other territories where Spanish- and Portuguese-language music is made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Abud</span> Mexican-American media executive

Manuel Abud is a Mexican-American business and entertainment executive and the current of CEO of the Latin Recording Academy having succeeded Gabriel Abaroa in August 2021. Abud previously served as chief operating officer. An advocate for Latin creators, Abud's passion lies in creating an inclusive cultural institution within The Latin Recording Academy that enables artists and audiences to share their heritage through music. During his time as COO of the academy, Abud oversaw the day-to-day operation of the Latin Academy, including the areas of business development, communications, digital, marketing and production, in addition to spearheading several international and local growth initiatives. While COO of the Latin Academy, Abud successfully led a major reorganization, maximizing efficiencies and taking a swift leap to digital content development. In addition, he further developed a strong and clear positioning for the organization, leveraging its heritage and plans for the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 in Latin music</span> Overview of the events of 2016 in Latin music

This is a list of notable events in Latin music that took place in 2016.

This is a list of notable events in Latin music that took place in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 in Latin music</span> Overview of the events of 2020 in Latin music

The following is a list of events and new music that happened or are expected to happen in 2020 in the Latin music industry. Latin regions include Ibero-America, Spain, Portugal, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 in Latin music</span> Overview of the events of 2021 in Latin music

The following is a list of events and new music that happened in 2021 in the Latin music industry. Latin regions include Ibero-America, Spain, Portugal, and the United States.

The Premios Tu Música Urbano is a music industry awards ceremony presented by television network Telemundo Puerto Rico to recognize artists who "transcended and boosted the success of Latin urban music around the world" for the past year. The show has been held annually at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, since 2019, produced by Telemundo, Sora & Company and Mr. & Mrs. Entertainment, and broadcast by Telemundo Puerto Rico and by Telemundo. The awards were founded after an obvious lack of recognition of reggaetón, urbano and Latin trap artists was observed at the Latin Grammy Awards, as well as the (former) absence of any Latin urbano/reggaetón categories at the American Grammy Awards. Both organizations have since expanded their representation and categories.

The Leading Ladies of Entertainment is an honor presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend women "excelling in the arts and sciences, and who have made indelible impressions and contributions to the Latin entertainment industry." Award recipients are honored during "Latin Grammy Week", a string of galas prior to the annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony. The accolade was established by the organization to acknowledge the gender gap in the Latin entertainment industry. Then-president of the Latin Recording Academy, Gabriel Abaroa explained: "Women face a myriad of difficulties in the entertainment industry, but despite those obstacles, the women we are honoring have continually demonstrated perseverance, fortitude, and grace under pressure." A portion of the sponsorships on the events are used to fund scholarships to young women studying in music. The awards were first presented to Marcella Araica, Leila Cobo, Erika Ender, Rebeca Leon, and Gabriela Martinez. The event was held twice in 2019, the first as a Mexican edition in June and again during the Latin Grammy Week in November.

References

  1. Cobo, Leila (12 May 2021). "Latin Recording Academy CEO Gabriel Abaroa Departing". Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  2. "Gabriel Abaroa: El señor de los Latin Grammy". Vanity Fair España (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. "Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation" . Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  4. "Billboard's Latin Power Players List Revealed". Billboard. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
Cultural offices
Preceded by
Mauricio Abaroa
President of The Latin Recording Academy
2003–2021