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Latin Recording Academy Unveils 2023 Leading Ladies of Entertainment
Celebrating the achievements of women in the arts and entertainment industry, the Latin Recording Academy announced today this year’s Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees are publicist Róndine Alcalá, singer-songwriter Mon Laferte, engineer and vocal producer Simone Torres and music executive Ana Villacorta López.
The Academy began its Leading Ladies initiative seven years ago to recognize professional and socially-conscious women who have made notable contributions to the industry and inspired the next generation. The honorees will be recognized at a private ceremony and luncheon on Nov. 13 during Latin Grammy week. The 24th Latin Grammy Awards show is set to be held in Seville, Spain, marking the first time that the ceremony will be outside of the United States.
“This diverse group of outstanding and successful women have made great contributions to Latin music,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We are proud to celebrate them with this and other initiatives that seek to promote gender parity and honor the important role women play in the entertainment industry.”
Alcalá is originally from Venezuela and worked with artists such as Luis Miguel, Shakira, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Julieta Venegas and Enrique Iglesias as she began her public relations career. She then founded Rondene PR and has contributed to the careers of major Latin artists such as Ricky Martin, Laura Pausini, Los Temerarios, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra and Camilo.
Laferte is a Chilean Grammy-nominated artist who developed her musical talent in Mexico, where she released her first two albums. She is a multi-talented artist who isn’t bound to one genre with music that fuses bolero, pop, rock and salsa. She earned Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album in 2016 with Mon Laferte Vol. 1. She continued to have success in the Latin music space and broke through in 2021 with two albums, Seis and 1940 Carmen, that were nominated for Grammy Awards.
Torres is a Grammy and Diamond Award-nominated engineer and vocal producer who has worked on records for Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Becky G and Anitta. The Berklee College of Music graduate vocal produced Normani’s “Motivation” and engineered Cardi B’s “I Like It.” When she isn’t in the studio, Torres works with organizations to create safe spaces to foster young women and gender-expansive individuals seeking a career in the music industry.
Villacorta López is Sony Music Entertainment México’s senior vice president of marketing and promotion and has worked in the industry since 1981. She worked at RCA before working for more than a decade at EMI, primarily as director of international development in Spain. She became EMI’s regional marketing director in 1993 and moved to Mexico before accepting a position at BMG. After the merger with Sony, Villacorta López took over as marketing director and later as senior vice president. The music exec has worked with standouts such as Julio Iglesias, Thalía, Maná, Rocío Durcal, Vicente Fernández and Camila.
In an effort to create opportunities for younger women, Leading Ladies of Entertainment has partnered with She Is The Music, a nonprofit that aims to increase the number of women working in the music business, and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation on a mentorship program, building on last year’s Connect TogetHER.
Applications for the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Connect TogetHER Mentor are open through Friday, Sept. 29.