Portada Live NYC started with a panel session on Amplifying Multicultural Voices and Brands – Year Round, which explored the role and evolution of music as a critical engagement factor for audiences in a multicultural America. The Orchard presented the panel. The Orchard is a music distribution company that aims to empower creators to grow and adapt in the dynamic, global music industry. Session participants represented artists, social media companies, and significant media buying holdings: RaiNao, recording artist on Sonar/Rimas/The Orchard; Leslie Arredondo-Cordero, Lead, Commercial Music, Spanish Language LATAM & US Latin, TikTok; Carol Castillo, Executive Director, Multicultural Pillar Lead, PhD, Nelson Pinero, Senior Digital Director, Senior Partner, GroupM, and Jason Pascal, EVP of Global Artist & Label Partnerships, The Orchard, moderated the panel.
The Speakers
Amplifying Multicultural Voices- Year Round: What We Learned
“Social media is bringing the adjacency and intentionality of particular music genres to the forefront. Nationality barriers have become less important, particularly for Mexican and Puerto Rican music.” (Leslie Arredondo-Cordero)
“As marketing is shifting, we want to avoid using the word ‘multicultural’ in referencing audiences/consumers. Artists and content creators reach larger audiences, and diverse audiences aren’t just defined by language, region, etc; they now have multiple definitions. We are also abandoning terms like acculturated vs unacculturated. The emphasis should be on being targeted and intentional if you want to reach these communities.” (Carol Castillo/Nelson Pinero)
““Recently, I was speaking about a brand collaboration and they wanted to give music instruments to children and I was like ‘OK where? In Puerto Rico or in a Latin community?’ In the end, I create art and music to make the world a better place. (RaiNao)
“Having the artist’s voice represented in front of important multicultural advertising execs helps to bridge the gap between an artist’s vision and the commercial goals of the brands that are looking to reach the Latino audience.” (RaiNao)
