Bad Bunny Pays Tribute to Late Protest Singer Víctor Jara & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music
Written by admin on January 17, 2026
Plus, the Latin Grammy Foundation adds two new music scholarships.
SANTIAGO, CHILE – JANUARY 03: Demonstrator carry a flag with face of popular singer Victor Jara whle a watter cannon fires against them during the first protest of the year against Chilean government on January 3, 2020 in Santiago, Chile. Chile’s senate has announced today they will approve an increase of taxes on the richest individuals of the country as Chile’s economy contracted 3.3% in November. Protests and social unrest arose on October 18 after a subway fare increase which developed in a social movement demanding improvements in basic services, fair prices and benefits including pensions, public health and education. (Photo by Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Trending on Billboard
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Bad Bunny Honors Late Chilean Protest Singer Víctor Jara
Bad Bunny launched his 2026 world tour at Santiago’s legendary Estadio Nacional, and on Jan. 11, he paid tribute to Víctor Jara, the Chilean folk singer and activist murdered in 1973 during Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship. Performing at a stadium once used as a detention and torture center under Pinochet’s regime, one of Bad Bunny’s musicians played an emotional instrumental version of Jara’s protest anthem “El Derecho de Vivir en Paz” (The Right to Live in Peace) on the mandolin. The crowd joined in to sing the lyrics, which have become a symbol of resistance and survival in Chile’s history. See the moment below.
Xavi Kicks Off Second Leg of U.S. X Tour
Xavi launched the second leg of his U.S. X Tour on Saturday (Jan. 14) with a sold-out performance at the San Jose Civic in California. The Live Nation-promoted tour has already packed major venues nationwide and coincides with the Mexican-American star’s growing dominance in Latin music, bolstered by seven Premio Lo Nuestro nominations, an iHeartRadio Music Awards nomination and continued success with recent singles like “En Privado” with Manuel Turizo and “No Capea” alongside Grupo Frontera.
On Friday night (Jan. 16), Xavi will perform at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, followed by a show at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colo., on Sunday (Jan. 18). The tour will also pass through Seattle and Wheatland, Calif., and will conclude in Las Vegas at the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort on Jan. 30. For more dates and tickets, visit livenation.com.
Latin Grammy Foundation Adds Two New Music Scholarships
The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation has announced the addition of two new scholarships for 2026, supported by the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and Gibson Gives. The Frost School of Music scholarship will provide financial aid ranging from $32,000 to $250,000 to at least one talented student passionate about Latin music, covering tuition and additional support for a four-year bachelor’s degree.
Gibson Gives will fund three tuition assistance scholarships, providing additional support for music students while gifting each recipient a guitar or bass. “Together, we continue to support the next generation of Latin music creators,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, in a press release. Applications for the Frost scholarship are due by Feb. 17 and for the Gibson scholarships by April 10 at latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.
