Olga Tañón, Grupo 5 & More Discuss the Impact of Tropical Music Across Generations at Latin Music Week 2025

Tropical music stars from different styles and countries came together on Wednesday (Oct. 22) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 to discuss the cultural impact their respective genres have had on new generations and how they have embraced it. The panel included iconic Puerto Rican merengue singer Olga Tañón; legendary Peruvian cumbia and merengue band Grupo 5; Puerto Rican singer Guaynaa, who has experimented with urban music, salsa and more; emerging Cuban reparto musician Bebeshito; and Argentine cuarteto star Luck Ra.

In the panel “The Cumbia and Tropical Music Explosion,” presented by Andrea Ramírez PR and moderated by Jessica Roiz of Billboard, Tañón and the members of Grupo 5 recounted their first experiences in music; Tañón in the 1990s, when she thought an audition she attended was to be a Spanish-language rock singer; and the South American group in the 1970s, when they began with ballads and later adopted cumbia as their sound to liven up local parties.

“I didn’t want to be a merengue singer; I’m a merengue snob,” said the artist nicknamed “Woman of Fire.” “I started out doing ballads, Spanish rock, and you used merengue at home to sing and dance, but when they auditioned me, I thought it was for a Spanish rock band.” She recalled that the band’s leader told her that anyone who sings well can sing anything, so she prepared, auditioned, and was chosen, beginning her love affair with the Dominican genre.

In a fluid dialogue, the artists shared with the audience their opinions on how new Latin stars have reinvented salsa, such as Bad Bunny on his acclaimed album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, a musical genre that had its heyday in the late 1960s, marked by legends like Celia Cruz and Willie Colón.

Below are some of the best quotes from the discussion:

Olga Tañón, on the expiration date of a genre: “The musical DNA of a country, which is the culture of a country, will never die. Never. Not merengue, not salsa, not cumbia.”

Christian Yaipén (Grupo 5), on how to make music transcend fads: “We’re always focused on making music in the best way possible to bring it to the audience’s hearts, not just thinking about trends and passing things. My brother Elmer taught me that songs don’t catch on overnight; songs don’t reach No. 1 the following month.”

Guaynaa, on why new generations are experimenting with tropical music: “The first angle is the record label, systematically; and the second is the angle of the street, of the people [who demand it]. The question at the time of creating is how we can impact culture.”

Bebeshito, on the genre of reparto and its success coming from a country like Cuba without digital platforms: “Reparto is made internationally by Cubans (…) This support doesn’t come digitally from the island, but the support from the heart does.”

Luck Ra, on cumbia and cuarteto as the common thread of his work: “There are new [musical] schools that come with a lot of hunger. It’s something that brings you joy, that makes you dance. Cumbia and cuarteto are something that can be heard anywhere in the world.”

Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi, and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.

Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.