The director of Christian Nodal’s music video “Un Vals” has responded to controversy that’s sparked on social media regarding the casting of the video’s lead model, whom many have pointed out has a striking resemblance to both Cazzu and Ángela Aguilar — the singer’s ex-partner and current wife, respectively.
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“It was our mistake not to realize this could happen,” director Juan Antonio Barbazán said on Saturday (April 11) during a virtual press conference from Madrid with select media outlets, including Billboard Español.
“JG Music approved the video, not Christian Nodal,” he added, referring to the singer’s record label.
In the music video released Thursday (April 9), which features a split-screen format, Nodal appears singing on the left while a couple stars in a love story on the right side. Nodal filmed his portion in Guadalajara, Mexico, while the two models were filmed in Spain.
The model in question, a Mexican content creator based in Madrid named Dagna Mata, has been the target of criticism on social media for her role in the clip. On Friday (April 10), she posted a video on her Instagram account expressing her thoughts. “I hope the focus remains on what it is — a job — because I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone,” she wrote in the caption.
“It hurts me to see an artist involved who doesn’t deserve any of this and shouldn’t be compared to anyone else either,” Mata said. “I had to emigrate from a country to achieve my dream of modeling and growing in the fashion industry.”
Also on Friday, in response to the controversy surrounding the music video, Nodal shared a message via his Instagram Stories that drew attention: “I don’t own my name, my image, or my music, and what has happened with the video is proof of that… But my voice, which is the only thing I have left, will always belong to you.”
A representative for Nodal and JG Music — the label owned by the singer’s father, Jaime González — told Billboard Español on Saturday that neither would be making statements.
Read everything the director of Christian Nodal’s “Un Vals” music video had to say below.
Are Christian Nodal’s music videos your responsibility?
For this project, which encompasses the entirety of Christian’s album, we worked on two complex videos — one for “Incompatibles,” which came out a month ago, another that hasn’t been released yet, and the rest are five simpler ones where we decided to use a split-screen format, like in “Un Vals,” where he appears on the left singing and the rest of the screen features figurative actors.
Who is in charge of casting?
The casting was done by us, the production company. We were looking for Mexican actresses in Spain, which wasn’t easy to find, and Dagna’s profile was sent to us. We liked her, so we chose her.
Did Christian approve the actress for the video?
No, we always choose the figurative actors. Christian didn’t see her. The comments about her resemblance to Cazzu and Ángela Aguilar slipped past us. At no point was there a strategy or anything of the sort. We didn’t consider it relevant to show her to Christian. Ultimately, other people appear in the video. It’s a large process, and not everything is consulted with the artist. It was our decision.
Was all of this planned as a marketing strategy?
As a production company, this damages us — the idea that it was a planned marketing campaign. It affects our work because at no point was this the intention. The production staff didn’t know who Cazzu was; honestly, we didn’t notice that detail.
Who makes decisions about Christian’s videos? It seems there’s a lack of communication between the singer and his father, who owns JG Music.
In this case, the client is JG Music. We deliver the videos to them and assume they’re approved if we don’t hear otherwise. I have no idea about the communication between them or the relationship they may have. What I do know is that Christian is a person with many commitments, and the music videos are just a small part of his project — he doesn’t handle that.
Does Christian have any specific requests for the themes of his videos?
From the moment we started working with him, he made it very clear that he doesn’t want his personal life to be involved in the videos. These should be artistic, related solely to the theme of the song.
Did Christian say anything to you after the controversy?
Yes, he sent me a message saying something like, “It seems like you hate me; you’ve gotten me into a big mess.” That’s when we started investigating what was happening on social media.
Are you aware of the impact the video caused?
Completely, and I accept responsibility. But ultimately, we all end up hurt: us as the production company, the model, and of course, Nodal.
For her 10th studio album, Kany García decided to revisit her past and return to her mother’s home in the countryside of Morovis, Puerto Rico, delving into memory and establishing a beautiful, sincere dialogue with her inner child.
“When I finished García, it felt a big challenge because after naming an album after your last name, it’s like, ‘Where do we go next?’” the singer/songwriter tells Billboard Español about her ultra-personal 2024 set, which earned a Latin Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album. “I felt the need to explore things connected to my roots in terms of instrumentation. I didn’t necessarily want to make a folkloric album, but I did want to lean into something that had those kinds of connotations. So, we started thinking about conceptualizing the album before writing the songs.”
“I did everything backward,” she continues, “because throughout my career, I’ve always written the songs first and then figured out how they all fit together. This process has been so beautiful for me, full of learning, and I think it gave me more clarity and direction about where I wanted the songs to go. When I conceptualized it with the team, it was like, ‘What if you had a conversation with your inner child?’”
Thus was born Puerta Abierta, released Thursday night (April 9) under 502 Records with 11 tracks, including the previously released singles “Tierra Mía” and “La Mala Era Yo,” a norteño-inspired tune featuring Yuridia. Full of reflections on identity, resilience, tenderness and self-discovery — and infused with rhythms and native instruments from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and beyond — the album also features collaborations with the legendary Juan Luis Guerra on “Amor Bonito,” Venezuelan band Rawayana on “La Culpa,” and Argentine singer Nathy Peluso on “Gatita.”
Just like in the album cover and the previews she shared on social media, her “inner child” will appear in some way in the music videos.
“It’s not just an ode to my childhood,” García notes. “I think the inner child was the starting point for having conversations with her, telling her what I love today, what I’ve healed from what she experienced, and also embracing the things about her that I adored and had forgotten I adored… It quite autobiographical.”
Next week, the artist will embark on an extensive world tour that will keep her on the road for most of the year. Kicking off on April 17 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, it currently includes stops in nearly 40 cities across Latin America and Europe, with more dates to be announced.
Below, Kany García breaks down five essential songs from Puerta Abierta. To listen to the full album, click here.
Andrea Bocelli will join the list of international artists who have performed at the iconic Zócalo in Mexico City on April 18, when he takes to the country’s main public square for a free concert. And he won’t do it alone.
That night, the acclaimed Italian tenor will be accompanied by the Mexican cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules and singer/songwriter Ximena Sariñana, announced Banco Plata, the event’s organizer alongside the city government.
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“Can you imagine that fusion? Neither can we, but we can’t wait to hear how it sounds,” said the bank in a message posted on social media on Tuesday night (April 7).
Bocelli will bring his celebrated 1997 album Romanza — one of his most successful and commercially acclaimed — to the Plaza de la Constitución (the official name of the Zócalo) in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Clara Brugada, Mexico City’s head of government, previously expressed excitement about Bocelli’s performance at the iconic venue. “It will be a magical evening that reaffirms Mexico City as the cultural capital of the world,” she said.
The Zócalo is considered a landmark of great importance, as it is a plaza filled with symbolism where politics, social movements, culture and religion intersect. It is the second-largest public square in the world, only behind Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
One of the earliest concerts held at the Zócalo on record was by Los Tigres del Norte in 1999, which lasted nearly three hours. Since then, artists like Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Grupo Firme have performed there before thousands of attendees.
On March 1, Colombian superstar Shakira set a record as the artist who has drawn the largest number of attendees to a free show in the Zócalo, with 400,000 people gathered, according to official figures. The previous record-holder was the Argentine band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which brought together 300,000 people on June 3, 2023, followed by Grupo Firme, which attracted 280,000 attendees a year earlier.
Today (April 8) Joan Sebastian, the Mexican music icon whose hits remain benchmarks not just for the genre but for Latin music in general, would have turned 75.
Born in 1951 in Juliantla, Guerrero, the “Poet of the People,” as he was also known, dedicated five decades of his life to music, blending his campirano-style love and heartbreak lyrics with Sinaloan banda, mariachi and even pop, leaving a remarkable legacy behind.
During his prolific career, Joan Sebastian — whose real name was José Manuel Figueroa — appeared 43 times on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, with 11 songs reaching the top 10, including “Te Irá Mejor Sin Mí,” “Un Idiota” and “Más Allá del Sol.” On Top Latin Albums, he achieved 35 entries, 19 of which landed in the top 10, while three reached No. 1: En Vivo: Desde La Plaza El Progreso De Guadalajara (2001), Celebrando El 13 (2013) and Personalidad (2015) — the latter released shortly before his death on July 13, 2015, after a tough battle with cancer.
Over the years, artists from various musical genres have paid tribute to him in their performances and even recorded versions of his songs, each infusing their own style without altering the essence he brought to his work.
From the rock of Moderatto and the ska of Panteón Rococó to the regional Mexican sounds of Valentín Elizalde and Edén Muñoz, or the bolero stylings of Charlie Zaa — here are 10 of the best covers to celebrate the life and work of Joan Sebastian, presented in chronological order based on their original release.