In Canada: Latin Music Report Calls for Increased Support; One Direction Songs Re-Enter Charts

Latin music may be one of the fastest-growing genres in Canada — but Latin artists still face a number of barriers to success in the country.

A new national music report delves into the quickly changing community while highlighting its need for support in the music industry.

Commissioned by Speaking Non-English, a new organization dedicated to advancing Latin music in Canada, the report addresses a knowledge gap: As Latin music is gaining in popularity, there’s a lack of data on how to help the burgeoning genre.

The report — titled “Understanding The Barriers and Opportunities of the Latin Music Community in Canada” — identifies structural and financial challenges in the Canadian music ecosystem and the need for increased support and representation of Latin artists and industry professionals.

There’s a lack of awards recognition for Latin music here, the report argues, specifically at the Juno Awards, where Latin artists compete in the broad “global music album of the year” category. There’s also a lack of Latin music executives relative to the success of Latin artists.

“The Latin community has grown significantly in the last 10-15 years in Canada, but it still remains mostly untapped,” Martín Añón, co-founder/resident of Speaking Non-English, tells Billboard Canada. “We hope that more industry leaders and stakeholders will reach out to the Latin community and understand what a massive missed opportunity it is for Canada not to support and invest in developing music from diasporas.”

Añón — along with his fellow co-founder and board chair Mauricio Ruiz and vice chair Andrés Mendoza — partnered with researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Creative School to conduct research for over a year, with support from Ontario Creates and Mitacs.

“By creating more inclusion in our ecosystem, it will ensure more prosperity across the board,” says Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews, assistant professor in the Creative Industries department at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Head to Billboard Canada for the biggest takeaways from the report. 

Several One Direction Songs and Albums Re-Enter the Canadian Charts Following Liam Payne’s Death

Canadian fans are mourning One Direction‘s Liam Payne. The record-breaking boy band re-entered the Canadian charts this week following Payne’s death at age 31 on October 16.

“Night Changes,” which previously spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and peaked at No. 21, has re-entered at No. 33. The song comes from the band’s fourth album, Four, which was also their final record as a five-piece before Zayn Malik‘s departure.

Elsewhere, “Story of My Life,” from the group’s 2013 album Midnight Memories, is back at No. 39. The song originally peaked at No. 3 in its 29-week chart run.

Neither song is the group’s biggest hit, but both are reflective and in some ways mournful, considering loss and change as time passes. Fans have been turning to those songs as they grieve Payne, a child star many of them grew up alongside. YouTube comments for both songs reflect how fans are finding new meaning in them following Payne’s passing.

On the Canadian Albums chart, all five of the band’s studio albums have re-entered: Four is at No. 28, Midnight Memories is at No. 34, fifth album Made in the A.M. is at No. 47, debut album Up All Night is at No. 63, and sophomore effort Take Me Home is at No. 74. 

All five of those albums have re-entered the Billboard 200, too. One Direction albums have also seen a resurgence on the U.K. Charts and a surge in sales and streams.

Also on the Canadian Hot 100, Shaboozey held onto the top spot for a record-setting 22nd week, while ROSÉ and Bruno Mars debuted at No. 2 with “APT.”

Find the full breakdown of this week’s Canadian charts here. 

Oak View Group Hires a Senior Director of Booking for Canadian Alliance as it Expands Presence in Canada

Oak View Group (OVG) is continuing to expand its Canadian presence.

The sports and entertainment company has named Alex Patton as senior director of booking, Canadian Alliance. Patton brings experience booking major Canadian festivals including Boots & Hearts, WayHome Music & Arts, NXNE and Toronto Jazz Fest, as well as a network of relationships across the country.

The announcement comes as OVG continues renovations of Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre (formerly Copps Coliseum), undertaking a $280M project to transform it into the planned 18,000-seat Hamilton Arena, which is slated to open in late 2025.

OVG, one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment venue developers, launched its Canadian division in 2022. Patton will work with promoters, agents, managers and other stakeholders on programming, booking and content development at the company’s Canadian Alliance venues: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

“With her industry relationships and experience, Alex will direct the expansion of live event programming across Canada, as well as lead event bookings for our latest venue development property in Hamilton. We’re pleased to welcome Alex to our team in this crucial role,” said OVG Canada president Tom Pistore in a statement.

Having previously worked at Live Nation, the Agency Group and IMG, Patton joined TD Toronto Jazz Festival in 2022 as director of operations, marketing & strategy. A release from OVG Canada highlights her skill in developing creative brand strategies and strategic partnerships.

“I’ll be working closely with our OVG Arena Alliance & OVG 360 venues to bring world-class shows to arenas across Canada,” Patton shared on LinkedIn. “I’ll be focused on content development, building strategic promoter partnerships, & growing new business opportunities that elevate the fan experience at OVG venues.”

This summer, OVG Canada also acquired Canadian Music Week in a partnership with Loft Entertainment, indicating the company’s interest in extending its Canadian industry footprint beyond single-venue events. Though the company has been in Canada for just a few years, it seems keen to become a key player in the Canadian landscape.