Alongside a parade of drummers and performers on stilts, Ricky Martin transformed the 1999 Grammy Awards into a Carnaval extravaganza when he performed his vibrant “The Cup of Life”/“La Copa de la Vida.” It was a historic moment for both Latin artists and the FIFA World Cup: The previous year, the single was the official song of the tournament in France, kicking off Martin’s international career and giving Latin music unprecedented exposure.
“‘Cup of Life’ changed my life,” says Martin now. “The fact that a song in Spanish was No. 1 in more than 72 countries in the ’90s was something major. It opened the door to a whole new world of opportunities.” Or more to the point: “It put Latin music on the map.”
Martin isn’t exaggerating. “Every artist at some point has the hope of recording a song for the World Cup,” says Prince Royce, whose “90 Minutos” will accompany Sprint’s Spanish-language tournament campaign. The World Cup, and its global reach, comes only once every four years, presenting a momentous opportunity for any artist whose music is attached to it. (The 2018 event runs June 14-July 15.)
The World Cup final, where FIFA’s official anthem is typically performed, will be seen by over 2 billion people, according to FIFA estimates, notes Afo Verde, Sony Music’s chairman/CEO for Latin America, Spain and Portugal. (Sony is FIFA’s official music partner.) This year, Carlos Vives will sing Pepsi’s World Cup song and Coca-Cola will release various localized versions of its “Colors,” including the original with Jason Derulo and another pairing Derulo with Maluma. “Given the broad base appeal of Maluma and his massive social following, [Coke’s team in] Latin America chose one artist to represent the whole region,” says Brad Ross, director of global football for Coca-Cola.
Maluma, in fact, initially trained for a soccer career, and on social media, fútbolistas have emerged as some of Latin music’s best promoters. In 2012, a viral video of Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar dancing to Michel Teló’s “Ai Se Eu te Pego” sent it to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. Shakira, whose 2010 FIFA anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” is one of the most successful yet, reworked her “Dare (La, La, La)” with soccer-centric lyrics for the 2014 World Cup album. The YouTube video featuring her partner, Barcelona fútbol star Gerard Piqué, has been viewed nearly 1 billion times.
And though this year’s World Cup takes place in Russia, Latin artists look set to dominate: Telemundo will soon unveil its own Spanish-language theme, and Sony Music Latin & Iberia vp international marketing and partnerships Dusko Justic acknowledges that, with a third of the participating teams from Latin America, Spain or Portugal, a Latin star on FIFA’s official anthem is “likely.”