Omar Courtz, Saiko & More Creatives ‘Leave Their Mark’ at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024

Four Latin creatives — Kike Baez (fashion designer), Omar Courtz (artist), Saiko (artist), and Yudy Arias (celebrity coach) — gathered at 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 15) to discuss how they are actively using their platforms to uplift and inspire their community and future generations with their art.

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Below, check out memorable quotes from each speaker at the “Deja Tu Huella: Inspire Who’s Next” panel, moderated by Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza.

Omar Courtz: “Daddy Yankee gave me the opportunity to collaborate with him and he performed at my first massive concert. He has been a great inspiration to me since I was a kid. That’s how I leave my mark, because I want my fans to identify with me. It was important to have my idol with me so I could also inspire other artists like me.”

Yudy Arias: “As a family, we managed to come from scratch to achieve great things, we always work without expectations. Work with love because the most important moments have been with family. There are crazy moments in fame but that’s not all. Everything comes, everything goes and everything changes but family is always there and be happy with that.”

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Saiko: “When I started making music, I didn’t have any goals. This year I released an album, I’ve done stadiums and at the end of the day, I know I’m a normal kid and maybe I can inspire other artists. I’m excited to be heard in Chile, Mexico, and other countries, but there’s nothing like being crowned and being a prophet in your own city… and for me that’s the greatest thing there is.”

Kike Baez: I remained very true to my beliefs. It was going to cost me twice as much, but I wanted to achieve it in Tijuana so that a kid like me could see that it was possible. For me, it is very important to inspire, create culture, and continue creating.

Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

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