On the eve of receiving the BMI President’s Award at the 25th Annual BMI Latin Awards, superstar singer/songwriter Luis Fonsi sat down with BMI’s VP of Latin Music, Delia Orjuela, for an exclusive conversation that delved into Fonsi’s amazing journey, his phenomenal success, his approach to songwriting, his plans for the future and so much more.
As one of the leading Latin music figures of his generation, Luis Fonsi has received some of the most prestigious awards in the music industry, including five Latin GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and five Billboard Awards. He's received three GRAMMY nominations for his smash crossover "Despacito" with Daddy Yankee, which was the biggest song of 2017 in the U.S., according to Nielsen. The monster hit accrued 1.3 billion streams and shattered many records across Billboard charts, including tying Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's 1995 collaboration "One Sweet Day" for the longest run at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.
Early in his career, Fonsi established himself as a rising star in the Latin music community with his 1998 debut album Comenzaré, which included the hits "Si Tu Quisieras" and "Perdóname. He went on to record six more albums, all of which were certified either gold or platinum in several countries, including 2014's 8 which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Top Latin Album chart.
Fonsi was honored with the BMI President's Award March of 2018 in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to both Latin and Pop music throughout his two-decade career. In receiving t his award, he joins an elite list of songwriters including Juanes, Pitbull, Carlos Vives, Kike Santander, Taylor Swift, Adam Levine, Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Sergio George. Fonsi also took home the coveted Contemporary Latin Song of the Year for his smash crossover hit "Despacito," which received a staggering 1.3 billion streams in the U.S., according to Nielsen.