Today, Live Nation announced they have hired Ricardo Taco to lead Latin music strategy for the company’s Concerts division across all of Canada. Ricardo will be responsible for growing the company’s Latin music presence not only in Toronto, but also into new markets throughout the entire country. In addition to Ricardo, the world’s leading live entertainment company has also added Claudia Valencia as a new Tour Director based out of Guadalajara, Mexico and Maritsa Restrepo as a Ticketing Coordinator, based out of Los Angeles, California, both dedicated to providing their expertise to the company’s robust Latin division.
Ricardo will lead Live Nation Canada’s Latin music strategy nationally and work closely with Riley O’Connor, Chairman of Live Nation Canada, in order to continue to grow Latin artists’ touring presence in the north. He will also act as the liaison between Hans Schafer, Live Nation’s SVP of Global Touring, and the company’s Latin booking team across the globe. Ricardo will help develop Latin touring shows for Canadian venues of all sizes, and will soon expand into the country’s festivals and outdoor properties.
“We have steadily grown our Latin division at Live Nation with experts who understand the music and represent Latin fans, allowing us to better service our artists,” said Hans Schafer, SVP of Global Touring for Live Nation. “Canada is a strong Latin music market, and our new key touring hires will help set the strategy to continue building on our expansion to reach new audiences throughout North America.”
An industry veteran, Ricardo has been an independent promoter and partnered with both Live Nation and other leading promoters in various capacities for the last 15 years in Ontario, Canada. He’s promoted and marketed such artists as Wisin Y Yandel, Ozuna, Maluma, J Balvin, Farruko, Arcangel, Jerry Rivera, Rosalia, J Quiles, Juanes, Grupo Niche, DeLaGhetto, and many more. Ricardo’s addition to the Concerts team is an important step forward in bringing more shows to meet the growing demand for the genre in Canada.
In her new role as Tour Director at Live Nation, Claudia Valencia will be building and executing business strategies for Latin tours run by the live entertainment company, including artists such as Pepe Aguilar, Sebastián Yatra, Wisin Y Yandel, and Los Ángeles Azules. Valencia started her career in the industry through working closely with best-selling Latin artist, Maná, for over a decade, handling everything from road management and coordination to PR and promotion. Following her time with Maná, Valencia worked as a Tour Rep for Live Nation Touring where she worked with Romeo Santos, Aventura, J Balvin, Marco Antonio Solis, and Luis Miguel before working as an Independent Talent Manager at Vibras Lab.
Maritsa Restrepo is a devoted music fan with a Masters Degree in Global Business and past experience working in various box offices, such as at The Classic Center in Athens, GA. In Restrepo’s new role as Ticketing Coordinator, she will assist with tour set-ups, facilitate promotions, and aid in the communication between artist teams and venues, while also helping roll out various day-to-day projects.
About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE:LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
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Nadia Hernandez