Sports and music stars are working more closely than ever to promote their respective fields. How are these alliances achieved and developed? A conversation with Igor Lichnovsky, Leonardo Campana and Piso 21 moderated by athlete manager Daniella Durán at Billboard’s Latin Music Week 2024.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00100%, as I said, it affects a lot the music of an athlete.
00:05And I want to start by saying that until today, Leo is walking around and listening to your song.
00:11So, feel safe.
00:13I'm leaving!
00:15Hello, hello!
00:26Today we have a spectacular panel, very interesting, as you can see, full of guys.
00:31First of all, a round of applause for all these talents who are joining us today.
00:36It's a pleasure for me to introduce Piso 21, directly from my country, Colombia.
00:42Also Guillermo de la Mosca.
00:45Let's see where the Argentines are.
00:47And of course, my beloved talents, Leo Campana from Inter Miami and the Ecuadorian national team,
00:55who was playing yesterday, and here he is.
00:59And of course, Igor Lindo from Club América and also a Chilean national team player.
01:05There are Americanistas everywhere.
01:08Well, before starting this important and interesting panel of music and sports,
01:13I want you to greet the audience and tell me how you feel.
01:17Please, Maestro.
01:18Piso.
01:19Of course.
01:20Well, it's a pleasure to have you all. Good afternoon.
01:22I'm very happy to be here.
01:24Thank you, Billboard, for allowing us this communication and this debate and this exchange of ideas
01:30regarding music and sports.
01:32The first thing I want to say is that I would give absolutely everything I have in life
01:36and everything I did to be San Lorenzo's number 9 and score a goal and become a champion.
01:41And I don't know if sportsmen also envy singers and artists a little bit,
01:47but we, the artists, at least in my case, would definitely give my life for being a football player.
01:55Really.
01:56Wow, incredible. Piso.
01:59Well, good morning to everyone, to the press, to the guests.
02:05We are very happy to be here sharing with music legends, with sportsmen.
02:11And yes, for us too, it was always like that admiration for sportsmen.
02:20You see them and you say, oh, these guys have a great time out there doing what they love.
02:25And I think we have a point in favor.
02:28We can go barefoot and nobody says anything to us.
02:32They have to take much more care.
02:34That's it.
02:35You can wake up with pain in your knee, in your ankle, and nothing happens.
02:40Nothing happens.
02:41Nothing happens. They do.
02:42But we are very footballers.
02:44And we have been invited to stadiums and fields in many countries.
02:48And every time we go in, it's like, how does it feel to be here in a game, in a Clásico?
02:54But well, each one to their own.
02:56Guys?
02:57Yes, well, thank all the people who are here.
03:00To all the people in the media, to all the guys here for their words.
03:05And yes, it is mutual, the admiration they have for us, that we have for you too.
03:10Seeing how they can control so many people on a stage.
03:13The energy they give to all the people.
03:16To us too, who are here.
03:18Because the truth is that they influence a lot in an athlete.
03:24They motivate us with their lyrics, with their rhythms, with everything they do.
03:29So it is mutual, the affection and respect we have for all of you.
03:36Yes, I agree with Leo's words.
03:38Those who know me know that I love football, it is my passion.
03:42But I would prefer to be a singer.
03:48Yes, yes, I live with music.
03:50Yes, of course, I live with music.
03:52I am around many friends who are colleagues of yours.
03:56Even today I am there organizing the Club América, a game against singers.
04:02I mean, it really moves me.
04:04You will find out, but we already throw a scoop.
04:07Well, guys, how do we say it?
04:09I hope Piso 21 is invited.
04:11They already told me.
04:13Put me to vote.
04:15I'm going to the arch, I'm going to the arch.
04:17Well, guys, definitely discipline, constancy, passion.
04:22It is what also combines sport and music.
04:25And I want to start precisely with you, Piso,
04:27also talking about this song that you have, Fichaje del Año,
04:30which is practically a song that combines sport
04:34and also combines a bit of everything, football, Kingsley.
04:37I want you to tell me where this song comes from.
04:39Well, Fichaje del Año is born from our passion for football too
04:43and to use a very famous term.
04:45In the days when we were writing it,
04:47there was a lot of talk about Mbappé's passing,
04:49and then the term Fichaje del Año was in the press everywhere.
04:53And we wanted to take that to a love story,
04:56to a very Piso story, and tell him,
04:58you were the Fichaje del Año, but he throws you on the bench,
05:00he never lets you play.
05:01Which also happens.
05:02Sometimes they do the Super Fichaje,
05:04but they leave the star on the bench for one or two years
05:06and they don't give him the place he deserves.
05:08So I think that only reflects the footballers we are.
05:12Where we go, Dani, there are footballers
05:15at concerts with their families, with their people.
05:18And what you were saying,
05:20I think that almost all colleagues,
05:22singers, have the frustrated dream of being footballers.
05:24We play inferior, we try.
05:26And many, there is a mutual admiration,
05:28many footballers would like to have been singers
05:31or use music in the dressing rooms.
05:33I don't know, you see them very famous,
05:36and they see you very famous.
05:37It's like something back and forth.
05:39And a beautiful relationship is made.
05:40We have been able to be friends with many,
05:42who were idols and players in the national team,
05:44players in our country,
05:46thanks to the music, thanks to the shows on the floor.
05:49And well, Fichaje del Año is that.
05:50Fichaje del Año is a song that will be on our album,
05:52which premieres tomorrow.
05:54Oh, it premieres tomorrow!
05:55By the way.
05:56Together with Ozuna,
05:57and that shows a little bit of what we have in our heads.
06:02It's not just music, it's football all the time.
06:04Speaking of that great combination,
06:06as you were saying, Pablo,
06:07Igor, I take the job of asking you,
06:10you have been a pioneer and a leader in Mexico,
06:13especially with the music campaigns,
06:15with the songs that you like.
06:17The Club America has been the leader
06:20of bringing these songs to the finals and all this.
06:24How do you do it?
06:25How do you get those songs?
06:27How do you prepare?
06:28And how can you make these hits?
06:30I mean, I think the total virtue is the singer's artist.
06:36Sorry.
06:37Yesterday was a long night
06:39because I was sharing with the singers.
06:43But the virtue is totally theirs.
06:46I think that many times
06:48they are not even given the honor or recognition
06:52to a lot of songs that are incredible.
06:54I am the typical one who grabs...
06:57They released an album and I consume it from the beginning to the end,
07:01all day long.
07:02And sometimes there are artists
07:03who have never had a great recognition,
07:06but personally I dedicate myself to that.
07:08And since there is an audience and you are there,
07:10I would really invite you,
07:12because it is an incredible, independent journey.
07:14If the singer has not recognized that,
07:16wow, I swear I enjoy it.
07:19That is very, very interesting.
07:21But we also have Guille here,
07:24and above all that great success,
07:26Guille, of boys,
07:27who has been the anthem of the Argentine national team,
07:30especially of being crowned world champion,
07:32and also of the Copa América.
07:34It hurts me a little to say it.
07:36Because we are not going to talk about that.
07:38Here in Colombia we cannot forget that moment.
07:40We are at hand.
07:41Yesterday we both won, which is the important thing.
07:43We are at hand, we are at hand.
07:45But Guille, this was a resounding success.
07:47I remember that in Qatar you sang it.
07:49Tell us how this idea was born
07:51and how you also connect with the players of this song,
07:54which connected a whole country.
07:56We came, luckily,
07:59with our music very close to football.
08:02I can tell you about Real Madrid in the year 2000,
08:05singing Yo Te Quiero Dar.
08:07Yo Te Quiero Dar is a song of ours,
08:09I don't know if you remember it.
08:10That's why I want to give you something from my heart.
08:14Well, I have an anecdote.
08:16In the year 2000, the 1999-2000 season,
08:19the Deportivo La Coruña won,
08:21for the first and only time, the league.
08:23For the first and only time.
08:25There were three Argentine players.
08:27One of them was Caloni.
08:29And he was the champion.
08:31You can check it on YouTube.
08:33The fans of Deportivo La Coruña
08:35sang Yo Te Quiero Dar.
08:37So, a long time ago,
08:39I was telling you about Real Madrid,
08:41and El Aleti was singing,
08:43a version of Muchachos, too.
08:45Muchachos, we travel together again,
08:47in love with El Aleti.
08:49You can't understand it.
08:51But what happened with the World Cup
08:53was really magical.
08:55Our song, Muchachos,
08:57is from the year 2003.
08:59An unknown person,
09:01a history teacher,
09:03his name is Fernando Romero.
09:07He's a Racing fan.
09:09He writes a song.
09:11He sings it in a report.
09:13Leo Messi listens to it.
09:15The guys from the national team
09:17start singing it after
09:19they won the final with Italy
09:21in Wembley.
09:23The song went viral,
09:25and we decided to record it.
09:27Of course, respecting the copyright
09:29of the person who wrote the lyrics.
09:31We're very good friends,
09:33you can imagine.
09:35The rest was football.
09:37It was the people.
09:39It was the seven games.
09:41The first lost,
09:43and the other six won,
09:45or by penalties.
09:47The stars aligned,
09:49and it was a great eclipse
09:51that took us to that moment.
09:53I think that song
09:55will be related
09:57to the happiest moments
09:59of Argentinians' lives,
10:01and also to all the fans
10:03of that beautiful person
10:05who is Lionel Messi.
10:07I think that everyone,
10:09beyond your nationality,
10:11wanted that beautiful person
10:13to retire from football,
10:15fulfilling his biggest dream,
10:17and being champion
10:19with Argentina.
10:23And our song,
10:25humbly,
10:27is part of the soundtrack
10:29of that miniseries
10:31of the last season.
10:33You were also chosen
10:35as a World Cup champion.
10:37Yes, I had a great time.
10:39Really?
10:41A lot of work.
10:43In Argentina,
10:45we had a bad luck.
10:49We started losing.
10:51Then the haters
10:53would say,
10:55don't sing it anymore!
10:57They said it was a bad luck.
10:59Why did we record it?
11:01It was your fault!
11:03Then the world aligned,
11:05and each game was like
11:07we were playing.
11:09Sometimes we had shows.
11:11In the Netherlands,
11:13we had shows in mansions.
11:15The square of the city
11:17was full of people.
11:19The game was over,
11:21and we went out to play.
11:23And we lost.
11:25Why did we dress up?
11:27People were going to be like this.
11:29Every day was a different bet.
11:31But in the end,
11:33I was happy.
11:35It's a gift that life has given us.
11:39Life has given me a lot of gifts
11:41Let me tell you about something
11:43very important in my life.
11:45On August 13, 2014,
11:47San Lorenzo Almagro,
11:49one of Argentina's great teams,
11:51won the Copa Libertadores
11:53for the first and only time.
11:55The fans sang
11:57a song from La Mosca.
11:59Come on, San Lorenzo,
12:01we want the Cup.
12:03The fans are crazy, Cyclone,
12:05I want to see you win.
12:07I'm going to cheer you up
12:09I was on the field,
12:11and I thought it was the best
12:13God had given me.
12:15He had reserved me
12:17and all my teammates
12:19the joy of the Qatar World Cup.
12:21I can't explain it to you
12:23because you won't understand.
12:27It's a phrase that goes like this.
12:29Thank you very much
12:31for the opportunity to tell it to the guys
12:33and to all of you.
12:35And I don't know.
12:37I don't know. Thank you.
12:39These experiences are incredible.
12:41We talked about a friend of yours,
12:43Leo Messi,
12:45and I also want us to connect
12:47this part of music.
12:49How do you prepare, for example,
12:51a high-performance athlete
12:53who listens to music?
12:55Do you have it in a playlist?
12:57Do you have a special playlist?
12:59Do you really come
13:01as Igor said,
13:03in your DNA?
13:05Or how do you see it?
13:07Yes, 100%, as I said.
13:09Music affects an athlete a lot.
13:11And I want to start by saying
13:13that to this day,
13:15Leo is walking around
13:17and I hear him singing your song.
13:19So, feel proud.
13:23Everyone sings it.
13:25I think you not only reached
13:27the Argentinians,
13:29but you were an icon for everyone.
13:31In a way,
13:33we all came to sing it.
13:35So, I congratulate you.
13:37And yes, 100%.
13:39Music in an athlete,
13:41in a footballer,
13:43I think it's everything.
13:45It generates motivation,
13:47it generates dopamine,
13:49it generates a lot of things
13:51that make you have a better performance
13:53on the field.
13:55And yes, 100%.
13:57I live with music,
13:59just like Igor.
14:01I get here, I go in the car,
14:03I go with music, I arrive,
14:05I finish training,
14:07for tomorrow I put on music,
14:09I come back too.
14:11So, you are part of us,
14:13of all the people,
14:15and you play an extremely important
14:17role in the humor of each one.
14:19Piso, let's talk about
14:21that you told us
14:23that tomorrow your new album
14:25will be released.
14:27We will bring more surprises,
14:29tell us a little more.
14:31Well, I think the idea is
14:33that you are surprised by Piso 21.
14:35That's the idea, that tomorrow
14:37you listen to the whole album,
14:39that you enjoy it from the first
14:41song to the last.
14:43We have 10 new songs.
14:45We did the whole album
14:47with Icon Music,
14:49partners who
14:51have always contributed to Piso 21,
14:53two producers like
14:55Johnny and Rolo,
14:57who were there, aware
14:59of the lyrics of Piso 21,
15:01of all the sounds.
15:03We were also behind the lyrics,
15:05and the truth is that
15:07I am very grateful to the whole team,
15:09the whole team for being able to
15:11make this whole album.
15:13We have been doing this album
15:15for about a year,
15:17and we are very happy.
15:19It is 2.1,
15:21it is a renovation album,
15:23it is an evolution album
15:25for Piso 21.
15:27You will see that there is
15:29refreshing music,
15:31there is also music
15:33to dedicate,
15:35there are songs to party in a disco.
15:37So we have a little bit of everything,
15:39and that's the good thing about Piso 21,
15:41that it has a lot of music to give to the world,
15:43and different sounds.
15:45And hopefully, hopefully, you have to take it to the dressing rooms.
15:47Yes, for sure.
15:49Yes, for sure.
15:51That comes out
15:53without planning it.
15:55We also had the great fortune
15:57of being,
15:59I think it's your favorite team, San Lorenzo.
16:01Of course.
16:03Me Llamas, a very strong song of ours,
16:05which we owe a lot to,
16:07was also in the bar.
16:09What is it called?
16:11In a bar in San Lorenzo,
16:13then Tigres, Rosario Central,
16:15there is a song of ours that has been versioned in several bars.
16:17I think that when football
16:19and music come together,
16:21those two passions,
16:23it has happened all the time.
16:25It happened to us with Me Llamas,
16:27it happened with La Copa de la Vida,
16:29it happened with Muchachos,
16:31it happened with Shakira,
16:33with Ryan Castro right now in Colombia.
16:35When you achieve,
16:37they are the two greatest passions for a Latino.
16:39And when you manage to break those two barriers,
16:41I think there is Seu Tupego,
16:43he also started playing for the footballers.
16:45So I think that when you achieve that,
16:47you break it.
16:49It doesn't matter,
16:51choose the one you want, but choose one.
16:53I love that we keep talking
16:55about that union
16:57of music and sport,
16:59and precisely talking about music and sport,
17:01Igor is going to tell us about
17:03a great initiative and a project
17:05that they are going to have in November in Mexico.
17:07So Igor, we listen to you.
17:09Yes, it has to do with all this.
17:11Before, I wanted to say about
17:13the mix of when a song comes out
17:15and the footballers dance it.
17:17We have our little group,
17:19and suddenly it can look like something prepared.
17:21I promise you, it's genuine.
17:23What moves us,
17:25what comes out,
17:27and we have to recognize
17:29that we don't make mistakes on the pitch,
17:31we would like more songs to come out.
17:35But it's totally genuine,
17:37and when the song is good,
17:39the dance comes out.
17:41And about what you were saying,
17:43honestly I can't give you a lot of information,
17:45but if it's something I've heard,
17:47there are some Americanists out there.
17:49I'm injured now,
17:51so it gave me time to organize
17:53a little event.
17:55They supported me for my situation
17:57in that sense,
17:59and we literally mixed the football
18:01with the music.
18:03It's confirmed.
18:05I can't talk, Rosario.
18:07They're going to kill me.
18:09Yes, but of course.
18:11Tell us everything, please.
18:13Who else is going to be there?
18:15Who else is going to be there?
18:17The question is, who else is going to be in Mexico?
18:19That's the question.
18:21In November.
18:23All of us.
18:25Of course, Guille too.
18:27But let's go.
18:29We have to go.
18:31We need you to sing the song.
18:33Guys,
18:35now we don't get excited again.
18:37Here's the galley.
18:39We already won the third one.
18:41We're already champions.
18:43Thank you very much.
18:45There's one thing
18:47that sets us apart.
18:49It's in favor of the artists.
18:51We go out to do our art,
18:53to play,
18:55and we never lose.
18:57We never have the chance to lose
18:59like you do,
19:01to win, lose, or draw.
19:03The audience is always on our side
19:05because they're going to see us.
19:07That's a big advantage
19:09for the artists,
19:11for the footballers.
19:13They run the risk
19:15of being defeated
19:17in front of their people.
19:19It's very difficult,
19:21unless you sing super badly,
19:23to get out of tune all the time.
19:25Let the drummer make a mistake.
19:27But it's much more heroic,
19:29the sport,
19:31because there's the possibility
19:33of losing.
19:35On the other hand,
19:37with the piety of the audience
19:39and the support of the audience.
19:41That's the difference.
19:43At the end of the day,
19:45as we all said,
19:47and I think we're getting
19:49to the conclusion of the panel,
19:51music will always have
19:53an excellent connection
19:55with the athletes and with everyone.
19:57We were just talking about
19:59a song by Ryan Castro,
20:01Colombian,
20:03that brought us together.
20:05But they sang it.
20:07They knew it.
20:09They changed the version a little bit.
20:11Something quite dramatic
20:13happened to us,
20:15which ended very well.
20:17We had scheduled
20:19a tour in Colombia
20:21and we had a Friday night
20:23in Campín and a Saturday night
20:25in Cali.
20:27But that Friday and Saturday night
20:29became the weekend before
20:31the night before the final.
20:33I told Santiago, the manager,
20:35that since the key was coming,
20:37we could play the final
20:39with Colombia on Sunday
20:41and on Saturday night
20:43we were playing there on Friday.
20:45Luckily, the show...
20:47It was before.
20:49We watched the game
20:51at the airport.
20:53And when the plane took off,
20:55it was when the alarm went off,
20:57so we didn't know
20:59until the pilot told us
21:01that we had to go.
21:03Anyway, we asked people
21:05to allow us to sing.
21:07We went on stage
21:09with both T-shirts
21:11and we just said,
21:13tomorrow we play the final
21:15with the two best teams
21:17in America.
21:19Let's hope the winner
21:21deserves it.
21:23We were lucky to win,
21:25but with the game
21:27the other day,
21:29the Colombian team,
21:31the respect,
21:33and the complicity
21:35of having lived that night
21:37with an Argentinian band
21:39singing,
21:41and being accomplices
21:43of one of the most
21:45important moments
21:47of Latin American football.
21:49We played the first final
21:51with Colombia.
21:55Unfortunately,
21:57it didn't go as well as you.
21:59It's just a detail.
22:01The thing is,
22:03between football
22:05and music, it's about love and hate.
22:07Our followers know
22:09which team we're fans of.
22:11We're fans.
22:13But I think the stage...
22:15Neutralizes.
22:17We have to neutralize it.
22:19Because people don't receive it
22:21that way. I can go out
22:23with a T-shirt from Medellin
22:25and people don't care.
22:27They can just whistle
22:29because they're not fans of Medellin.
22:31You have to be
22:33very equitable.
22:35If there's one from Medellin,
22:37you have to get one from the national team.
22:39And for countries.
22:41Every time we go to a country,
22:43they give us T-shirts from the national team.
22:45When they come with T-shirts
22:47from a specific club,
22:49we don't always go on stage
22:51with that club,
22:53even if it's the only one.
22:55Yes, even if there's only one team in that city.
22:57But when there's two, we say no.
22:59Unless it's the one who hired us.
23:01Ok.
23:03It's happened to us too.
23:05We've played
23:07in universities.
23:09We've been invited
23:11to perform in top teams.
23:13I also wanted to ask you,
23:15we've talked about singing
23:17and everything,
23:19but it's also important
23:21to dance.
23:23I'm going to ask Leo
23:25about all of this.
23:27I know you're not very good
23:29at dancing on the field
23:31when you score goals.
23:33But how do you see
23:35when you score a goal
23:37and start dancing?
23:39We have a friend,
23:41Brian Rodriguez,
23:43who did the walk
23:45with the Club of America.
23:47How do you see it?
23:49When you started talking,
23:51I thought you were going to say that.
23:53I got nervous.
23:55We all want to see it.
23:57At night, yes.
23:59But not right now.
24:01As I told you,
24:03I think music
24:05brings happiness and connection
24:07with people.
24:09It's not my case.
24:11At night, yes.
24:13But in the middle of a game
24:15or in the morning,
24:17yes, many players
24:19score a goal
24:21or dance every day
24:23because it brings happiness
24:25and connection with people.
24:27And that's it.
24:29At the end of the day,
24:31it's about giving people a show
24:33like artists do at the end of the day.
24:35People forget
24:37that we're human beings
24:39and we can have fun.
24:41You're human beings?
24:43Except for Messi.
24:45No, no.
24:49The same thing
24:51with Igor.
24:53We saw the campaign
24:55with Brian's walk.
24:57It really started
24:59with what you have with La Trisecta.
25:01Yes.
25:03We have a stream
25:05called La Trisecta.
25:07We put a song
25:09called Jugueteando.
25:11It's a walk.
25:13It starts like this.
25:15Live.
25:17A lot of people.
25:19Step by step.
25:21The song went viral.
25:23We'd go to a restaurant
25:25and they'd play the song.
25:27We'd go to a club
25:29and they'd play the song.
25:31One day,
25:33we said,
25:35let's score a goal
25:37and dance to it.
25:39We couldn't score a goal.
25:41One day,
25:43Kevin, the right back,
25:45said, I'm going to kick the penalty.
25:47The right back doesn't kick the penalty.
25:49Until the day
25:51in the United States.
25:53I don't know if it was the League Cup
25:55or the Champions League.
25:57We scored a goal.
25:59We weren't alone.
26:01It's nice
26:03to be here.
26:05I love being here.
26:09We're at the end of the panel.
26:11I want to give a big round of applause
26:13to all the athletes
26:15and singers.
26:17A round of applause, please.
26:19We're also presenting our album
26:21on October 18th
26:23at 0 o'clock.
26:25Of course, it includes young people.
26:27We included young people
26:29because it was the most successful album
26:31this year with artists
26:33like Gilberto Santa Rosa,
26:35Los Autéticos Decadentes,
26:37Pericos, a lot of bands
26:39and Argentinian and international artists.
26:41Thank you very much for being here.
26:43It's been a pleasure.
26:45And tomorrow, please.
26:47Tomorrow is the debut album.
26:492.1.