After building a prolific career as a songwriter — having penned more than 4,000 songs and received multiple awards, including both SESAC and ASCAP Latina Songwriter of the Year prizes — Claudia Brant has launched a new venture called Cha Cha Cha Publishing.
Teaming up with Warner Chappell Music, Brant’s agency aims to develop emerging songwriters and producers while also providing them with music publishing services, ranging from creative opportunities to administration support, to help accelerate their careers.
The idea was born after Brant taught a Latin songwriting course at Berklee College of Music in spring 2023 that focused on song formation and structure, lyrical concepts, melodic development and effective lyric translations.
“The exercises I gave my students were very difficult. If they want to be a songwriter, they have to be a chameleon because that’s who I am,” Brant tells Billboard. “I can write salsa, a bolero, a pop song, an alternative song, and I wanted to develop my students in that direction with challenging exercises. At this stage of my career, where I’ve practically worked with almost every artist there is and won all of these awards and recognitions, it’s time to give back and help the new generation.”
During the course, the Argentine-born hitmaker ultimately hand-picked three aspiring talents and signed them to Cha Cha Cha Publishing: Agua García, a Música Mexicana composer; Laura Prías, who focuses on Latin pop, urban, indie, regional Mexican and boleros; and Fco. Chandia, a young Chilean engineer and producer. The former two already wrote a song for Chiquis that will soon be released.
“I’m making them work really hard, and at the same time, they’re learning a lot,” says Brant. “The good thing — which I didn’t have at the beginning of my career — are all the strong connections I made throughout the years. I got them into the rooms with Mario Caceres, Joel Enrique, Luis Salazar, Rolo from Icon Music, and I want them to write in every genre, create new material, and fight for it.”
With a trajectory that spans over 25 years, Brant has written songs for Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, Camila Cabello, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Becky G, Calibre 50, Marc Anthony and many more. In 2008, “No Me Doy Por Vencido,” which she wrote with Luis Fonsi, topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for 19 weeks. She’s a nine-time Latin Grammy winner, including song of the year in 2009 for Fonsi’s “Aqui Estoy Yo.” In 2016, she was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Claudia is a legendary songwriter and artist with a talent unlike any other,” said Gustavo Menéndez, president of Latin America and U.S. Latin at Warner Chappell Music, in a statement. “I’ve known her for years, and what I admire and respect most about her is how relentless she is. She has consistently stayed ahead and fought for what she believes in, all while being recognized at the highest of levels. I’m very excited to be working with her in this next phase of her career as she turns her talents towards helping develop other writers and artists.”
Brant explains that although she’s writing way less now than she did earlier in her career, she wants to ensure her mentees develop the kind of writing skills she’s honed over the years.
“I’m nurturing them with what I know and what I’ve learned throughout the years with this beautiful craft,” she says. “I tell them that they’re gonna have to write a song a day for the next 10-15 years, and to try to write in as many different genres as possible. That craft only comes from exercising and interacting with the artists. Creating music every day makes you grow. If you have the talent, the drive, and are willing to work, you’ll make it.”
Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Feid, Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar, Alejandro Sanz, Thalía, Maria Becerra, and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.