Some people in this scene play to thousands. Others make sure the people who do can keep doing it for twenty years instead of two. Leticia van Riel was the second kind, and the loss of her cuts deep precisely because so much of her work happened where the lights do not reach.
Who was Leticia van Riel?
Brazilian-French, fifteen-plus years in the industry, and a CV that reads like a map of how this business actually works. She studied events marketing in London, then learned the trade inside agencies including MN2S, IMD and Safehouse before she went out on her own. She relocated to Spain in 2015 and founded LvR Management in 2018, a roster built on a simple, unfashionable idea: develop artists for the long run, protect them, and grow careers instead of chasing the next moment. She also ran the LvR Mentoring programme, opening the door for the next wave of managers, agents and label people who rarely get a guide.
What did she build for her artists?
She co-managed Sama' Abdulhadi for seven years, through the period that turned her into one of the most important names in the global techno conversation. She guided ANNA, the Brazilian DJ and producer, for around a decade, from rising talent to main-stage fixture. She also worked with Wehbba. Anyone who has watched these careers knows none of that happens by accident. It happens because someone is doing the unseen work: the contracts, the boundaries, the hard conversations, the belief held steady when the artist could not hold it themselves.
Leticia was one of the most positive and effective people I've ever had the privilege to work with in this industry.
How is the scene responding?
With real grief. International Music Summit called her a force within the electronic music industry, and IMS cofounder Ben Turner offered the words above. Sama' Abdulhadi cancelled her scheduled set at Ireland's Beyond The Pale festival, writing: "Following the heartbreaking passing of my co-manager and dear friend, Leticia, I've had to make the decision to cancel my performance tomorrow." Tributes also came from ANNA, Victor Ruiz and VE/RA. When the people closest to her step off the stage to grieve, you understand exactly what she meant to them.
