When you’re nicknamed Nigga because you reportedly sound like a Jamaican singer, the world is bound to immediately take notice. Fortunately, Panamanian reggae singer Félix Danilo Gómez or “Flex” isn’t afraid to push people’s buttons while getting them up on their feet to dance. After his debut album Te Quiero went triple platinum, Flex was ready to show off his softer side. The result was La Evolución Romantic Style, an album that fuses Panamanian folklore, hip-shaking vallenato, and Spanish reggae, telling the story of love found and lost. In short, Flex is back and better than ever. However, personal stories of falling in love and becoming vulnerable to dramatic heartbreak has already raised many eyebrows, especially with the recently released video of “Dime Si Te Vas Con El,” a ballad of how a sugarcane worker loses his flame to another man. Yet it turns out that many also feel his pain, as La Evolución Romantic Style quickly went to #5 for five straight weeks and has garnered Flex with 13 nominations for the 2009 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The success story behind La Evolución Romantic Style has only begun.
While promoting his new album in New York City, Flex spends some time with nocheLatina to discuss his shocking new video, why he’s not a reggaeton singer, and whether he’s really a Latin lover.
nocheLatina: How do you like New York so far?
Flex: I’m really excited to be in New York City. I’ve wanted to come here for a really long time to meet my fans and explore the city that never sleeps! I’ve been here with my crew having a good time and chillin’, doing interviews all over the place, and getting my name out there.
nocheLatina: Everyone has been talking about your 13 nominations for the Latin Billboard Awards. Do you think you’ll win?
Flex: Oh man, I have no idea! I mean, of course I want to win, but I’ll be happy with just one. I still can’t believe that I was nominated for 13 awards. That idea still needs to sink in my head.
nocheLatina: Who inspired you to become a reggae singer?
Flex: In Panama, reggae is an extremely popular type of music that’s been played for a very long time. It’s what I would say is the official music of the country and of course, I’m all about celebrating my culture and where I’m from. I first began recording reggae music back in 1997 because, just as Hip-Hop has managed to impact many artists here in the states, reggae has deeply influenced me. I haven’t stopped making reggae music since, and I doubt that reggae is ever going to go out of style.
nocheLatina: How is La Evolución Romantic Style different from anything else you’ve done?
Flex: It’s an evolution of music that I have never done before. It’s deeply influenced by love and all the good and bad that come with it. La Evolución Romantic Style is also a fusion of many sounds that you wouldn’t normally hear in reggae. You’ll hear Latin, American, and European beats fusing together, creating one sound that everyone, no matter where you’re from, can enjoy. It was something very daring for me to do because I can’t think of anyone else that has been deeply influenced by both love and international sounds, but it’s a complete project that I was very happy to work on. It’s an evolution of music, rhythm, and sound, everything you can possibly think of.
nocheLatina: You mentioned that your new music video ‘Dime Si Te Vas Con El’ is very controversial. Talk to me more about that.
Flex: Hah! ‘Dime Si Te Vas Con El’ is inspired Panamanian folklore, which not too many people are familiar with. Once they learn about it for the first time, they’re shocked, which makes it very controversial. What I wanted to show was the story of a humble sugarcane worker who falls in love with a beautiful woman, and it looks like they’re going to end up together, but she cheats on him. Then, to add insult to injury, she runs off with the other guy who’s clearly more well off than him! The whole theme of the song is ‘Tell me if you’re going to leave with him or stay with me.’ And that’s the way it goes. The video is heartbreaking, but the song makes up for it, so there’s a lot of emotions involved in it.
nocheLatina: Speaking of romantic style, how has it been being married to the woman that you’ve described as your biggest fan?
Flex: It’s been a spectacular experience, I couldn’t ask for anything or anyone better. I am living the romantic style! Later on this year we would like to start having kids so we hope God will help us with that. I’m really looking forward to becoming a father.
nocheLatina: Tell me one thing that few people know about you.
Flex: I’m always biting my nails because I’m a very nervous person.
nocheLatina: Ah, don’t worry about that, I do too.
Flex: Damn, you too? Yeah, I’m constantly biting my nails because I’m always traveling and expecting the unexpected, which makes me a nervous person. I also love, love, love eating rice. I can’t stop!
nocheLatina: Really? It doesn’t show.
Flex: I’m glad it doesn’t! I’m always eating rice because I love it so much. People always ask me how I can eat so much and not get fat. Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m glad that it doesn’t show. I love to eat and I don’t plan on giving that up anytime soon.
nocheLatina: A lot of people associate Latinos with singing reggaeton. As someone who sings reggae, do you hope to show people that there’s more to Latin music?
Flex: Definitely. People always confuse reggae with reggaeton, but they are not the same! Reggae comes directly from Jamaica and reggaeton has its roots from Panama, but became more popular in the states, where it was fused with Hip-Hop, R&B, and other American sounds. Reggae has lasted a lot longer than reggaeton and there are many types of reggae, which allows the singer to create all these different sounds. However, all of its roots come from Jamaica, which makes it very different from reggaeton. I’m not saying that one is better than the other, but I wish people could understand the difference between the two.
nocheLatina: Which song from La Evolución Romantic Style was the most personal for you to sing?
Flex: ‘Te Amo Tanto,’ no doubt about that. It’s a song that’s dedicated to my wife. There are no words to describe how much I love her, so this song attempts to show her those feelings. That’s why I wrote ‘Te Amo Tanto.’
nocheLatina: What’s the message that you hope listeners will get out of La Evolución Romantic Style?
Flex: I want listeners to get a taste out of romanticism and all the different styles of music that I’ve managed to fuse together. I hope that La Evolución Romantic Style will let fans know how passionate I am, especially with music, as well as attract new listeners that may have heard of me, but aren’t sure what I am all about. It includes pop, R&B, bayanato, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and many other tropical sounds with a romantic twist so that people can dance and have a good time. There’s nothing more that I could ask for.
The 2009 Latin Billboard Awards will air live on Thursday, April 23 on the Telemundo network. To read up on Flex's upcoming collaboration with Beyonce's sister Solange, click here.
