Check the scenario: Anthony Santos, his cousin Henry Santos, and brothers Mikey and Lenny Santos, four boys from the Bronx, grow up listening to both their parents' Latin music and the Boogie Down's hottest Hip-Hop. And out of this fusion emerges something new -traditional Bachata melodies over Hip-Hop's staccato beats. While...
On a warm Los Angeles afternoon five years ago, Colombian singer/songwriter Juanes sat down at a neighborhood Latino café, tears streaming down his eyes, and considered the terrifying prospect of failure.
At the time, I was interviewing Juanes in connection to the upcoming release of Fijate Bien, his debut as a solo artist. The future was a...
DJ Nelson is one of the hottest DJs in Puerto Rico and is on his way to becoming the biggest reggaeton spin master in the world. He's played a huge role in making reggaeton part of the mainstream and is on the verge of becoming a force in fashion with his NelFlow Music and FlowWear clothing and sneaker line. He's currently working with Tego...
Rarely do an artist's personal and professional lives harmonize on a high note, says Mexican singer Cristian Castro. But his did, and that's exactly why he named his new CD, Dias Felices. "I feel very excited about the ways things have turned out this year," states Castro in his native Spanish from his office in Mexico....
This year has been huge for Uruguayan-born performer/songwriter Jorge Drexler. He has worked with some of the world's best singers, as well as completing his latest album, Eco. However, we all took notice of him when he recently won an Academy Award for the song "Al Otro Lado" which was featured in the movie The Motorcycle Diaries. This is the...
Salsa had Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon. Hip-Hop has Nas, Common, and countless others. Reggaeton has Tego Calderon and Voltio. And Latin hip-hop (or hip-hop en Español) has Malverde. What do they all have in common? They make music that is commercially acceptable commercially and brings awareness to the people it represents. The Los Angeles...
When he made the decision to leave his band mates and pursue a solo career, everyone was skeptical. When he made it clear he wanted to pursue R&B music, people thought he was insane. A Mexican singing R&B was unheard of. However, instead of allowing naysayers to discourage him, Frankie J responded with a hit single "Obsession (No Es Amor)"...
Mario Vazquez shocked the nation when he suddenly walked away from his position as the only Latino in the top 12 of “American Idol.” Many thought he was a shoe in to win, and why not, “Idol” has never had anyone on the show like him before. In a bold move to take back control of his musical career Mario left without telling friends and...
La Quinta Estacion is ready for the big time. A couple of weeks back the Spanish trio celebrated the release of their third album, titled El Mundo Se Equivoca with their first trip to New York. With their promotional tour in full swing the band didn’t have time to sightsee, but they were revved up to share their new music with their fans....
Mala Rodriguez commands attention. She has an uncanny way of making people stop and focus solely on her. It might be that she beholds the “it” factor or because she’s an attractive woman. Whatever it is, as soon as she takes the stage, all eyes are on her. Everyone waits for her to speak.
In a recent gig at the Bowery Ballroom during the Latin...
