Puerto Rico’s Tego Calderon appeared to be doing his best recently during a tour swing through Southern California to live up to his reputation as the rebellious rapper of reggaeton.

He did so by snubbing the media – as if he didn’t care in the least about participating in publicity efforts or even in countering speculation that a three- year lapse since his latest album of new material signals a career in decline.

Calderon first bypassed Spanish-language TV reporters by failing to show up backstage for anticipated interviews during a major multi-act reggaeton show at the Forum. Then he gave equal time to the English-language media, walking away from a TV crew poised to put him live on Fox and UPN for their 11 o’clock news shows.

So it was almost anti-climactic when a reporter arrived for a scheduled 5 p.m. interview the next day and the rapper himself unceremoniously answered the door of his modest airport hotel suite.

The champion of the underdog eased his slight frame into an armchair for a 45-minute interview that revealed a thoughtful, articulate and likable artist with deeply held principles informing his often challenging, sometimes angry music. He sported a shirt with an outline of the Americas, a beaded Santeria bracelet and a stylish cap like those worn by Depression- era newsboys. Asked about his reputation for being difficult, the 34-year-old singer with the bushy Afro and the gap-toothed smile answered with a hoarse laugh.

“A lot of people have created that image around me mostly because of my style of conducting business and my way of defending what’s mine, who I am and what I believe,” he said in Spanish with a thick Puerto Rican accent. “I say whatever I want to say, and I don’t go by the normal rules of business. But if you respect me, I respect you.”

He has gotten respect from English-speaking hip-hop acts, having done guest stints on tracks by 50 Cent and Wyclef Jean and on a remix of Fat Joe’s “Lean Back.” But the singer’s insistence on doing things his way has come at a price.

He has turned down multimillion-dollar offers to sign with a major label in order to keep control of his music on his own imprint, Jiggiri Records, distributed worldwide by Atlantic. (His next studio album is due in the spring.) And earlier this year, he publicly rejected an offer to appear in ads for rapper P. Diddy’s clothing line, Sean Paul, because of reports that the firm has used Central American sweatshops.

From the start, Calderon has played the part of the reluctant celebrity. With his roots in late ’80s Latino hip-hop, he didn’t even like reggaeton when it first appeared on the Puerto Rican underground scene in the 1990s. He criticized the nascent style as a boring rip-off of Jamaican dance-hall music with Spanish lyrics.

He didn’t like it, that is, until he tried dancing it. He got hooked at a club named Hollywood in Old San Juan.

“The dance just captivated me; it’s so sensual,” he said, referring to the music’s provocative move called el perreo, or doggy dance. “I danced the whole night and thought, ‘No wonder this is so popular. I gotta do reggaeton.”‘ His first reggaeton song was aptly called “Cosa Buena” (Good Thing), from 2001.

Calderon’s music has appeared on numerous compilations, but he has released only one studio album in his 15-year career, 2003′s “El Abayarde,” a title taken from his nickname, a term used in Puerto Rico to identify a type of stinging ant and particularly mischievous kids. The more recently released “El Enemy de los Guasibiri” is a compilation of older numbers previously released on mix tapes and albums with other artists.

Produced by Elias de Leon, “Abayarde” yielded several hits in reggaeton’s standard party mold, such as “Pa’ Que Retozen,” “Guasa, Guasa” and “Dominicana.” But it’s critically admired for its unusual use of authentic Afro-Borinquen rhythms and its challenging themes dealing with racism, political corruption and religion.

The album contains what Calderon considers the best song he has ever written, “Loiza.” Named after his hometown, a predominantly black enclave outside San Juan, the song uses distinctive Puerto Rican rhythms to underscore its searing indictment of the town’s “shameful history” of racism as a black ghetto for the descendants of African slaves.

“You changed your chains for handcuffs,” writes Calderon, who told the Village Voice earlier this year that he had spent two years in jail for weapon and assault crimes before he found fame.

The song is meant to denounce the status of blacks as “second-class Latinos,” Calderon says, an issue that is rarely discussed openly in Latin America. Even his fellow Afro-Latinos don’t want to hear about it, the songwriter says.

“It’s my most profound song, but it’s not the public’s favorite,” he says with a tone of resignation. “Young people are just not interested. I don’t even think they understand what I’m talking about.

“They just want to dance and be content. That’s the problem with blacks in our countries. We’re immune to being mistreated.”

As a genre, reggaeton needs to keep addressing real issues that people face in their families, neighborhoods and workplaces, says the artist, an admirer of the late Afro-Puerto Rican salsa star Ismael Rivera. Like salsa, it runs the danger of losing its base audience as it gets more successful and more disconnected from its hardscrabble urban roots.

Calderon’s future hinges heavily on the success of his upcoming album. Some say the gap between releases has hurt him.

As for predictions of his own downfall, Calderon invokes his new CD’s title and warns he shouldn’t be underestimated.

“All eyes are on me now with the new record,” he says. “People are doubting. ‘Tego is finished. Tego is gone.’ Everybody wants to be where I have been. That’s how it is: Step aside so I can take your place, as the song says, “Quitate tu pa ponerme yo. …” (“But I’m not going to give them the pleasure. …”)

By Agustin Gurza
Los Angeles Times

Tego Calderón volverá a estar en los puestos de discos con su nuevo álbum “El Abayarde Contra-ataca” a partir del martes.

Ese día el cantante urbano compartirá con su fanaticada en una firma de discos en la tienda La Gran Discoteca de Plaza Carolina. Su visita al establecimiento será de 5:00 de la tarde a 7:00 de la noche.

Por otro lado el jueves estrenó en la Isla y ayer en los Estados Unidos la película “Illegal Tender” (Universal Studios), producida por uno de los más laureados cineastas de Hollywood, el afroamericano John Singleton (“Boyz ‘N the Hood”, “Shaft”) y dirigida y escrita por el realizador Franc Reyes (“Empire”). Calderón hace su debut cinematográfico con el personaje de Choco, en esta cinta estelarizada por un joven actor neoyorquino de ascendencia puertorriqueña y dominicana, Rick González (“Coach Carter”, “Pulse”).

Justo como hacen los salseros su anual “Dia Nacional de la Salsa”, Jose “Pompi” Vallejo anuncio hoy que el proximo 15 de Sept. se celebrara el “Dia Nacional Del Genero”.El bailoteo comenzará a eso de las 6:00 de la tarde, pero se desconoce aún cuánto tiempo durará, ya que cada artista tendrá de 15 a 20 minutos para resumir lo mejor de su música.

El “Día nacional del género”, dedicado al encarcelado vocalista Tempo, contará con el toque romántico de Magnate, mientras que la representación femenina estará a cargo de La Sista y la novel rapera La Hill.

También formarán parte de la actividad Divino, Zion, Yomo, Angel & Khirtz, Miguelito, Naldo, Yadiel, Arcángel, John Eric, Tony Dize, Casa de Leones, entre otros.

NUEVA YORK, NY (3 de octubre). Anoche, ante un Madison Square Garden totalmente vendido, Wisin y Yandel demostraron una vez mas ser los líderes indiscutibles del género latino urbano con un espectáculo impresionante donde sobresalieron el dinamismo y carisma del dúo y la calidad de una producción llena de sorpresas.

Wisin y Yandel conquistaron a cerca de 15 mil fanáticos que se mantuvieron de pie gritando, bailando y coreando durante el espectáculo que transportó a la audiencia a otra dimensión con un show impresionante de visuales, luces, pirotecnia y sonido. Acompañados por 8 bailarines y una banda en vivo, el dúo interpretó mas de 20 canciones incluyendo sus éxitos: “Rakata”, “Yo Te Quiero”, “Pam Pam”, “Llame Pa Verte”, “Sexy Movimiento”, “Ahora Es”, “Me Estas Tentando”, “Abusadora” y su mas reciente sencillo “Gracias a Ti”.

Los conciertos del dúo suelen a incluir invitados sorpresa y en esta ocasión impresionaron a la audiencia neoyorquina al presentar al rapero 50 Cent, al grupo de Hip Hop G-Unit y a su colega del género del Reggaetón Tego Calderón.

Con cada presentación los fanáticos del dúo saltaban y gritaban con aún mas emoción. El primero en presentarse junto al dúo en medio de gritos y aplausos fue Tego Calderón con quien interpretaron “Ella Se Entrega”. Luego, al salir en tarima 50 Cent, para acompañar a Wisin y Yandel cantando “Mujeres In The Club”, la audiencia se tornó eufórica. La emoción continuó cuando se unieron los integrantes de G-Unit, Tony Yayo y Lloyd Banks, a 50 Cent para interpretar uno de sus grandes éxitos de la música Hip Hop.

También contaron con la participación estelar de Franco “El Gorila”, artista de WY Records, la disquera del binomio musical. Franco impresionó con su éxito “Sexo Seguro” de su álbum “Welcome to the Jungle”.

La gira estadounidense de Wisin y Yandel, una producción de AEG Live/Goldenvoice, ha logrado llenos totales en casi todas sus presentaciones, entre ellas: en el American Airlines Arena de Miami, The Arena at Gwinnett Center de Atlanta, el Amway Arena de Orlando y el Allstate Arena de Chicago.

Las próximas fechas de la gira estadounidense de Wisin y Yandel son:

Para mas información sobre la gira y para comprar boletos visite www.ticketmaster.com.

La mas reciente producción discográfica del dúo, “La Revolución”, ha recibido Disco de Doble Platino en Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico, Disco de Platino en Mexico, y Discos de Oro en Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala y El Salvador. Wisin y Yandel tienen tres nominaciones al GRAMMY Latino: Mejor Album de Musica Urbana por “La Revolución”; Mejor Canción Urbana por “Abusadora” y Mejor Canción Urbana por “Mujeres in the Club” (con 50 Cent). La décima entrega anual del GRAMMY® Latino se celebrará el 5 de noviembre en Las Vegas, Nevada y se transmitirá en vivo por Univision. Además Wisin y Yandel dominan la lista de nominados de los Premios MTV 2009 con el mayor número de nominaciones, seis en total: Artista del Año, Canción del Año (por Abusadora), Mejor Artista Urbano, Mejor Grupo o Duo, Mejor Ringtone, y Video del Año (Abusadora). La premiación se transmitirá en vivo en MTV Tr3s y MTV Latino America el 15 de octubre desde el Gibson Amphitheatre de Los Angeles.

Para información actualizada sobre Wisin y Yandel, visite: www.wisinyandelpr.com o www.puertoricounder.com

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Video: Luis Carmona
Fotógrafo: Gabriel Aybar

Contacto de Prensa, Wisin y Yandel:
Jennifer Nieman, The Nieman Group, 305-335-3054 (m) jjnieman@aol.com

Contacto de Prensa, Disquera EEUU:
Clara Pablo, Universal Music Latino, clara.pablo@umusic.com

Speaking of concerts, if you haven’t been able to catch Wisin y Yandel on tour so far, you are seriously missing out! But, luckily, we got the chance to catch them in New York City at Madison Square Garden, and we’ve got the scoop for you, so here it is…

El Duo Dinámico set it off with classics like “Pam Pam” and “Rakata”and of course the newbies, “Abusadora” and “Ahora Es.” But what really made este concierto especial were the surprise guest appearances by el pionero himself, Tego Calderon, y Franco El Gorila who performed his hit “He Querido Querete.” If you think that was surprise enough, an even bigger surprise came when rapper 50 Cent and his G-Unit entourage showed up to rock “Mujeres In the Club,” along with 50′s latest hit, “Baby By Me.” You know the crowd was going crazy with their left hand in the air bouncing up and down! Oh yeah, it was gangster! Oops… we mean gangsta for the cool kids. Hmm, we can’t WAIT to see if 50 joins Wisin y Yandel again onstage at Los Premios MTV 2009! You never know, it could happen!

Overall, the concert was awesome and really brought it back to old school reggaeton. And let’s not forget what may just have been the biggest highlight for all the ladies in the crowd… wait for it… okay… Yandel took his shirt off! ::mucho screaming and lip biting:: Las mujeres went locas, of course, and maybe even a few guys!

Ah yes, pyrotechnics + Wisin y Yandel + 50 Cent + Tego Calderon + Yandel’s sweaty washboard abs = GREAT CONCERT! Love to see Latinos supporting each other and filling up every seat in Madison Square Garden! Que viva La Revolución!

For more of Wisin Y Yandel keep visiting www.puertoricounder.com

“Sí, estoy en conversaciones con WY Records (disquera de Wisin y Yandel), pero todavía no hay nada”.

Así viene Tego, con un disco “importante”, sin multinacional y listo para lanzar cosas variadas. Según explicó son varios los artistas que colaborarán con él en esta nueva producción. Lo mejor de todo es que tiene “todo el tiempo del mundo” para poder crear ahora que no tiene una disquera respirándole en el cuello y poniéndole fechas para entregar. De esta forma, son muchas las travesías creativas a las que Calderón se aventurará.

Born:

1972 in Santurce, Puerto Rico

Biography

Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1972 but raised in nearby Carolina and in Miami, FL, rapper Tego Calderón got the multicultural backbone he’d need to become a star in the genre-mixing world of reggaeton. Growing up with massive Ismael Rivera fans as parents exposed the young Calderón to envelope-pushing Latin pop music, while his father’s love of jazz added yet another flavor. Studying percussion set Calderón on the path to creating his own style, one that mixed the rhythmic sounds of salsa, plena, dancehall, and hip-hop. Lyric-wise, he combined hip ’60s slang with current slang and tales of barrio life. Calderón made a couple appearances on other Latin rappers’ albums before the White Lion label signed him. Issued in 2002, El Abayarde became Calderón’s full-length debut. An instant success, El Abayarde sold 50,000 copies during its first month, and Calderón was now an official Latin music superstar.

Returning to Miami led to an increase in the dancehall flavor of his music. This, combined with Calderón’s outspoken viewpoint that salsa had become too corporate and too safe, made 2004′s El Enemy de los Guasíbiri a punchier, more hectic, more street-level affair. With the reggaeton genre blowing up with New York City’s hip-hop tastemakers and spreading its influence further and further, Calderón soon found himself fielding offers from hip-hop producers while landing tracks on numerous street-level mixtapes. His voice ended up on remixes of Usher‘s “Yeah,” Fat Joe‘s “Lean Back,” and N.O.R.E.‘s “Oye Mi Canto.” Looking to expand beyond reggaeton, Calderón declared his 2006 release The Underdog/El Subestimado “a musical journey through the Afro-Caribbean culture.” The album kicked off his relationship with the Warner Brothers imprint Atlantic.