Tego Calderón 'The Underdog/El Subestimado' album

Atlantic Records has set August 29th as the street date for the eagerly anticipated label debut from Latin rap superstar Tego Calderón. Released on Calderón's own Atlantic-distributed Jiggiri Records, the album is already being hailed as a landmark in the Latin hip-hop and reggaetón movement. When Calderón inked a worldwide deal with Atlantic last year, he became the first artist in the Latin hip-hop field to ink a global pact with a major label.

Calderón describes his Atlantic debut as "a musical journey through the Afro-Caribbean culture." It showcases poetry from the heart and is a unique fusion of elements taken from traditional bomba puertorriqueña, Jamaican reggae, blues, Cuban rumba, and New York salsa.

The diversity of musical styles that Tego brings together on "THE UNDERDOG/EL SUBESTIMADO" is reflected in the wide array of musical instruments on the album. Avoiding the overuse of computer-generated tracks, Calderón brings to his palate the music of percussion and brass to create a vivid soundscape that recalls the classic rhythms of the legendary salsa greats.

"THE UNDERDOG/EL SUBESTIMADO" contains 22 tracks plus one bonus track and features collaborations with such artists as Buju Banton, Eddie Dee & Voltio, Yandel, Chyno Nyno, Don Omar, and legendary salsa singer Oscar D'León. The album also features the work of producers DJ Nelson, Danny Fornaris, DJ Nesty, Naldo, DJ Joe, Echo & Diesel, Cookee, Major League, Salaam Remi, Erick Figueroa, Daniel Cruz & Eduardo Lobo, and Troyton Rami. All the songs on the album were co-written by Calderón, with the exception of "Chango Blanco," written by Luis López Cabán. Featured in the album is a special booklet with bilingual track-by-track commentary by award-winning Puerto Rican author and professor Mayra Santos-Febres.

The first single for the Latin market will be "Los Maté," produced by DJ Nesty & Naldo.

Announcing Tego's signing to Atlantic in the spring of 2005, Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman commented: "With the continuing creative and commercial explosion of new Latin music in the U.S., I am thrilled that one of its signature artists, the brilliant Tego Calderón, has joined the Atlantic family. The reggaetón and Latin hip-hop movements are rapidly merging into the mainstream of American music and media, and Tego's innovative style, street credibility, and charismatic presence have already made him a cultural icon, placing him at the leading edge of the vibrant new urban-driven Latin scene. The signing of Tego is a proud moment in Atlantic history, signaling our enthusiasm and our long-term belief in this boundary-crossing music."

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Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Tego Calderón - AKA "El Abayarde" - has earned international acclaim for his unique musical style, which mixes salsa and Afro-Caribbean rhythms with hip-hop and dancehall reggae influences. Lyrically, he has forged a revolutionary flow inspired by his authentic street roots, creating a social chronicle that openly addresses such issues as racism, poverty, and class oppression. Combining hip '60s slang with modern urban language, and set apart by his unmistakable Afro hairstyle and captivating stage presence, Calderón's appeal transcends economic, social, and age barriers, as he creates music with truly universal appeal.

Growing up, Calderón was exposed by his parents to the groundbreaking music of salsa legend Ismael Rivera as well as to Latin jazz. Going on to study percussion and composition, Calderón then began forging his own multicultural rap style, earning a reputation as a street poet with a fresh musical approach. Establishing himself as a new voice of the barrio, he made a series of appearances on best-selling Latin hip-hop compilations.

In 2002, Calderón released his solo debut, "EL ABAYARDE." Breaking sales records in the underground reggaetón genre, it sold a remarkable 50,000 copies in just one week, and Calderón became an overnight Latin superstar. Just three months after making his solo premiere, Calderón was greeted with a tumultuous response at a sold-out concert at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. The following day, he made history when he became the first rap artist to perform at the traditional National Day of Salsa celebration. Since then, Calderón's career has exploded, his success spreading throughout Latin communities in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Canada, and the U.S.

As Latin rappers have been embraced by the American hip-hop culture, Calderón has been featured on a variety of mixtapes and been invited to add his trademark vocal style to collaborations and remixes by the likes of Fat Joe's Terror Squad (the #1 smash, "Lean Back"), Usher, 50 Cent, Cypress Hill, and Wyclef Jean, along with fellow Latin stars Roselyn Sánchez, Toño Rosario, and Aventura, among others.

A household name in dozens of Spanish-speaking countries around the world, Calderón has now become a major, influential presence in the U.S. market. When he first headlined New York's Madison Square Garden in August 2003, the New York Times heralded him as "the most forward-looking performer" of the dozen artists on the bill, noting that "Mr. Calderón made the best case for reggaetón as music with room to grow." In October 2004, when Calderón returned to the stage of the Garden as the star of the breakthrough "Megatón 2004" reggaetón event, the audience had swelled from 12,000 to a sold-out 20,000. "The crowd erupted into a frenzy," noted the Village Voice. "The fruit of Tego's crossover appeal was palpable. Not only did attendance surge by thousands from 2003, but now masses of non-Spanish-speaking gringos were bopping their heads and flailing their arms to the universal beat."

From his ovation-gathering appearance at New York's annual Puerto Rican Day parade in 2004 to becoming the first Spanish-language artist to be featured on New York's Power-105 to his performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Calderón has been breaking cultural barriers. Earning widespread critical acclaim, he has been featured in the New York Times, Vibe, Fader (cover), Urban Latino (cover), Fuego, and many other publications. The Village Voice noted that Calderón "almost single-handedly... steered his country's dominant youth culture out of the island and Latino neighborhoods, and into the American stream of pop consciousness."

Spanish biography

Tego Calderón nació en Santurce, Puerto Rico, en el 1972. Tego creció en los pueblos de Río Grande y Carolina, lugares que mantienen vivas las influencias afro-caribeñas en la cultura puertorriqueña.Desde joven Tego fue expuesto al Jazz Latino y a las innovadoras composiciones del legendario salsero Ismael Rivera. Decidido a ocupar su lugar en el mundo de la música,Tego explora la diversidad de sus influencias musicales y asiste a la prestigiosa Escuela Libre de Música de Puerto Rico, donde estudió percusión y se desarrolló como compositor.

A finales de la década de los 80, Tego se traslada a la ciudad de Miami,donde finaliza sus estudios secundarios en Miami Beach Senior High School. Es aquí donde Calderón empieza a ser expuesto a las influencias del Hip-Hop norteamericano. El escuchar por primera vez la agrupación N.W.A. resultó ser un punto clave en la dirección que tomaría su carrera.

De regreso a Puerto Rico Calderón descubre un ambiente musical cambiado. Es para este tiempo que el género del Reggaetón comienza a propagarse dentro de la cultura urbana puertorriqueña. Calderón desarrolla una nueva apreciación por el género musical jamaiquino de Dancehall Reggae, descubriendo a reconocidos intérpretes como Buju Banton, Super Cat, y Ninja Man. Es aquí que Calderón forja su singular estilo multicultural y se destaca como un poeta de la calle con una nueva visión musical.

Tego Calderón atribuye a Vico C, el reconocido pionero del Hip-Hop puertorriqueño, como el que lo inspiró a trabajar sus composiciones en español, reemplazando las trilladas frases apropiadas del Hip-Hop norteamericano.Abriéndose paso como la nueva voz de la calle,Calderón participa en una serie de compilaciones de Hip-Hop latino, muchas de las cuales han sido recopiladas en la producción “EL ENEMY DE LOS GUASÍBIRI,” lanzada en el 2004.

“EL ABAYARDE” (2002), rompe record de ventas en el entonces clandestino genero del Reggaetón, vendiendo unas 50,000 copias el mismo día de su lanzamiento, convirtiéndose en una superestrella de la noche a la mañana. A apenas unos tres meses de su debut como solista, miles de fanáticos le reciben con brazos abiertos en su concierto en el Coliseo Roberto Clemente en San Juan. El día siguiente, Tego hace historia al ser el primer artista de Hip-Hop en presentarse en el Día Nacional de la Salsa.

En agosto del 2003 Tego Calderón figuró como artista principal en una magna presentación en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York. Su participación fue reconocida por el diario The New York Times por su calidad lírica y presencia escénica. En octubre del 2004, regresa a esta tarima como la estrella del “Megatón 2004” donde más de 20,000 fanáticos del género se dieron cita a la exitosa presentación, marcando un hito en su carrera.

Tego Calderón se ha convertido en un icono internacional del Reggaetón y el Hip-Hop latino. Su estatus como líder de estos géneros de música urbana ha sido reafirmado con sus presentaciones en la Parada Puerto Rican Day Parade y por ser el primer intérprete de habla hispana en hacer una presentación en la exitosa Estación de radio New York’s Power-105.A causa de esta popularidad,Calderón ha sido invitado a prestar su singular voz y estilo a colaboraciones y remixes con reconocidos intérpretes de Hip-Hop norteamericano como lo son Fat Joe, Usher, 50 Cent, Cypress Hill, y Wyclef Jean, al igual que con varias otras estrellas latinas de renombre.

Entre los logros de Calderón se destacan: sus nominaciones a los Latin Grammy, Premios Billboard, La Gente y Lo Nuestro, el premio The Source al artista internacional del año y el premio Tu Música.

A comienzos del 2005, Calderón y su casa disquera Jiggiri Records, firman con Atlantic Records – convirtiéndose en el primer artista de Reggaetón en finalizar un acuerdo con una sello multi-nacional. Su segunda producción musical,“THE UNDERDOG / “EL SUBESTIMADO”, está pautada para salir al mercado bajo el sello Jiggiri/Atlantic Records a finales de este año.

Calderón define a su próxima producción como un viaje por la música afro antillana. “The Underdog” presenta la poesía de la calle y el corazón; una fusión de elementos de la bomba puertorriqueña; el reggae jamaiquino; el blues del sur de los Estados Unidos, la rumba cubana y la salsa neoyorquina.

El álbum cuenta con la colaboración de productores reconocidos del genero como lo son Cookee, Major League, Salaam Remi, Eric Figueroa, Luny Tunes, DJ Nelson, Danny Fornaris, DJ Nesty, Naldo, DJ Joe, DJ Fat y Echo & Diesel, entre otros.La producción tiene unos 21 cortes musicales y contará con la participación y colaboración de artistas invitados del calibre de Buju Banton,Voltio, Bataklán, Eddie Dee, Luis Cabán,Yandel, Zion, Chyno Nyno, y Don Omar.

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Tego Calderón - The Underdog/El Subestimado