Tego Calderón
Tego Calderón | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Tegui Calderón Rosario |
Born | Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico | February 1, 1972
Origin | Río Grande, Puerto Rico |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1996–present |
Labels |
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Website | tegocalderon |
Tegui Calderón Rosario (born February 1, 1972) is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor. He began his musical career in 1996 (as Tego Tec) and was supported by the famous Puerto Rican rapper
Calderón's style is characterized by his social and political themes, with lyrics against corruption in the Puerto Rican government. His themes also include dancing, love, self-reflection and personal experiences.
His film career started in 2007 with his supporting role in Illegal Tender. In 2009 he had a lead role in a short film called Los Bandoleros, which is part of Fast & Furious franchise, and the same year had a cameo appearance in the fourth installment of that franchise, Fast & Furious. In 2011, he reprised his character in a supporting role in Fast Five, alongside his colleague and friend Don Omar.
Early life
Calderón was born in
Early musical career
Calderón's career began as a participant in Puerto Rican hip hop contests on television during the 1990s. He met Eddie Dee and DJ Adam who would become his main collaborators, but Calderón was rejected by most producers and deejays at the time. DJ Adam in an interview with Puerto Rican podcaster Chente Ydrach said that Calderón was going to be a part of the underground album DJ Adam's Mad Jam, but Calderón's style was too eccentric and underdeveloped, so he was taken out of the final tracklist.[4]
Calderón signed to Eddie Dee's label in 2000, collaborating with Dee on his first hit on Puerto Rican radio, the hip hop song "En Peligro de Extinción" from Dee's second album El Terrorista de la Lírica.
During 2001-2002, Calderón participated in over a dozen original compilations including gold and platinum albums such as
Thanks to 'Cosa Buena' and it being one of the first reggaeton videos receiving major rotation on mainstream channels such as
In August 2003, Calderón performed at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. Based on his show and performance, The New York Times noted that he "made the best case for Reggaetón as music with room to grow" being a "forward-looking performer."[5] His second appearance at the venue was in October 2004, where he headlined an event titled Megatón 2004. The concert sold out, with 20,000 in attendance, a mixed crowd of Latino and non-Latino fans.
Calderón's travels subsequently led him to Miami, where he incorporated
2005–present
Calderón participated on the 2004 and 2005 editions of New York's Puerto Rican Day parade. During this timeframe he became the first Latin American artist to be included on New York's Power-105. Calderón's influence among Latin American youth was noted in a featured published by the Village Voice. The publication claimed that he had "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.”[5] Around this time Calderón still remained a fixture in popular Latin music thanks to international hit such as the Don Omar– led "Bandoleros" (notably included in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift soundtrack) and "Quítate Tú Pa Ponerme Yo" from Dee's 12 Discípulos compilation album.
In mid-2005, Calderón signed a joint venture deal between
In 2023, Calderón released "La Receta" through Paz y Esperanza and
Musical styles and themes
Although Calderón is a reggaeton artist, he claims to like "all types of music".[10] Evidence of this is seen both in his biography (he began his career in music in a heavy metal band and attended a school for music as a drummer) as well as in his music, which incorporates "'several musical tendencies'", including sounds and rhythms from places like Africa, Colombia, and the Caribbean. He obtains the sound for his popular reggaeton music through "fusing an experimental reggaeton style strongly rooted in the working-class Caribbean aesthetics of classic salsa with a strong dose of hip-hop".[11] On The Underdog/El Subestimado, he collaborated with rap duo Anónimo Consejo to create a song entitled "Son Dos Alas" which eventually was shortened to an interlude without Calderón.
Calderón has also been praised for his lyrics, which are much more substantive and uplifting, expressing social consciousness. Calderón has been described as "the reggaeton champion of an Afro-Caribbean working-class aesthetic" and is known for lyrics that are equal parts poetry and politics.[11] A consistent link between all of his albums "are the social themes and the untouchable bravado that he usually transmits through his artistic outlook."[10] According to Tony Touch (legendary hip hop dj and collaborator), "Tego is someone who represents struggle, an underdog... He's more of an MC, a product of late-'80s hip-hop."[12]
Film and other career projects
Calderón made his acting debut in the film
Calderón turned down roles in both Feel the Noise and "El Cantante" and instead chose to appear in Illegal Tender out of respect for its producer. After convincing John Singleton that he wanted to appear in a comedy, Calderón was slated to appear in an upcoming Singleton film which casts him as the coach of a baseball team.,[2] but the movie was never produced.
Calderón traveled to Sierra Leone along with artists Raekwon and Paul Wall to film a VH1 documentary about diamond mining entitled "Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip-Hop." The documentary focused on the role of Hip Hop in the blood diamond trade, after the filming concluded Calderón publicly announced that he would no longer wear jewelry. His experience in Africa also changed his outlook on life, which influenced the recording of the track "Alegria", encouraging fans to not complain about life and recognize that there are other people with bigger problems in their lives.[14]
Calderón and Don Omar are featured in Fast & Furious, Fast Five and The Fate of the Furious, the fourth, fifth and eighth installments of The Fast and the Furious franchise.[15][16]
Discography
- Studio albums
- El Abayarde (2002)
- The Underdog/El Subestimado (2006)
- El Abayarde Contraataca (2007)
- El Que Sabe, Sabe (2015)
- Mixtapes
- The Original Gallo Del País - O.G. El Mixtape (2012)
- Compilation albums
- El Enemy de los Guasíbiri (2004)
Awards and nominations
- American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Latin Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | «Al Natural» | Hip hop/Rap/Reggaeton Song of the Year | Won | [17] |
2009 | «Quitarte To'» (featuring Randy) | Urban Song of the Year | Won | [18] |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | The Underdog/El Subestimado | Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album | Nominated | [19] |
2008 | El Abayarde Contraataca | Best Latin Urban Album | Nominated | [20] |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | El Abayarde | Best Urban Music Album | Nominated | [21] |
2008 | El Abayarde Contraataca | Nominated | [22] | |
«Ni Fu Ni Fa» | Best Urban Song | Nominated | ||
2012 | "Calentura" (with ChocQuibTown and Zully Murillo) | Record of the Year | Nominated | [23] |
The Original Gallo del País | Best Urban Music Album | Nominated | ||
2015 | El Que Sabe, Sabe | Won | [24] | |
«Dando Break» | Best Urban Song | Nominated | ||
2023 | «La Receta» | Best Reggaeton Performance | Won |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Illegal Tender | Choco | Film Debut |
2007 | Bling: A Planet Rock | Himself | Documentary film / DVD |
2009 | Fast & Furious | Tego Leo | Cameo |
2009 | Los Bandoleros | Short film | |
2011 | Fast Five | Supporting Role | |
2017 | The Fate of the Furious | Cameo |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2007 | Def Jam Icon
|
Himself (voice) |
2013 | Fast & Furious: Showdown | Tego Leo (voice) |
References
- ^ "All About Reggaeton Music and Its Origins and Characteristics". Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Latin Rap Interview – "Tego Calderón Part II: El Abayarde Strikes Back"". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2007.
- ^ Barrio305.com.(1987)
- ^ "‎Chente Ydrach on Apple Podcasts". Itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Tego Calderón – Bio". Atlantic Records. Archived from the original on November 26, 2005. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
- ^ "Latin Rap Interview – "Tego Calderón Represents for the Underdogs"". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2007.
- ^ "Latin Rap News – "Tego Calderón Signs Global Deal with Atlantic"". Archived from the original on June 12, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2006.
- ^ Arroyo, Juan J. (April 28, 2023). "The Legend Is Back: Tego Calderón Drops Long-Awaited Track "La Receta"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Butler, Bethonie (April 28, 2023). "Tego Calderón stages a comeback with "La Receta"". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b http://latino963.lamusica.com/content_tego082707.html Archived April 29, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Albert Perez. "Tego Calderón visits Latino 96.3" Accessed January 31, 2008. www.latino963.lamusica.com
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Frances Negrón-Muntaner and Raquel Z. Rivera, "Reggaeton Nation" (17 December 2007) Accessed January 31, 2008. "Welcome to nginx eaa1a9e1db47ffcca16305566a6efba4!185.15.56.1". Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2008. - ^ "Village Voice – Riddims by the Reggaeton". Archived from the original on November 23, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ^ "Illegal Tender movie review". Archived from the original on September 16, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2007.
- ^ "Latin Rap Interview – "Tego Calderón Part II: El Abayarde Strikes Back"". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2007.
- ^ Black Pride Archived 2008-09-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Tego Calderón - Nuevo Album 2009". YouTube. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "12th Annual ASCAP Latin Awards: Complete List of Winners". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. March 11, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "17th Annual ASCAP Latin Awards: Urban Winners". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. March 3, 2009. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "49th annual Grammy nominations list — part 2". Variety. December 7, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- New York Times. December 6, 2007. Archivedfrom the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ "The nominees are ..." Los Angeles Times. July 23, 2003. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ "Nominados a los Latin Grammy 2008" (in Spanish). Qué!accessdate=May 5, 2016. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ "Grammy Latinos 2012: Lista de nominados a los Premios" (in Spanish). Qué!. November 15, 2012. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- Latin Grammy. Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
External links
- Media related to Tego Calderon at Wikimedia Commons
- (in Spanish) Official website
- Tego Calderón at IMDb