The world reggaeton star triumphs with Myke Towers, Maluma and Anitta with 'Mi Niña Remix', the Latin song that has become
number one in the United States
and has 25 million views on YouTube.
What is the key to composing a hit like
Mi Niña
? Every day we learn something new in music and we have to be open to changes and to unite generations. The remix of the song has just come out with Myke Towers, Maluma and Anitta.
Did it take so many people to do
a remix?
The basis of the urban genre is that: being able to work with each other.
There is the magic.
When there were concerts, we could meet in different parts of the world and sing songs.
People really enjoyed it.
You were among the first to show that reggaeton could become a global phenomenon.
Was the road hard?
Woof!
Very hard.
In the beginning, there weren't as many opportunities as there are today.
It was a genre that was not established.
Over time we realized that we could do great things.
It is only the beginning.
Very big things are happening.
The reality is that touching the sky is not easy.
Bad Bunny affirms that it is necessary to break with that of which the gringos are the gods.
What Bad Bunny is doing is gigantic.
It is not only to knock them down, but to demonstrate, not only to the gringos but to the whole world, that it is an established genre and that we can work face to face with them.
What advice would you give your early self?
Talk less and listen more [laughs].
Marc Anthony dedicated one of his awards to everyone who did not trust him.
Who were the ones who told you no?
There are so many people who at first said no, but later they understood.
I don't blame those people, because maybe they didn't understand what we were doing at the time.
So they were the ones who motivated us to keep growing.
You are one of the few who have apologized for the macho lyrics of reggaeton.
Look, I don't regret what I did and I say it with great humility.
Those teachings and those mistakes at that time were due to immaturity, but they taught me to grow.
It is time to continue learning and caring for women.
We are still in diapers.
At this time, women continue to empower themselves and do great things.
Our duty is to take care of it, defend it and enjoy it with our music.
Are the lyrics changing?
We are trying to give that respect and that sense of the word to the girls.
There are a lot of beautiful girls working in urban music being leaders and spokespersons for millions of women.
The woman is taking control of everything and I am happy about that.
Do you understand that there are many women who reject reggaeton because of those contents that continue to consider women as an object?
There will always be opposition.
Everyone will have their reasons and they must be respected.
What we do need is more tolerance to understand what others think.
Are you going to collaborate with Rosalía?
I love Rosalía.
My motto is that talented and disciplined people are always on the way.
Let's see if God gives us the opportunity to meet.
Has it cost you to have them respect your personality in the music industry?
Everything costs.
We have worked hard and that is why we are here today thanks to God and millions of people who have understood.
Always with the intention of bringing joy with what we do.
You have created your own label the Base Music Group.
It is not a business but one more tool for people who are on the street, have talent and do not know how to start.
Not only does he who sings live from art.
You can be a great writer, a great arranger, or an engineer.
There are many branches in art that you can be great and you don't know it.
Can you play instruments or compose by ear?
I compose by ear and play the guitar.
At the beginning of my career, I was a troubadour and singer of indigenous and folk music from Puerto Rico.
It is a type of poetry.
In music every day we can learn something new.
Does fame make one more handsome?
[Laughter] Surely, yes.
What's the craziest thing a fan has done for you?
They are wonderful.
You don't know how they evade security and knock on your room door.
They wait 48 hours for you when you leave the hotel.
What a blessing to have such genuine love!
Sometimes we don't even deserve it.
We urban artists are spokespersons for the people.
We were born in the neighborhood and that for me is very big.
Is there anything left of that neighborhood kid?
I'm here.
My studio, La Base, is in the neighborhood where I grew up in Cayey, a town in the center of Puerto Rico between the mountains.
We are still here where they said yes for the first time.
Is the life of the reggaeton player sex, drugs and reggaeton?
Look, no.
It is not like this.
The life of an urban artist can be a life of family, of responsibility, of growth, of giving employment, of creating responsible companies where you give work to people who grew up with you or to people who left prison and no one gave them the opportunity.
And they are given the opportunity in maintenance when we do the concerts.
Perhaps, in the case of reggaeton, many seem to address that, but the reality is that no human being wants that.
We all want well-being for our family.
Is it easy to maintain a stable married life for a world star?
No, it is not easy, but it can be done.
What I told you right now about tolerance and communication.
Making part of your growth and your work to your family is important.
My wife helps me in the matter of finances with the accountants and with the lawyers.
It is a teamwork.
My mindset today is not the same as the one I had 20 years ago.
I have been maturing and growing.
Does success have a dark and dangerous part?
Everything has its dark sides.
In life you have to make decisions.
We have to understand that wrong decisions bring problems.
Who has made you shed the most tears?
There are so many things that make you shed tears.
Woof!
We artists are passionate and emotional.
There are many sad moments that have marked my life.
Music and art are emotions.
You put what you feel on paper.
How is Wisin with her two children?
Yet another child.
My wife does not have two children, but three.
I love playing.
I am a very family person.
I learned to value what really has it.
Sometimes we don't and we get confused by immaturity and don't realize that we are wasting spectacular moments.
That's what I do now: collect moments.
How do you sing about love in Tinder times?
Is the romance getting lost?
No. Romance is in your heart and within you.
It is up to the artists to also promote romantic songs.
If we encourage them, we tell the public that they are also important in our lives.
Love is the ultimate.
If we don't have love, our life has no meaning.
The revolt led by reggaeton players like you, Bad Bunny or Residente managed to overthrow the governor of Puerto Rico.
I am not from any political party, only one that supports my people.
I felt the responsibility to be there in a peaceful way with a lot of respect and a lot of firmness telling the people that I am there to support them.
Let them understand that I live in Puerto Rico.
I am part of my land, a 100% Puerto Rican.
I have not left and my company is in Puerto Rico.
To continue reading for free
Sign inSign up
Or
subscribe to Premium
and you will have access to all the web content of El Mundo
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more