The sounds of superstar artists from Colombia — Shakira, Juanes, Carlos Vives — have reached the top of Billboard‘s Latin charts during the past few years. Now, as the Latin Grammy Awards approach, a new wave of Colombian influence is shaping Latin music, with a rhythm drawing on the sound of reggaeton.
The Hot Latin Songs chart has been dominated for the past six months by J Balvin, a native of Medellin — Colombia’s second-largest city — and Nicky Jam, whose hit “El Perdon” was recorded with Colombian producer Saga WhiteBlack. And at the Latin Grammys, which will air Nov. 19 from Las Vegas on the Univision network, Balvin is up for two awards while Jam is nominated in three categories.
Also vying for honors are Colombian artists Bomba Estereo, Chocquibtown, Maluma and Monsieur Perine and producers Andres Saavedra, Julio Reyes and songwriter-producer Andres Castro.
Billboard invited four in-demand producers — Castro, 41 (Carlos Vives, Maluma); Andres Saavedra, 33 (Raquel Sofia, Avionica, Atelagalli); Alejandro “Mosty” Ramirez, 23; and Alejandro “Sky” Patino, 23 (both collaborators with J Balvin) — to share views from their perspective in the studio on the new Colombian sound that’s shaping Latin music around the globe.
Why is Colombian music hot today?
CASTRO: Reggaeton has added new momentum to [the success] we all knew, like Vives, Juanes, Shakira. Now, there’s a huge urban movement coming from Medellin and from Colombia’s Pacific Coast, and it has generated a lot of interest from young artists who want to do different music with different sounds.
SAAVEDRA: I’m intrigued by how the new urban movement coming out of Colombia is defining new pop. It’s really blurring the line between pop and urban. Puerto Rican reggaeton was a little stuck, and what’s coming out of Colombia is defining a new trend.
SKY: Colombian music always has been admired and respected, but this urban movement has put the finishing touches on the big picture.
How do you define this sound?
CASTRO: The reggaeton coming from Medellin is different from what was happening in Puerto Rico because it’s a little ballad-y and danceable. It kind of joins the two worlds into one accessible sound. This has been part of its huge success. You also have artists like Maluma, who has urban elements with more of a “mountain” influence, and Chocquibtown, which has a very urban sound mixed with salsa.
SAAVEDRA: J Balvin’s “Ginza” could be a Justin Bieber track.
MOSTY: Our reggaeton is less of a street genre. Violence in Colombia is not something we’re proud of, so we like to concentrate on the positive. We wanted to take things to another level. At a technical level, reggaeton hasn’t always been of great quality. And from there, we wanted to compete in another way but with a softer sound that didn’t overpower the vocals.
How does Colombia, as a country and culture, play into this sound?
SAAVEDRA: It’s something that you don’t immediately hear, but it’s there. Colombia listens with its hips. That’s why certain beats come easier to us.
CASTRO: There is a language and a rhythmic connection. We do have many Puerto Rican and Cuban influences, because we’ve been very close to that music. Even geographically, given our location [in the northernmost tip of South America]. But it’s increasingly harder to know where music is coming from. There’s so much more interaction and access.
But isn’t Colombian music filled with nostalgia and history?
CASTRO: Oh, yes. It’s the mountains. You always hear the mountains in South American music — in Peru, in Argentina. That’s the root of Juanes’ sound, and that’s what you don’t hear in other Caribbean countries.
Where do you think the energy and drive come from for this continuing, evolving sound?
SAAVEDRA: It’s part of the generational change that happens to everyone. Everything evolves. When Vives decided to record “Pa Mayte,” he created “tropi-pop.” Then Juanes came along with Colombian rock. Maybe the fact is nothing can stop a passionate, hardworking Colombian.
SKY: (To Saavedra.) That’s true. And the urban artists here in Colombia, they see what’s happening with Balvin and Nicky Jam, and everyone’s motivated — not only in urban music, but also reggaeton. There was a time when that music wasn’t on the charts. Urban music was leaning toward merengue and tropical. And now reggaeton has come back. It has returned to its essence, but with a Colombian touch.
SAAVEDRA: To understand the magnitude of what J has done, it’s as if Panama, which has never been a soccer power, suddenly beat Argentina and Brazil for the World Cup. It’s very, very big. Pop is the genre that took longest to open the door to urban music. And now, the new pop is… urban.
Do you see new trends right now?
SKY “Ginza” [Balvin’s new single] is different from reggaeton. It’s another format for the music — faster. Americans will identify more. They’re used to more uptempo songs, and reggaeton tends to be slower.
MOSTY: We’re also trying to really take things to another level. When it comes to sound, reggaeton hasn’t always had the best track record. From where we are, we wanted to compete in a different way without sounding too harsh, like Puerto Rico reggaeton, which really explodes.
CASTRO: Reggaeton has become “cool” for everyone. It doesn’t have that stigma anymore.
SKY: It’s now a little like salsa choke [a mix of salsa, rap and Pacific Coast beats]. It’s something that’s starting to develop. We’ll see where it’s at a year from now.
How about alternative music. Is there room for that?
SAAVEDRA: In the Latin realm, I think it’s very niche. There’s alternative stuff out there, but it has to make you move. What I’m doing lately is mixing in more electronic elements, and the sound is less rock and a little lighter.
Where do you see Colombian music going next?
SAAVEDRA: The urban movement is still on the rise. As big as it is now, there are 300 up-and-coming acts in every corner. And with heroes like J, there’s a big urban wave coming.
CASTRO: It’s hard to say. A year ago, radio stations had changed their names and become bachata stations. And in less than a year, it has been a 180-degree turn. But I’m hearing [the reggaeton drum kick] dembow everywhere. It’s what everyone wants to do and what everyone wants to explore. Reggaeton is alive again.
SKY: The catch-all phrase is going to be “Put some dembow on that.” More than a song, it’s a total fusion of urban and reggaeton. Even if it’s not reggaeton, its rhythmic base has that. It’s the texture that most people want to listen to now.