Tego Calderón

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 { eggaeton}. 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.

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