TEGO CALDERON
ARTIST: TEGO CALDERON
URL: WWW.TEGOCALDERON.COM
ALBUM: CONTRA-ATACA
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TEGOCALDERON/
1. It is trully an honor to be in the presence of an artists that is consistently breaking barriers. From being the first Latino artist on Power 105 here in NY, to selling out the Garden at 20 thousand deep, to being the first reggaeton artist to have a deal with a major record company, and now finally a role on the big screen. My first question to you is what brings you back to the big apple this time? We have various events planned here in NY. Firstly, we’re here promoting my new album “El Abayarde Contra-Ataca”. We’re also going to be performing live on MTV3, and then finally a concert in Madison Square Garden which is hosted by 105.9 FM, La Kalle.
2. I know Abayarde is a type of insect and I’ve heard your AKA “El Abayarde” since the beginning of your career but I don’t recall hearing how you got that as a nickname. Where does that name come from? Yes, Abayarde is an insect that is very bothersome in Puerto Rico, but it’s also a phrase used by Grandmothers to describe their rowdy children. When I got into the music scene I used the nickname to describe myself because other then Vico C. no one really spoke about strong topics. I felt my lyrics were strong and would bother people the way an Abayarde is bothersome. I added the line “El Abayarde” Tego Calde in one of my songs, and it has stuck every since.
3. What’s new and/or different about EL ABAYARDE CONTRA-ATACA then your other albums? I feel this album is really going back to our roots, to enjoying music, enjoying what we do and what we’re about. We’ve been a victim of some bad business in the industry and in turn we lost some passion in the work that we love so much. We added the Abayarde Counter- Attacks as a way to say that we’re counter attacking and going back to our roots. We’re bringing good energy to the scene. I had the opportunity and good fortune of visiting Africa recently and the experience has made me very humble to my roots. The trip made me really appreciate what I have, my success, my family, my roots and especially my career. There was a time where I felt I was taking my good fortune for granted and my trip really opened my eyes.
4. I remember reading somewhere that after this trip to Africa you decided you were no longer going to wear jewelery. What did you see in Africa that made you come to this decision? I went to a part of Africa where there was conflict and war for many years and thousands died due to the mining of diamonds. I saw the outcome of the war while I was there, especially the unmeasurable violence that exists. Witnessing the injustice really opened my eyes to things we don’t see or hear about everyday and yet it is such a rich and beautiful place. When you see people that look like you and your family living in such extreme poverty due to mining diamonds, it makes you realize the injustice. Even if diamonds came from somewhere else I’m no longer interested…I can live without them.
5. You speak about many diverse issues in your songs like politics, racism, drugs and ghetto lifestyles. To me that shows your range as an intellect. If not music, what else do you think you would have set out to do as far as a career goes? Well I would’ve liked to be a lawyer and while I didn’t pursue it, I’m not really in a position to complain. I have no regrets especially since I feel I envisioned what I was going to set out to do. G-d decides what’s for each of us and music was for me. I don’t really like to think about the “what if’s” and even the mistakes I’ve made were put there so I can be where I am today. If it weren’t for music I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am today.
6. What’s up and coming with your label called Jiggiri records? Any new artists soon to launch? Well I have an artist named Chyno Nino, which is the only artist I have signed so far. He’s Hip-hop like me and very talented. We’re working on finishing his album. We now have our own studio and we’re working on an office that will manage artists. I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of work but I’d like to obtain opportunities for my collegues as well. I wanted something to call my own which is why I started my own label.
7. I want to talk a little bit about your acting experience. I know that you turned down roles in both “Feel The Noise” and “El Cantante” but accepted the role of Choco, a Puerto Rican gangster, in the film “Illegal Tender”. What appealed to you about this role and movie as opposed to the other offers? I didn’t feel the scripts were for me in those other offers. The roles were minor and I felt that in “Illegal Tender” there was a bigger role for me. Although the character I played isn’t really me, I was fortunate to work with John Singleton and Frank Reyes who gave me a role that I felt was more revealing and ground-breaking then the roles I had been offered.
8. Can we look forward to seeing some more of you on the big screen? Any upcoming projects in that arena in the works? Yes, absolutely. I have plans with John Singleton to do a comedy which will also be starring Luiz Guzman. Right now we’re just talking about it but it’s going to be something like the Latin version of the “Bad News Bears.” My role will be a trainer of a Puerto Rican little league team. I approached John with the idea of doing comedy because I’m not a fan of “been there, done that” and I’d like to try something new. I don’t only want to be casted for the role of being a delinquent.
9. The music forecast reads that Reggaeton will not do so well this upcoming year but Latin Hip-Hop is at it’s all-time best. Do you agree? I love it. I’m of both genres and I absolutely love Hip-Hop. I would love for Latin Hip-Hop to break barriers. I don’t believe that Reggaeton will die though, they’ve been saying that for years even in Puerto Rico and yet we’ve been around for 10-12 years. It took one hit to make Reggaeton big in the states and soon after that we were being offered several collaborations with major artists in the industry. I’ve turned down many offers to do collaborations with major artists in the industry because I felt that years ago when we were trying to break into the industry, none of them really supported us and once it was mainstream they were looking to hop onto the hype that Reggaeton was making. In this case I’m not interested in collaborating with artists with such views. I believe that Reggaeton, like Salsa, will just be another genre of music. There will always be the legends and then the new comers like in all genres of music.
10. You are considered to be one of the fore fathers of Latin Urban music, I think your the most fitting person to ask if there are any artists rising now that you feel have been underestimated and we should watch out for? Well there are artists in Puerto Rico that I feel have not been exposed. For example, off the top of my head there is a guy named Yavia who I made a song with. He is very talented and I wish to see him succeed. I also collaberated with an artist named Randy that is also extremely talented and I think there are big things to come in his future.
11. I’ve heard many artists say that they were truest to their art when it was underground. Do you feel that mainstreaming music takes away from the art and feel of Urban music such as Reggaeton and Latin Hip-Hop? I like to be active in both genres. Commercializing music is necessary to sell because at the end of the day this is a business. It’s happened in all genres of music and although it does take away from the art a bit…it is in fact necessary.
12. You’ve always been proud of preaching what you practice so to speak. For example, you once stated that you can’t say one thing in the words to your songs and then personally be about something else. Are there any artists out there now that you feel don’t practice what they preach? Oh yes many. The majority of artists don’t practice what they preach. It doesn’t matter whether your a Salsa artist, a Hip-Hop artist, or a Reggaeton artist. Just like in real life sometimes people don’t do what they say they will.
Interview by: Susan Douglin for Perrealo.com