Tego Calderon

Born to a school teacher and government worker, Puerto Rican-born Tegui Calderón Rosario, moved to Miami, Florida as a child where he was exposed to a plethora of musical influences. Having initially studied percussion and joined a local rock band playing covers of Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin, the musician also cites his father’s interest in jazz as an influence on his output. Also borrowing from salsa, plena, dancehall and hip-hop, the combination of which would lead Calderón to become one of the forerunners of the reggaeton genre.

After appearing on the albums of fellow Latin rappers, Calderón signed with White Lion Records in 2002. The following year the singer/rapper issued his debut album “El Abayarde” to critical acclaim in 2003, after which he made his performance debut at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The record catapulted Calderón to notoriety, despite the lack of international distribution, and was later nominated for the Lo Nuestro Award for Urban Album of the Year. It became the highest selling reggaeton album of the year and lay the groundworks for the reggaeton genre’s breakthrough into the U.S.

Featuring greater use of dancehall influences, with the intention of being played in clubs, Calderón’s compilation album “El Enemy de los Guasíbiri” was released in January 2004. Alongside Daddy Yankee’s “Bariio Fino” and Ivy Queen’s “Diva” the record further augmented the mainstream breakthrough of reggaeton. The singer’s sophomore album “The Underdog/El Subestimado”, led by the radio single “Los Maté”, represented an introspective album for Calderón, with influences stemmed from salsa, blues, and reggae. Earning positive reviews from the critical press, the album’s subsequent singles were “Chillin’”, “Cuando Baila Reggaeton”, and “Llora, Llora” featuring Oscar D’León.

The full-length “El Abayarde Contraataca” arrived in 2007 the same year Calderón made his film debut in 2007’s “Illegal Tender” and the documentary “Bling: A Planet Rock”. Deciding to focus on his acting career, the singer/rapper’s music was put on the back burner allowing Calderón to feature in “Fast & Furious” and its follow-up “Fast Five”. The mixtape “The Original Gallo Del País - O.G. El Mixtape” appeared in 2012, followed by the Calderón’s fifth full-length “El Que Sabe, Sabe” in 2015.