Calle 13 proves the exception - Reggaeton News

By Rosalba Ruiz, The Orange County Register

July 23, 2007

Although the crowd for Saturday night (July 21) for Pacific Amphitheatres lone Latin music show this season was a small one it seemed that less than half the seats were taken every performer still gave 100 percent, and the audience responded accordingly, especially for Puerto Rican headliner Calle 13. Crooked Stylo opened with a dose of hip-hop, brothers Victor and Johnny Lopez sampling popular cumbias and giving them a unique flavor by rapping over them. Reggaeton singers Alexis & Fido followed with their contagious if somewhat formulaic songs. The duo was accompanied on stage by two scantily clad female dancers who helped get the crowd up and dancing.

Curiously, during the half-hour break before Calle 13 emerged the audience was treated to a mix of ranchera songs instead of typical urban fare, reggaeton or even tropical stuff, which would have been more appropriate. Thus, when the main attraction Eduardo Jose Cabra Martínez (aka Visitante) and Rene Perez Joglar (aka Residente) finally came on stage, the crowd was more than ready for it. A band of eight musicians including Visitante started playing as his younger sister Ileana, known as PG-13, started rapping the first few rhymes of Suave, a hit from Calle 13s self-titled debut. Then singer Residente walked into the spotlight, drawing screams.

And for about an hour concert-goers were treated to Calle 13s rich mix of rhythms, with Brazilian, Argentinean and Colombian elements combined with jazz, funk, hip-hop and Residentes very particular flow. It results in a uniquely urban sound that is as universally appealing as Cafe Tacuba or El Gran Silencio can be in a more rock manner. Although some of his lyrics are straight out vulgar, Residentes raps are often smart and sometimes tackle themes not many others take on, such as immigration. (He dedicated Me voy pal norte, or Im Heading North, a front-line, first-person view of the issue, to all immigrants in the world, adding that In this country, we are all residents.)

Add to such unexpectedly topical material strong musical backdrops and what you have is one of the more refreshing alternatives in the Latin scene. No wonder singers such as Nelly Furtado and Alejandro Sanz have collaborated with this talented duo. And seeing them live confirms this is a group with staying power. Unlike most reggaeton acts, Calle 13 is accompanied by a full band – brass, guitars, bass, percussion such as a conga drum and timbales, plus Visitante handling everything from accordion to keyboard to Theremin.

The group closed its set with the song that gave it a following, a cumbia with a reggaeton beat called Atrevete-te (Dare To Do It), a humorous, danceable treat that talks about letting loose and enjoying new things – namely reggaeton.

That may be the beat that helped make Calle 13 famous, but thats hardly the only thing the duo has to offer.