Two years latter, lyricist Residente (AKA Réne Pérez) has a special message for his Miami fan base. ¨Calle 13 is not reggaeton,¨ he says. ¨It should be more evident with our new record that our music aims to be diverse, and that´s what our listeners are looking for: something new and different.¨
That quest for rhythmical diversity led Residente and his half-brother Visitante (AKA Eduardo Cabra) to release Residente o Visitante, one of the most innovative Latin music records of the year. Unlike its predecessor, which mainly fused reggaeton rhythms with hip-hop beats, the sophomore effort reaches out to all of Latin America with traditional instruments clashing against a plethora of mighty, digital breakbeats. Refreshingly, the new album´s guest list reads like a who´s who of the underground Latin music scene: reggaeton king Tego Calderón, Cuban hip-hop mavericks Orishas, and top Spanish rhymer La Mala Rodriguez. The brothers even managed to snatch celebrated Argentine Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla to collaborate on a new single. The result, ¨Tango del Pecado¨ (¨The Tango of Sin¨), is a dreamlike collage of electronic tango accordion and reggaeton.
Calle 13´s current U.S. tour will bring the group to La Covacha, an intimate venue and, considering the duo´s rising popularity, a great place to catch them before they move on to bigger concert halls. ¨You won´t be disappointed,¨ Residente promises. ¨We may be different, but you are going to like us.
