Lunay Releases Sophomore Album “El Niño”

Lunay is celebrating his kid status…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican singer, whose full name is Jefnier Osorio Moreno, has released his sophomore album El Niño.

Lunay,

The 15-song set, released under La Familia Records, Chris Jedi and Gaby Music‘s independent label, kicks off with the title track that samples Jerry Rivera’s 1993 salsa hit “Cara de Niño” and transitions into a Latin trap.

The set is also home to edgy perreos (“Vudú,” “Party DB”), solid reggaeton singles (“Le Gusta Que La Vean”), and even some slow-tempo urban bops (“TBC,” “Se Cansó”).

Standout tracks include his sultry collaboration with Anitta on “Todo o Nada” and the infectious “Otra No” with Bryant Myers and Zion.

Other features on El Niño include Chencho Corleone, Zion, Chanell, Giovakartoons, Juliito and Chris Jeday.

“I wanted to make an album before I was 21 to reflect everything that I am right now — what I’m living and what I’ve learned so far — making fun songs for the streets and the clubs, while still being El Niño inside and outside the studio,” Lunay said in a statement.

Gilberto Santa Rosa to Serve as NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade Grand Marshall

Gilberto Santa Rosa is set to have a grand old time at this year’s NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican singer and bandleader, known as “El Caballero de la Salsa,” will serve as the grand marshall of the annual parade on June 11.

Gilberto Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is a Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, who has been active in the music industry for approximately forty years.

But Santa Rosa isn’t the only superstar participating in this year’s parade.

Iris Chacón, the 67-year-old showgirl who came to fame in the 1970s as “the Puerto Rican bombshell” has been named godmother of the parade.

Ozuna will appear as the parade’s Rising Star, salsa singer Ismael Rivera has been named a Puerto Rican Day ambassador, and Latin alternative duo BuscaBulla will also join the parade.

This year’s Puerto Rican Day Parade marks the 60th time that “la parada” fills Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue with tropical music and Puerto Rican pride. Previous grand marshalls include Marc Anthony and Ricky MartinCalle 13’s Rene Perez was crowned king of the parade in 2014.

Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernández, actress Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time) and 14-time MLB All-Star Iván Rodríguez will also participate in this year’s parade.

The event will also reference recent politics: it will honor former political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, who was pardoned by President Barack Obama in January after 35 years in federal prison, as National Freedom Hero. And this year’s parade coincides with 100 years since all Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship by a law enacted by President Woodrow Wilson.

“In this monumental year, we are showcasing our collective achievement and the legacy we have built by working in solidarity,” Puerto Rican Day Parade Board Chair Board Chair Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said at a press conference. “And we will discuss key challenges that Puerto Rico is facing to help inform and engage our community. We also honor legendary figures and the next generation of stars that are already accomplished in their own right.”

Two music festivals preceding the parade will turn June 9-11 into a full throttle Puerto Rican party weekend.

The 2017 Soulfrito festival will feature a line-up of  “club bangers and Latin trap” that includes urban stars Farruko, Zion y Lennox , Bad Bunny, Cosculluela and Ivy Queen starts the party in Brooklyn on Friday, June 9, at the Barclays Center.

Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri and Tito Nieves lead the incredible line-up of the 33rd New York Salsa Festival, which takes place Saturday, June 10, also at the Barclay Center. Jerry Rivera, Grupo Niche, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Tito Rojas and DLG are also among the artists scheduled to perform.

Rivera Earns 12th No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs Chart

It’s twelve on the dot for Jerry Rivera

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer’s latest single “Noche Bohemia,” featuring Anthony Santos, rises 2-1 on Billboard’s Tropical Songs chart.

Jerry Rivera

The song gives Rivera, a Latin Grammy– and Grammy-nominee, his 12th No. 1 on the chart.

The climb ties Rivera with Elvis Crespo for fourth-most No. 1s on the list.

Meanwhile, Santos, a renowned bachata singer from the Dominican Republic, scores his second chart-topper with the rise following a one-week stint at the peak in 2014 with “Solo Te Amo.”

A 25 percent increase at plays at the format drives “Noche Bohemia” to the top of the chart, led by WAMG, Boston with 66 spins recorded during the tracking week.

Natti Natasha: Reggaeton’s Next Big Star

It may be a traditionally male-dominated genre… But that hasn’t stopped Natti Natasha from carving out her place in the world of reggaeton.

The 25-year-old Dominican singer, who credits her musical godfather Don Omar and his record label with helping her make her mark in the genre.

Natti Natasha

“It is a privilege to be with the company and to be supported by such a recognized artist as Don Omar, since I consider him a brother and a teacher, because he has taught me much through his own experiences,” Natasha, whose real name is Natalia Alexandra Gutierrez Batista, recently told Efe in an interview with Efe.

Natasha says the opportunity to be part of the Orfanato Music Group came two years ago, when Don Omar walked into the New York studio where she’d just recorded a song with producer Link-On.

After listening to the track, the reggaeton star called her and asked that she come back to the studio, where he greeted her warmly and praised her work with Link-On.

The video of Natasha’s  first single with Don Omar, “Dutty Love,” has logged more than 34 million hits on YouTube, and the cut will be part of Orfanato’s upcoming release Meet The Orphans: The Next Generation.

From an early age, Natasha—who attended the School of Fine Arts in Santiago when she was only 8—has always had an enormous admiration for artists like Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill and Jerry Rivera, and felt great admiration and affection for Hill, who she still calls one of her favorites.