King’s “Vida” Named the Winner of Sony’s “Supersong” 2014 World Cup Song Contest

It looks like World (Cup) is Elijah King’s oyster…

The Puerto Rican singer, who has made several appearances on the Billboard Latin charts since 2009, has been named the winner of Sony’s “Supersong” 2014 World Cup song contest.

Elijah King

King’s bilingual English and Spanish-language song “Vida” will now be recorded by Ricky Martin.

“Vida,” which has a tropical pop feel, will be produced by Salaam Remi, known for his work with The Fugees, Amy Winehouse and Nas.

The song will be included on FIFA partner Sony’s official 2014 World Cup album, to be released on RCA Records in May. And a video for “Vida,” Martin’s second World Cup song, will be shot in Brazil in March, to be included in a TV special that will air on Sony Pictures TV channels.

King was most recently featured on “Te Gusta” a song by Venezuela’s Grupo Treo that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart in 2013. His 2011 solo single “Quitate la Ropa” peaked at No. 30 on the same chart.

The Miami-based singer/songwriter beat out four lesser-known finalists who entered the contest by uploading their songs to supersong.com, including Brazilian Rodrigo Alexey, a jingle composer who has a studio in Sao Paulo; and American-born Nicolas Salazar, who works as a musician and actor in Bogotá.

Martin’s previous World Cup song, 1998’s “La Copa de La Vida” (The Cup of Life,)” propelled him into the global spotlight, taking off after he performed it on the Grammys. It charted at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs, and went to No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Shakira‘s 2010 World Cup hit “Waka Waka,” with South African group Freshly Ground, has sold 1.7 million downloads in the U.S.

The official 2014 World Cup song will be Pitbull‘s “We Are One featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. The artists will perform their song at the opening ceremony of the soccer tournament, which kicks off June 12 in Sao Paulo.

Kid Cudi to Perform at Rock The Bells Festival

Kid Cudi is ready ready to rock (the bells) this summer…

The 28-year-old part-Mexican American singer—who is nominated for an MTV Movie Award—will be performing at this year’s Rock The Bells, an annual traveling hip-hop festival.

Kid Cudi

Along with Kid Cudi, this year’s lineup of scheduled performers includes J. Cole, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, Ice Cube, Salt-N-Pepa and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

In addition, Missy Elliott, who revealed her battle with Graves’ disease last year and whose seventh studio album has been seven years in the making, will make an “exclusive North American festival performance” at the festival series. The rapper’s longtime producer and collaborator, Timbaland, will join her for the performances.

The festival will make stops at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California (Aug. 18-Aug. 19), Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California (Aug. 25-Aug. 26) and PNC Bank Arts Center in Homdel, New Jersey (Sept. 1-Sept.2).

Tickets will be available on May 19th.

Kingnaldo Releases His Sophmore Album…

He’s a rising star in the world of Latin music… And Kingnaldo’s next project could see his career blow up even more…

The Puerto Rican rockero, whose real name is Reynaldo Serrano Lima, is following up his critically acclaimed  2009 debut with a new album entitled Combustible.

Kingnaldo

Kingnaldo tells Efe that his new disc “goes more directly to things that get to me” like social and human injustices, including the ones imposed by systems of government.

Kingnaldo—born and raised in the western village of San Sebastian, but currently living in Atlanta—is working with musicians like Harold Hopkins on bass and drummer Kirk Marshall, who has accompanied Snoop Dog, Nas and Jada Pinkett Smith.

To help launch his new album, Kingnaldo held a show recently that was dedicated to the 31st anniversary of the death of Puerto Rican inmate rights activist Carlos Torres Irriarte.

In February, Kingnaldo released the music video for the album’s first single “La Mujer De Mi Vida.”