Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents an exciting evening of Fusion Urbana that brings together the popular reggaeton music of the Grammy Award-nominated duo RKM & KEN-Y with hot bachata performances by 24 HORAS and KARLOS ROSÉ on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.
The show is produced by Lehman Center and Jose Raposo.
RKM (José Nieves) and Ken-Y (Kenny Vázquez) started performing together in 2004, while they were still in high school in Puerto Rico. Passionate about singing and playing the piano from a young age, Ken-Y has a rich, beautiful voice flavored with R&B undertones that counterbalances RKM’s “Dem Bow” street entranced raps and rhythms. While still true to the “Spanish Reggae” musical style that blends Jamaican dancehall, soca and bomba influences with hip hop and electronica, they have been dubbed ‘reggaeton’s romantic duo’ because their lyrics focus on love and friendship instead of reggaeton’s traditionally sexually explicit rap about the drugs and violence of inner-city life.
RKM and Ken-Y’s new and refreshing style, especially popular with Latina schoolgirls, led to the breakout success of their album Masterpiece which contained their first hit single “Down” that reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin songs chart in 2006. Two other singles from that album, “Me Matas” and “Iqual Que Ayer,” also made it to the top 10 list, solidifying RKM & Ken-Y’s position as reggaeton’s most successful and popular new artists.
In 2008, the duo followed up with their second album The Royalty: La Realeza that captured the #1 spot on both of Billboard’s Latin and Latin Rhythm charts, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Urban Album and spawned the #1 hit single “Te Regalo Amores.” In addition to their five compilation/live albums and 2011’s hit studio album Forever, RKM & Ken-Y are scheduled to release their fourth studio album Masterpiece II in 2013.
While the three members of the bachata Latin pop band 24 Horas may have grown up in New York City, their music retains all the flavor of their Dominican roots. Lead by Mickey (Jonathan Then), with Joell (Rodolfo Jaquez) and Jiory Garcia (Rubén Severino), 24 Horas are a singing and song-writing sensation that has brought their own unique and contemporary twist to bachata. Their first hit single “24 Horas” was released in 2010 and was quickly followed by “Mami Dame un Beso,” “No Puedo Creer” and “Duele Duele” in 2011, all from their album Los Inolvidables.
Karlos Rosé (Carlos de la Rosa) has been called “Urban bachata’s most electrifying young voice.” Born in the Dominican Republic, and raised in the United States since the age of six, this talented guitarist and singer/songwriter is known for fusing musical genres such as bachata, R&B, pop and urban music. Karlos released his first hit “Just The Way You Are,” the bachata version of the Bruno Mars song, when he was just 17 years old and still a senior in high school. His second single “Infiel” rose to the #1 spot in February and he became the first male artist with two #1 songs on the Billboard Tropical chart before reaching 18 years of age. Karlos’ first album Geminis will be released later this year.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking available.
