Tego talks

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007

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Originally published in Street weekly, Miami, 2004

Tego Calderon's music has a message, and it's one that many want to hear. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and percussionist's debut album, El Abayarde, has sold more than 150,000 copies. A trained musician with street cred, Calderon writes bare knuckle, socially critical lyrics to dense beats that nod to the Afro-Cuban roots of both hip-hop and salsa. Calderon's second album will be released in mid-January. New Year's Day, he'll appear in the Orange Bowl halftime show, where he will perform a rap accompaniment to actress/singer Roselyn Sanchez's ''Amor.'' Last week, Calderon checked in by cell phone while doing errands in his hometown of Carolina, an industrial city on the coast, just outside San Juan.

You just gave a concert at the Santo Domingo Stadium for an audience of thousands. This week you'll appear in the Orange Bowl show. Things seem to have gone really fast for you since El Abayarde was released last year. Why do you think so many people are connecting with your music?

People are giving me so much love, it's off the hook. The thing about my music is I'm myself; I don't try to please anybody. I do the music that I love: the music from Puerto Rico, salsa, hip-hop. I do things the way I think they should be done. And I say things that other people don't say. I talk about racism, about the street, about corruption, about the social problems in Puerto Rico, and I think that's why I've had so much success. People from all over the world can identify with what I'm saying, they can identify with the album. But I don't only talk about social problems, I don't want people to get bored and stop listening. I can talk about racism but with some danceable music mixed in.

Your album got a boost in the United States when your photo was featured on the cover of the arts and leisure section of The New York Times , as part of an article about reggaeton [the Latin hip-hop with a dancehall beat hugely popular in Puerto Rico]. Do you like being classified that way?

I don't consider myself a ''reggaeton'' artist. I just make music. Really what I like is hip-hop and that's what I've always tried to do. I've been experimenting with the reggaeton rhythm and I might keep doing it, but it's not such a big deal for me.

Your music is filled with old school influences, be it Public Enemy or the Fania All Stars.

I think I'm multi-musical. I like Billie Holiday, I like the blues, and I like salsa. I like Afro-Cuban music, the congas, anything with percussion and the African heritage. Rock, too.

You like to mix it up and you are bilingual. Does that mean you might do some songs with English lyrics?
We have to maintain our Latin roots. Our Latin identity is important for Latins all over the world. I don't believe in crossover. I was approached about doing something in English. But it doesn't happen for me, I don't feel it. I'm happy with my Latin thing and this is where I'll stay.

Your Afro has become kind of a trademark for you. Is that a Black Power emblem or just a nod to '70s fashion?

In fashion as well as in music I'm influenced by what's African. I wear an Afro, my father wears an Afro, and my mother wears an Afro. In my house, the Afro look has never gone out of style.

You've said that you identify with singer Ismael Rivera, Puerto Rico's ''Sonero Mayor .'' Why is Rivera such an important figure for you?

Ismael Rivera is the Bob Marley of Puerto Rico. He's a legend. He actually once opened for Bob Marley -- I found that out recently and it really moved me because they have a lot in common. They both gave a lot to society, and they've both set an example for me. Ismael Rivera talked about being black in Puerto Rico when nobody wanted to touch that subject. He always fought for his people, and he's made me understand life better. I heard his music in the cradle; it was what my parents played in the house.

Your audience is primarily a young one, and you even made your music accessible to kids by putting out a ''clean'' version of your album with less graphic language. What message do you want to give to the new generations of Puerto Ricans?

Above all, that material things are not important. It's not about having an expensive car and clothes, or living in a big house. What's important is to feel proud when you look at yourself in the mirror, proud because you treat other people with respect. Always. Everyone's always trying to get ahead, climbing over other people. That's why we have so much war and so many problems in the world today. You have to have values. Respect your elders. Appreciate the simple things in life. I was confused for a while myself. But when I realized that it was the simple things in life that matter, everything started going better for me.

You lived in Miami when you were in high school. How was that experience and what influence did Miami have on you?

My father works with the federal government on health and social issues like venereal disease and AIDS, so we moved to Miami for his job. I went to Miami Beach Senior High. It wasn't the best time of my of life -- it was very lonely for me -- but it made me grow and realize that I don't need anyone but myself. It made me a very strong person. When my father realized it was a tough ride for me and I was changing and having trouble in school, he decided to move back to Puerto Rico. I never imagined that I would later go back to Miami and people would like me, or would love my music. But now I've gone back to Miami for the Billboard Music Awards, and the Grammys, and I've done some shows there, and I've gotten support and it's wonderful for me.
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