Holiday Essentials #2: Calle 13

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Calle 13 are probably best known for remixing No Hay Igual for Nelly Furtado, working with Volito and for appearing on the scene during the explosion of Reggaeton. However, while dipping their toes into reggaeton and hip-hop, they have incorporated many different styles and influences in their music across their three studio albums - including traditional music and slang from various countries they have toured.



Residente's lyrics are often satirical and sarcastic with clever use of parody. With tracks that touch on the typical "urban" themes (sex, drugs, women of easy virtue), they do so in an atypical style - you wouldn't get 50 Cent or TI proclaiming that they have a small penis and premature ejeculation problems in their tepid shitefests! The band have also courted controversy with sexually explicit lyrics, references to drug use, attacks on the Puerto Rican government and the FBI, and accusations of racism & mysogyny.

Residente is rather attractive in that skinny Latino thug way.



Calle 13 (2005)

Their debut album is rather impressive, though a tad too long for my liking - what is it about "urban" acts and never ending albums? - and while it starts out strong it tends to get weaker towards the end.

Turn On: Suave Mix
Turn Off: Pi-Di-Di-Di
Bap Rating: Bionda's Buxoms



Residente O Visitante (2007)

Easily the weakest of the three, caused a stir amoung fans and critics for daring to use influences and slang from other countries and cultures! While rather ambitious, it doesn't live up the the promise of their previous effort but is never the less a solid effort. Having the four singles from the previous album tacked on to the end of the International versions only highlights the weaknesses. However, it does contain a fabulous attack on the old crone in Sin Exagerer

Turn On: La Crema
Turn Off: La Fokin Moda
Bap Rating: Paris Hilton's Pancakes





Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo (2008)

Probably their strongest and most cohesive effort, managing to switch between styles and genres yet flow nicely as a whole - indeed skipping any tracks actually ruins the flow of the album! The classy introduction, the subject matter of several tracks (Fiesta De Locos, John El Esquizofrenico) booklet pictures seem to suggest Residente is placing himself in a mental hospital, adding to the flavour. While it does have one or two weaker tracks, it doesn't have a single dud.

Turn On: Electro Movimiento
Turn Off: Ven Y Criticame
Bap Rating: Dannii's WMDD's

Visit: The official Calle 13 youtube channel, Calle 13 Website, Calle 13 on myspace