Vicente García

The Latin Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Vicente García is gifted with a naturally reedy yet crystalline tenor voice; his music ranges from breezy, sophisticated tropical pop to acoustic balladry to Latin soul and electro. Though he established his professional bona fides as lead vocalist of Calor Urbano, it is as a solo artist that his own music has matured and diversified from the pop ballads, merengue, and bachata of his debut album to the scorching tropical fusion of 2016's Melodrama. Born Vicente Luis García Luis Guillén in Santo Domingo in 1983, he began his musical career as member of funk-soul outfit Calor Urbano and went on to achieve significant local success. After an eight-year stint with the band, García launched a solo career in 2011 with the release of Melodrama. The album put him at the forefront of contemporary bachata and bolero singers, a position reinforced in 2013 by the viral hit single "Te Soñé." Signed by Sony Music, García entered the big leagues of Latin music with A la Mar (2016). Produced by Eduardo "Visitante" Cabra of Calle 13, the album was rewarded with three Latin Grammys: Best Singer/Songwriter Album, Best New Artist, and Best Tropical Song for "Bachata en Kingston." In 2018, Garcia and Visitante collaborated as a duo named Trending Topics for the album-length project of the same name advanced by the 196 BPM electro merengue single "Elintelné." Produced by Fabrice Dupont, the set also included a slew of guest contributors including Ziggy Marley, Li Saumet from Bomba Estéreo, Pucho from the Spanish indie rockers Vetusta Morla, the traditional Afro-Colombian singer Nidia Góngora, and iLe (Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar), Cabra's sister, who sang with Calle 13 for a decade. ~ Mariano Prunes