Daddy Yankee

Name: Ramón "Raymond" Luis Ayala Rodríguez
Date of birth: 3 February 1977.
Place of birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico


DADDY YANKEE is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and Latin Grammy Award winner. His international fame opened up new possibilities, like to be the “advertiser” of Pepsi soft drinks and Reebook footwear. He also made “Talento de barrio” movie for Paramount Pictures.

Rodriguez, aka Daddy Yankee was interested in music already in his early childhood, influenced by his father who was a bongosero (a salsa percussionist) and mother who was a musical performer. At age seventeen, Rodriguez was caught in the crossfire of a “barrio” gun battle and received two bullet wounds. One bullet grazed his arm and the other, from an AK-47, hit him in the leg and left him with a permanent limp. He intended to become a Major League Baseball player but because of this injury he was unable to continue the sport.

He got into Latin Hip-hop and “underground rap” by numerous artists where he developed his own unique style.
•    His first album “No Mercy” was released in 1995 (with Nicky Jam).
•    From 2000 Ayala concentrated on releasing independent albums, like: El Cartel and El Cartel, Vol.2 (2001)
•    El Cangri.com made him an international success, receiving considerable coverage in the states of Miami and New York.
•    In 2004 “Barrio Fino” album received numerous awards, such as Premio Lo Nuestro, Latin Billboard Music Award. Daddy Yankee was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
•    In 2005 won numerous Awards with his hit “Gasolina”.


Discography:
1995    No Mercy
1998    El Cartel
2001    El Cartel 2
2002    El Cangri.com
2003    Los Homerun-es
2004    Gasolina, Pt. 2.
2004    Barrio Fino
2005    Ahora le Toca al Cangri! Live
2005    Barrio Fino En Directo
2005    Los Homerun-es
2006    Rompe
2007    El Cartel: The Big Boss
2008    Talento de Barrio
2010    Mundial
 

by Zsuzsa Melkvi
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About the Author: Zsuzsa Melkvi is a salsa dancer and teacher, having competed in Latin-American and Standard dances from 1995-1998. She is also the founder of Baila Cuba (www.bailacuba.hu), a Dance company focused on giving exclusively pure Afro-Cuban workshops in Hungary. Zsuzsa holds a BA degree in Economics from the University of Hertfordshire.