When it pours in Miami, some people cancel their plans. But on a recent Tuesday night, nothing would turn fans of Rauw Alejandro away. The 28-year-old urbano star was the last performer of a late-night showcase hosted by Amazon Music LAT!N and Duars Entertainment at Oasis Wynwood.
After an on-again-off-again deluge that had some fans spreading a tarp over their heads for cover, the rain stopped before Alejandro took the stage. He began his 11-song set with “Dile a Él” from his debut album Afrodisiaco and continued with hits like “Cúrame” and “2/Catorce” from Vice Versa, and other singles.
WLRN is committed to providing South Florida with trusted news and information. As the pandemic continues, our mission is as vital as ever. Your support makes it possible. Please donate today. Thank you.
Many in the crowd sang back to him, especially when he performed his No. 1 single and summer jam “Todo de Ti.” But some of his fans don’t even speak Spanish, like University of Miami grad student Abbey Tomaszewski.
“I am pure Caucasian. My family's from Pennsylvania and Ohio. So when I'm singing the Spanish lyrics, so many people are always like, ‘Oh, you speak Spanish?’ I'm like, ‘Nope!’”
She grew up in Coral Springs and said living in Miami has influenced her music taste.
“Being in Miami, it really showed me that reggaeton is like super lit," Tomaszewski said. "So I’ve been listening to that more, and it’s so fun. Like, how would you not want to blast that in your car?”
The event’s co-sponsor, Amazon Music LAT!N, reports that Latin music listening spiked by 94% on their platform compared to last year. The Latin music brand also says that music requests for reggaeton have grown globally by 126%.
Alejandro was a first-time finalist for the Billboard Latin Music Awards this year, earning two nominations for New Artist of the Year and Latin Pop Song. Unlike other award shows, finalists and winners are chosen by their performance on the Billboard charts, tracking sales, streams and radio airplay. The awards took place last Thursday at UM’s Watsco Center and broadcast on Telemundo.
