[CubaNews] 8-year-old Miguelito is reggaeton sensation

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(This isn't about Cuba or Cubans, but about Reggaeton. The kid himself
is Puerto Rican. If you don't care about this musical form, delete this.
The kid is dressed like poor little Elian was while he was in Miami.)
=========================================================================

MIAMI HERALD
8-year-old Miguelito is reggaeton sensation
Posted on Wed, Nov. 07, 2007

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/299406.html 

By FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Miguelito with fan Feria Familia.

SAN JUAN --
It's 11 p.m., the Puerto Rico Coliseum is packed, the reggaeton is blaring,
and it's way past Miguel Angel Valenzuela's bedtime.

Despite the solo he just performed at Daddy Yankee's sold-out concert, or
the rhinestone-studded bling around his neck, or the backup dancers in short
plaid skirts, bedtime was at 9. But on this night, the 8-year-old is
Miguelito, a Latin Grammy nominee who gets to stay up late, at least on
concert nights.

''I have liked reggaeton since I was little,'' he said. 'When I was small, I
thought I was going to be the boss of my father's company. Then when I
turned 6, I thought, `no, I am going to become an artist.' I have reached my
dreams. Now, I am an artist -- Miguelito.''

He is also one of Puerto Rico's littlest celebrities. A Daddy Yankee
protégé, Miguelito not only scored a Latin Grammy nomination, but helped
spawn the latest fad in the San Juan music scene: pint-size reggaetoneros.
The island that gave birth to the popular '80s pre-teen group Menudo and
where Daddy Yankee first sold his sounds on underground cassettes has
created a new wave of musicians who hope to capitalize on kids' fascination
with urban Latino music.

The third-grader has signed with Daddy Yankee's El Cartel Records and has
videos on YouTube that show about a million hits. His first CD sold 50,000
copies, and he's now working on a second. His song ''Móntala'' -- Ride it --
has the kind of raunchy puns you'd expect from the gritty music genre that
is wildly popular here despite a reputation for exploitation of women.

''That's talent right there,'' Daddy Yankee said in a recent interview. ``I
have a vision with artists. I don't sign regular artists. I sign super
stars. Right now, he's a super star.''

Other kids are hoping to become stars, too. Another boy, Xavi ''The
Destroyer,'' is 7 years old, sports diamond-like studs in both earlobes and
has tweezed eyebrows. And a fifth-grader dubbed ''Mimi'' is known as ''the
pretty girl of reggaeton.'' A group of kids from New York called Reggaeton
Niños who sing cleaned up versions of reggaeton songs for the children's
market sold more than 150,000 copies.

Univision television has gotten into the act by putting together a group of
child singers called The Mini-Raperitos.

''When we held a concert, there were 18-year-olds in the audience!'' said
producer Hector Marcano, host of Qué Suerte, the variety show where the
Mini-Raperitos perform each week. 'I thought, `These singers are 6 to 11
years old -- how can this be?' We discovered there was a market there.''

The Mini Raperitos were born when Qué Suerte -- What Luck -- held a Daddy
Yankee lookalike concert. Hundreds of children entered the contest, Marcano
said, and lots of them were good enough to win.

When Marcano saw how many youngsters knew all Daddy Yankee's lyrics by
heart, he saw the makings of a hit.

''Reggaeton has some hardcore songs about killing, so here you have a
possibility for a clean product, for kids to have fun with catchy music,''
he said. ``It would be naive to think this genre has not already invaded our
society.''

The winner of Univision's contest is one of the group's singers, as are
Marcano's three children and the kids of other Puerto Rican television
personalities.

But while this suburban boy band is deliberately toned down, other
childreggaetoneros are out for a more authentic ''gangsta'' look.

Miguelito wears a rhinestone studded skull as a belt buckle, and Xavi
acknowledges that he had to start wearing smaller earrings, because people
criticized him.

''People ask how can a kid who is 7 years old tweeze his eyebrows and wear
earrings,'' said Xavi's father, Rufino Soto. ``It's no different than other
bands that wore tight pants and lipstick. What's different is the context
and the era. Who knows if Xavi will become the next Ricky Martin of
reggaeton?

``There is a vacuum there, and these boys can fill it.''

The boys also occasionally slap girls on their behinds on stage and in
videos. Xavi incorporates insults directed at Miguelito into his songs,
trying to engage his rival in lyrical combat, as adult reggaeton stars often
do.

Miguelito's mother, Dorcas Morales, said she isn't bothered by the
scantily-clad backup dancers, two of whom are his sisters. Miguelito insists
that his get-up is just a gimmick for the stage.

''When I'm playing at home, I dress normal,'' he said. ``I have to make my
bed and brush my teeth and obey my parents. I have not sacrificed my
childhood to be an artist. I have always been a boy. When my parents tell me
to clean up the house, I do it.''

Morales said she has tried to make sure Miguelito enjoys childhood. She
refuses to home school him, even if he sometimes has to attend class by web
cam. He has two tutors who help him catch up on the schoolwork he missed
this year while on tour in Chile, New York, Miami and Ecuador.

''He can't leap over a phase of his life,'' Morales said. ``I will not
participate in that.''

On Thursday, Miguelito is up for his first Latin Grammy, in the best
children's album category. His CD is a far cry from the baby songs and
religious tunes competing in the same category.

On a recent evening, a few days after his solo at Daddy Yankee's concert,
Miguelito sat at a luxury hotel rooftop in San Juan and explained how he
balanced stardom, chores and schoolwork. He was interrupted by Miami music
mogul Emilio Estefan, a hotel guest.

Estefan enthusiastically greeted the boy, and Miguelito politely returned
the gesture, as he would for any other fan. A child accustomed to hanging
out with the likes of Daddy Yankee and Don Omar clearly was not dazzled.

''I like him a lot; he has charisma,'' Estefan said later. 'Reggaeton is the
language of youth. He probably looks at me and says, `Who is that guy?' ''

Once Estefan bid farewell, Miguel Angel had to go home: It was getting
dark,and it was a school night.

  



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