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ROX’s new single “Cristal”

Cristal is dedicated to those strong women

“Composing is a magical process”, said a Venezuelan living in the United States that puts the name of her country very high. She is a multifaceted artist and this time presents her new single “Cristal”.

Roxana Frontini, her real name, known in the industry as “Rox”, unveils her new song: “Cristal”, inspired and dedicated to “all the queens of the world”, as its description dictates. Frontini wanted to consciously empower women and honor what they stand for. The song is within the Latin genre and has a very powerful message: “No one can stop her” is one of the phrases she mentions there, referring to “the glass woman.”

“Cristal” had the voice, melody and authorship of the artist, while the production and arrangements were in charge of Arturo Cabrera. The music video was directed by Nestor Cabrera. Since the beginning of December, it has been available on digital platforms. The positive comments have been increasing, as well as the support of her colleagues and followers; the views on YouTube exceed the 100 thousand.

“Cristal is a celebration of the Queen that each woman carries inside, whatever the path we have chosen, we all fulfill an essential role that contributes to the development of our society. The mother, the daughter, the sister, the cousin, the grandmother, the friend… We all matter”, stated the businesswoman.

In the music video, different women can be seen in their facets of everyday life as mothers and workers. This is the first song she has done in Spanish, and she hopes to release its English version soon.

“Our stories are full of challenges and victories that make us precious, like crystal. In each one of us there is a warrior, a friend, a teacher, an angel, and a queen. It is my greatest wish that by singing and dancing this song, each woman connects with her value, and together we shine more. This goes to my beloved, respected and admired Crystal Women all over the World!”

In the music video she wanted to reflect the process she went through while creating the song. She sought to stay fresh, natural, with little makeup, and everyday wardrobe. For this reason, she added some shots in her gym look, very constant in times of pandemic. With the phrase “This song is for each of you because we are all queens and together we shine more”, ends the credits of the music video.

“Part of the song came out one day exercising on my balcony (because we were in full lockdown); minutes before I had had a long conversation with my mother where we covered her life trajectory, and all the things she has overcome including cancer. Then, when the first part of the song was ready, I started working on a new fine art series called Reinas; this series shows very different women, all with something in common, Modern Crowns: hats of different styles, colors and sizes that symbolize the originality of each one. As this series began, the missing piece of Cristal emerged with total fluidity. Every time I sat down to work on the art pieces, it was like the information for Cristal was downloaded to me”

The work was made up of enterprising women who have obtained great merits in different areas: Almudena Álvarez, lawyer, LL.M, partner at Álvarez Lentner; Gisela Morichetti, Visual Communication designer; Lisset Galeyev, photographer, owner of Lisset Galeyev Photography; also Liz Nieves, fashion designer, owner of Ilogear Active & Dance Wear; and Ethel Schutz, Christian, faith leader, and the woman who taught Frontini to paint. All brilliant and worthy of admiration.

Rox is presenting her new single Cristal — Roxana Frontini better known as ROX.

ROX’s Biography

Rox is Venezuelan, born in Caracas and who has made her way internationally. She is an artist, a businesswoman, and has led projects in different areas. She has a very solid career in different aspects. She founded FashionCurators.com, a business that seeks to provide opportunities for stores, brands, and designers to broaden their horizons, and gain a further scope. She has combined her role as an artist and a businesswoman. She writes, paints, dances tango, sings, designs, creates content, and runs businesses. In fact, she has a personal blog. She has done volunteer work, is an expert in marketing and the digital area. A Crystal woman!

The singer began her musical career from a very young age. Her first steps were at the Juan José Landaeta National Conservatory, in her native Caracas. From the age of 15, she composed and collaborated with renowned artists signed by Sony Music. In addition, she is the daughter of a long-time musician, a member of the Fenix Jazz Band, in Argentina. On many occasions, she accompanied him in his presentations, and learned many tips that she then put into practice, in addition to obtaining greater ease in the industry.

At the age of 17, she started in pop-rock covering songs by some greats of the genre and her favorite singers such as: Shakira, Soda Stereo, Fito Páez, The Police, Alanis Morisette, and No Doubt.

At an artistic level, she stands out for her beautiful pieces, inspired for the most part by the femininity that characterizes her so much. Elegant and very subtle pictures and illustrations. It also offers cell phone accessories, clothing, and details for home decoration. Frontini has other musical singles to her credit in English and Spanish. It fuses elements of pop, electro pop, and Latin music “Oasis”, “Your Groove”, “Better Choices”, among others.

She is one of the most renowned Latin exponents in the United States, and has achieved success in Europe, and Latin America. She has struggled to be successful and overcome life’s obstacles; among them, she had to recover from a facial paralysis that changed her perspective but gave her more strength to continue. Thanks to being a multifaceted woman, she was able to focus her energies in other areas.

Her passion for music, art and entrepreneurship gave her the hope she needed at that time. From this experience, she learned to value moments more, and that the greatest treasures are inner power, creativity, purposes in life, family, and wisdom. For this reason, she wanted to inspire others to grow and have tools to constantly face life.
The artist has been very excited about the release of her new single. She did not miss an opportunity to thank those who have supported her and the women who inspired her:

“Special thanks to all the women of the world, for inspiring this song”

For Frontini, composing is a magical process, she feels blessed to be able to collaborate with producers who challenge her as a singer and author. For her, it is a privilege that she is inspired to go beyond her own mental and emotional barriers.

Her musical career will continue to give something to talk about, and perhaps before we imagine, she will surprise us with her album!

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Latin Music Revolution in United States: Record labels that bet on producing Latino Artists

North America / United States

Record labels that bet on the first Latin singers in the United States

Currently, visiting a nightclub in the US and listening to a bachata or merengue song is totally normal. The assistants, regardless of their nationality, will end up dancing and chanting the melodies. However, a few years ago it was not this way. Find out which labels made this a reality.

Latin music came to the United States around 1930 thanks to the bolero. Its growth continued to rise within its borders passing through salsa, chachachá and merengue; until genres such as bachata and Latin jazz became popular in order to position themselves as they are today. To a large extent, social networks have contributed to the projection of today’s artists. For the most part, they create strategies that increase their reach by improving their sales and reproductions. In 2019, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which measures the most popular songs in the United States, there were more Latin songs than ever. A true historical record!

Record Labels in Latin Music — Record Labels of Latin Music

These data were revealed by Leila Cobo, Billboard’s vice president for the Latin market.

In 2018, Latin music rose to the fifth place with the highest demand in the United States, according to the music statistics firm BuzzAngle, in charge of rankings for Rolling Stone magazine.

For many, it is a cause for astonishment and they cannot imagine what the previous story is. The first Latin singers had to go a long way, being rejected in some opportunities but, finally, achieving success on American soil. There is a long list of characters who paved the way for other Latin musicians such as: Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, among others.

Another curious fact worthy of consideration corresponds to the companies that were behind these releases: the record companies. Those record labels that dared to try a foreigner with a proposal in a language other than the United States; They trusted and believed in his talent. Part of this musical revolution, it is thanks to them and their directors.

Record labels that bet on the first Latin singers in the United States

Fania Records

In 1964 this project was born in New York City. It was founded by the American businessman, producer and promoter, Jerry Masucci and the Dominican musician Johnny Pacheco.

Pacheco is one of the most influential figures in Caribbean and Latin music. He is a composer, director, arranger; he specializes in Cuban and Caribbean music such as salsa. This singer also had to go step by step within the US market, train in its streets and go after recognition. In 1960 Pacheco y su Charanga was created, a band that reached more than 100,000 copies on its first album. Alegre Records was the label they signed with. His fame led him to visit countless countries. His experience in the industry made his wish he could help others. After creating Fania Records, he was recognized for promoting the careers of many young artists.

The name of Fania Records was taken from a Cuban song by Reinaldo Bolaño. In part, their great popularity was due to their promotion of salsa. The label supported the greats of the show such as: Rubén Blandes, Willie Colón, Tito Puente, Bobby Valentin, Ray Barretto and Héctor Lavoe, among others.

Alegre Records

It was founded in 1956 by Al Santiago, the owner of a record store in the Bronx. It specialized in products born in the 1950s.

Alegre Records represented, for the most part, Latin music singers. In addition, opening its doors to greats such as Tito Puentes, Johnny Pacheco, founder of Fania Records, Eddie Palmieri. In 1975 it was acquired by Fania Records.

Capitol Records (EMI Latin)

It is an American record company that opened its doors in 1942. Its founders were Johnny Mercer and Buddy DeSyIva, American singers. Today it is owned by Universal Music Group, one of the world’s leading record labels. In most cases, it focused on genres typical of its borders. However, they gave their support to the American with Mexican roots, Selena and the Dominican Juan Luis Guerra.

Discos CBS International

CBS Record Label — Record Label of Latin Music

At first it was located in Coral Globes and then it was transferred to the city of Miami. Discos CBS supported bands like Miami Sound Machine, in which the renowned singer and songwriter Emilio Estefan participated. In 1991, it was acquired by Sony. It is one of the best known for being part of the CBS television network (Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc). It was founded in 1962 by Harvey Schein. Discos CBS is active despite the number of years since its inception. He is dedicated to different genres, without neglecting music in Spanish.

Warner Music Latina (WEA Latina)

It is a label belonging to Warner Music Group, one of the world powers in the field. Warner Music Latina emerged in 1987 and focused on Latin productions, giving the opportunity to artists such as the Puerto Rican, Olga Tañón. It was the label that gave her her first opportunity as a solo artist with the album Sola (1992), making her a Platinum Record recipient. At present, it has branches in different countries of the world. It has production and publication of music, recorded music and services for artists.

RMM Records

It was an independent record company that operated in New York City until the late 1990s. It focused on salsa, merengue, and Latin jazz productions. He worked with artists such as Marc Anthony, Tito Puente, Cheo Feliciano, Tito Nieves, Celia Cruz, Óscar D´León, among others. RMM Records went bankrupt due to legal problems with artists and a millionaire lawsuit filed by singer Glenn Monroig. In 2001 Universal Music acquired the RMM records catalog. A lot of

Over the years, the American music industry was increasingly influenced by songs in Spanish. Those who do not speak the language have commented that they are attracted to the catchy rhythm and do not hesitate to dance them non-stop. The US public has become less skeptical of Latin rhythms. Recording industry experts say it is due to the rhythms and their proximity to the songs in English.

The creation of platforms such as YouTube and the appearance of streaming platforms has given greater openness to the market. More and more Latinos are succeeding in the US and record companies are deciding to finance their projects.

Merlin, a specialized agency, has been in charge of bringing together different independent record companies and managing the collection of income derived from streaming platforms. Half of the record labels associated with Merlin are American. On the other hand, the number of clicks and visits obtained by Latin songs on video platforms such as YouTube and Vevo are increasing, especially in the case of audiences in the US The number of new immigrants and young people must also be considered. Born to Latino or Latin American parents.

The market continues to bet on Latin music. In fact, in the United States there are a large number of stations focused on this type of music. Users can request the songs of their choice and enjoy them at any time of the day.

What will be the next step for songs in Spanish within the United States?

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Los Angeles salsa and its origins

Salsa and its origins

Salsa is a musical genre of Latino origin that has become very popular around the world thanks to the enormous number of artists who have been responsible for spreading it far and wide. Neither salsa or any of the other genre remains static in time and this is because all the transformations and combinations suffered at the years begin to pass. This has given rise to a number of new styles that have also been spreading to many countries thanks to those interested in learning to dance them.

How Los Angeles Salsa Originated

Los Angeles salsa and how to dance it — Two people dancing Los Angeles salsa

One of those styles is Los Angeles salsa, which is named after the city where it was born. In Los Angeles, United States, a family of Mexican origin was directly involved in the origins of this style of salsa. Francisco Vásquez, who spent a significant part of his life in Los Angeles, was delighted with the way many of the greatest dancers of those years danced in nightclubs.

Around this time, this man began to mimic the movements made by these dancers, to perfect them and to add other Hollywood dance steps. After all this process experienced by Francisco, he gave rise to what would later be known as On1. Sometime later, Francisco would teach his brothers what he learned in these clubs, which gave origin to what would become a family business known as Los Rumberos. These brothers were real important in the expansion of this salsa style, but there were many other professional dancers and lovers of Latin culture who have created other companies focused on promoting many musical styles from Latin America.

A very important thing to say about this salsa style is that it was neither the only nor the first salsa rhythm to become famous around the world, as New York salsa has also become very popular in recent years and includes some of the sounds present in tango, jazz, among others.

The presence of Los Angeles salsa in Europe

A type of salsa that only emerged at the local level has become one of the most sought-after musical styles by European music festivals to give them a privileged place in their respective programs, which implies that Latin music has already expanded in its multiple variants to every corner of the Old Continent.

One of the most important reasons why this style has become so famous is the richness of its steps and the varied movements in relation to other typical dance forms of salsa. If Europeans were already very interested in Latin rhythms, such a diversity of rhythms and styles makes them even more curious about our musical culture.

These competitions and festivals held around Europe are very striking and prestigious, as they invite locals to learn to dance different rhythms in order to be eligible for one of the luxurious prizes offered therein. The best of all this is that these competitions include all levels, so you don’t have to be a professional dancer to have a good time and gain one or another recognition.

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Role of the Triangle Trade in the birth of Cuban rumba

What Cuban rumba is

As we all know, Latin music is a very diverse mix of a series of rhythms and musical styles from all over the world. What we know today as Latin music was the result of a whole concoction of historical facts that must come first in any story that seeks to explain the origins of any Latin rhythm that wants to be studied.

A good example of this that we have just said is the Cuban rumba, which is part of a set of cultural concepts that can be found in many parts of the world. There are certain musical rhythms that have allowed us to see that some seemingly alien places have made us discover each and every one of the common points they have, both historically and culturally.

How Cuban rumba starts

Cuban rumba and the Triangle Trade — Some people dancing rumba and and playing drums

One of the most important historical events that marked the birth of the Cuban rumba was the triangular trade carried out between Africa, America and Europe. This fact was the emergence of a large number of musical genres that were resulting from the mixture of rhythms and styles from all the aforementioned continents.

After the Discovery of America, Europe saw in the New World a useful territory for many of the economic activities that were not possible in their respective countries. In the case of labor, many African chiefdoms offered for sale to part of their inhabitants, something that was seen with very good eyes by the powerful Europeans of the time. This is how what historically would be known as triangular trade began.

This activity consisted of sending low-quality materials to be exchanged by African slaves to work with African and American resources in terrible living conditions. Once in America, some African ethnic groups were in charge of introducing the rumba in the Antilles, although the origins of the groups that brought these rhythms continue to be controversial among many scholars of the subject.

Although the slaves worked very hard during the day, they continued to practice their traditional rituals and rites at night. These practices were entirely based on their traditional music and religious customs to stay united with their Mother Earth despite the remoteness and the circumstances. Over time, these rites and percussion instruments were banned, so the new inhabitants of America had to adapt to the instruments allowed by the Spanish Crown. This made these sounds unknown to the Africans together with their forbidden dances in this land were merging until resulting in what we know today as rumba.

Rumba today

Cuban rumba and the role of the slaves — People dressed in white to enjoy Cuban Rumba on the streets

The characteristics of the rumba vary enormously from one place to another, since there are many variations and changes from one continent to another. In Africa, many see this genre as similar to zouk or benga, while Europeans refer to it as flamenco or Catalan rumba. There have been many artists who have taken on the task of making this genre their own and making it evolve to unsuspected levels to make it what it is today.

Today, we can appreciate a good number of subgenres that have their origin in the same parrones rhythms from which rumba derives in its different versions.

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Salsa as a reflect of social inequality

Salsa is more than a musical genre

Salsa is only viewed as a musical genre of Latin American origin that relates to Spain in the wrong way for many people, but it is much more than this. In the same way, we can talk about salsa as a set of Caribbean rhythms and styles amongst which we can find mambo, rumba, guaracha, among others. Nowadays, both definitions are now known to encompass everything salsa means in terms of culture in the Latin world.

Well, turns out salsa went far beyond serving as a type of music to become a cultural and even political phenomenon that played a very important role at momentous points in public life in many Latin countries.

How salsa social movement began

Salsa as a social movement ans its artists — Willie Colon playing the trumpet

As soon as the Cuban Revolution was concrete, the island was gradually isolating itself from the rest of the world in many of the areas of life, especially the artsy one. This resulted in that many local artists were forced to leave their country and relocate to New York, United States. It was there that all these exponents of the aforementioned genre began to work in innovative ways and give new life to this music, thus leading to a number of changes that would transform salsa forever.

One of the most important changes was the fact that music was no longer confined to smart ball-rooms. Now it does too in the corners where you can see the misery in which a significant percentage of the population lives. At these times, the aim was not only to achieve the greatest number of attendees possible, but to achieve those who needed to feel connected to these rhythms.

That audience was composed of Latino neighborhood residents, who were desperate to find any artistic expression capable of reflecting their everyday problems. In this sense, salsa has become a powerful tool of protest against the very poor economic, political and social situation for which Latinos were going through. One of its greatest exponents has been Ruben Blades with songs such as Prohibido Olvidar, Pueblo Latino, and Tiburon. These musical themes are an open critic to governments of all ideological tendencies reneged on promises to the people.

Salsa culture and salsa as part of Latin American identity

Salsa and social inequality — A couple dancing salsa

When we analyze thoroughly the origins of salsa and the most famous artists of this genre, it is not difficult to understand why it has been so successful in the greater share of Latin America. These artistic expressions of this type are the ones that can put into words the feelings experienced by those who wish to create an identity and bring about solid political thoughts. We mention the word identity because it refers to the way we perceive ourselves and we see our traditions and the story behind us.

A large part of the story is related by salsa, which has become a popular life expression as an unambigous reflection of the typical traditions and customs of the Caribbean countries. In the same way, this genre lets us view the experiences, happiness and sadness of those who identify with its lyrics.

Salsa is a clear demonstration that arts are not always disconnected from the feelings of the majority but, on the contrary, it can be a true reflection of what people dream, think and feel from each chapter of history.

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