Written by Guilherme Canineo
In the case of Colombian brother duo Cali Y El Dandee, the “singles” path was the preferred one as their second studio album, Colegio, released in early May 2020, came eight years after their debut full-length project. Why, after so many years, did they decide to launch a record at a time where everyone was confined? According to them, being unable to tour and consuming other forms of art gave them extra time and inspiration to finish it.
“We are very happy that the album is out,” Alejandro Rengifo [Cali] told Pulso Pop News back in May. “I believe it is a much rawer, much more authentic, and much more real album, precisely because of all the limitations that we had, and I believe that, in the end, is what will make people connect much more with it,” Mauricio Rengifo [El Dandee] added.
In a time when music has become a synonym of “artistic collaboration,” one could safely concur that Hispanic artists have already been following this “trend” for many years. However, I believe no one will deny that the global phenomenon Despacito, first a joint effort between Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, and later adding Justin Bieber to the mix, pushed Latin sounds to new boundaries. Tying it back to Cali Y El Dandee, first, it isn’t super shocking that six of the eight tracks from Colegio are collaborations, and second, that the duo’s most famous song, Por Fin Te Encontré (2015), is also a partnership with Dominican/Spanish singer/songwriter Juan Magán and fellow Colombian star Sebastián Yatra.
While the first songs of their 12-year career did not include any featured guest(s), including the breakthrough hits Volver (2010) and the two-time platinum-certified Yo Te Esperaré (2011), their international discovery came after unleashing No Hay 2 Sin 3 (Gol) in 2012, a new version of their 2011 single Gol featuring the vocals of Spanish singer/songwriter David Bisbal. The track sold over 20,000 copies and achieved gold certification in Spain. Furthermore, No Hay 2 Sin 3 (Gol) and Yo Te Esperaré were Spain’s tenth and second best-selling songs of 2012. Both songs appear in the duo’s debut album 3 A.M. [UMG], also released in 2012.
Nonetheless, when referencing the collaborations of their sophomore album, both Alejandro and Mauricio stated that they were a crucial part of the direction the project was going and the message it was trying to showcase. Ultimately, Colegio, which translated from Spanish means “school,” is a time of their lives that cannot be remembered without their friends, and that’s exactly what they tried to accomplish when selecting collaborators, their industry friends.
“It’s not about followers, but that people feel things because of the music,” they told Billboard Argentina. “Because they, in the end, need to add to the song. First of all, the chemistry that one has is the one that we have with [Sebastian] Yatra, the one that we have with Mike [Bahía], Piso 21, and with Reik. One is friends with them. We see the music in the same direction, but each one has a different approach to it.”
Music-wise, one aspect that is super distinctive about Cali Y El Dandee’s sound is their ability to incorporate different melodies, instruments, and genres in a single track. The brothers were key players in the creation and development of “Flybot,” a music genre that mixes elements of Latin music, electronic, dubstep, dance-pop, pop, and especially rap. However, although one may categorize their music as Latin Urban Pop, their lyrics transmit a different message as they aim to create music to make people fall in love.
“In 2002, 2003 we were at school [and] we listened to ballads and rock,” they also mentioned during their interview with Billboard Argentina. “Reggaeton arrived at Cali and changed our lives because it presented us with another way of making music and showed us how all the aggressiveness and all the energy from reggaeton couldn’t be found in any other genre. What happened when we tried to create a reggaeton similar to Tito el Bambino, Don Omar, and Daddy Yankee was that we couldn’t because we were listening to other types of music, we were listening to ballads and melodies. Therefore, at that moment, we understood that we could tackle any other genre over reggaeton rhythm, and that how new sounds are generated.”
In the eight-year gap between both albums, Cali Y El Dandee have been busy writing, producing and unleashing multiple tracks that had most listeners enamored and dancing, including Lumbra (2017), the platinum-certified collaboration with Jamaican superstar Shaggy, their 2018 hit called Sirena, and the beautifully crafted “+” (2019), a partnership with Spanish rising star Aitana. The duo has also left the lead role and is featured in other creative works as singers, songwriters, and producers. The brothers have been working with Latin Grammy-winner Colombian producer Andrés Torres for a couple of years, whom Mauricio produced Despacito with.
Cali Y El Dandee may have just released a new record, but they haven’t taken a break from studio sessions. Therefore, if confinement continues, can we get a new album (or an EP) sooner than we expect?
Keep up with us on our Social Media to discover more artists and music industry professionals with each #WhoDatWednesday
Instagram: @3300Climbing
Twitter: @3300Climbing
Facebook: @3300+Climbing