By: SoundSlam
Published: Jun. 13, 2005 - New York, NY

As the Reggaeton music movement has become more popular in the States over the last two years, one musician has taken the reigns and made history. Tego Calderon, also known as “El Abayarde,” has officially signed onto a deal with a major label, Atlantic Records. His own label, Jiggeri, will also be included under the new contract, giving him worldwide distribution.

The signing is also significant in the fact that Calderon is going to continue recording his music solely in Spanish for the time being. In a statement, Tego remarked “Idon't want to have to sing in English. My records are heard now and they are in Spanish.”

Specific details of the contract were not revealed, however, responding to issues of artistic integrity, Calderon noted, “I made sure before signing on that I would have total power over my own label, total control over what is one, written, what I sing. I feel like I am in charge. And that makes all the difference.” Reggaeton is an amalgamation of musical styles, melding attributes of salsa, Dominican merengue, Puerto Rican bomba, reggae, rap and hip hop all into one.

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican star has flown straight to the top since his 2003 debut, “Abayarde,” which was also nominated for a Grammy that year. His next release, “The Underdog”, is slated to hit stores in October.