Features
Burning Like Gasolina
Born Raymond Ayala, the singer has been positioned as “King of Improvization,” winning the title five times in a row at Puerto Rico’s Street Jam Reggae Award. Last year’s Barrio Fino album has sold more than 736,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, building on the 33-year-old’s 15-year career.
Daddy Yankee is also killing on the Latin, R&B and hip-hop charts. His music is huge on Spanish and dance radio stations in major markets.
Ayala considers himself an ambassador of reggaeton and said he’s ready to represent the craft to the world, which he will do in an arena tour starting in August, jumping back and forth between North and South America.
Daddy Yankee kicks off his tour at New York City’s Madison Square Garden August 27. September 2-3, he’s in Ecuador’s cities of Quito and Guayaquil, respectively. September 9-10 he holds court at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and San Diego’s Cox Arena.
After a soujourn to Columbia, Ayala returns to the major markets of the States in late September, visiting Boston; Houston; Uncasville, Conn.; the Washington, D.C. area; Dallas; and Miami before closing the visit October 8 at Rosemont, Ill.’s Allstate Arena.