Rigo Luna, BMI's Joe Maggini and Myles Lewis, Matt Dorrien, Sabrina Taylor and Andre Comeau.

The Acoustic Lounge is one of many opportunities BMI offers to artists to showcase their talent in front of their peers and a supportive audience. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun, offering a great opportunity to network with other aspiring and working singer/songwriters. For established writers, it provides a chance to monitor new musical trends and be involved in the grass-roots/DIY musical movement.

BMI's Tracie Verlinde and Delia Orjuela, Rigo Luna, BMI's Page Sober, Matt Dorrien, BMI's Anne Cecere, Sabrina Taylor and Andre Comeau

]]> 2006-09-15T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/events/entry/533587 Artists, Luna, Rigo, Regions, Los Angeles, Songwriter / Industry, Showcase, Showcase Templated 2006-09-11T02:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/533482 Artists, Akwid, Babyface, Figueroa, Michael, Luna, Rigo, Musical Styles, Latin, Musicworld, On The Scene As a senior in high school, songwriter Michael Figueroa was asked a question by his academic advisor, “What will you do after you graduate?” “I have no idea,” he replied. His counselor then asked what he was passionate about. The answer to that was easy; Michael eagerly answered, “Music!” Following his passion, Figueroa has forged a successful career as an up-and-coming bilingual songwriter and composer working in the Latin music genre.

A fan of technology, Figueroa honed his musical ear for music of all genres, beats and languages by being a mobile DJ during his teenage years. Growing up with artists ranging from Jose Jose, Juan Gabriel and Vicente Fernandez, to Babyface, Brian McKnight and most recently Alicia Keys, he approached music as he heard it – in Spanish and English, in multiple genres.

He began to write and record many of his songs with the help of a small four-track recorder, and started to co-write with friends such as Octavio Gutierrez, an accomplished pianist who studied music at a conservatory in Cuba.

In 1997 his unique touch as a songwriter was tapped by Abraham Quintanilla, who at that time was launching a joint venture with EMI called Qzone Records, to write half of the CD for the group Unison on Qzone. Since then he has written songs for Jennifer Peña, Los Gallitos, Mireya, La Conquista, La Fuerza, and teen sensation Sesi, many on Qzone. Additionally, Michael has also written songs for Grammy winner La Mafia, “Objetivo: Fama” winner Anais, Rigo Luna (Machete Records) and Yolanda Perez (Fonovisa).

In 2005 Michael started working on co-writing three songs in English for the motion picture SPIN starring Fernando Carrillo and Shalim. The film is due to be released in the fall of 2006 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Michael also co-wrote eight songs with platinum recording artist Frankie J for his new CD Un Nuevo Dia, which shipped platinum. The debut single, “Pensando En Ti,” was co-written by Michael and recently hit No. 13 on the Billboard Latin charts.

Michael is currently busy at work writing songs for artists Xtreme, Miky Bad Boy,Mayra Veronica, Amanda Coral, Ness Bautista and Dominic Marte.

“I think the future of Latin music is more exciting than ever,” says Figureoa. “The innovation that is happening across the genres is bringing a new freedom to creators like myself – as well as the artists. Now is the time when artists, musicians, producers and writers are willing to break the mold like never before. It’s given someone like myself the green light to write songs that represent the future of music vs. what is being played on radio right now.

“My vision has always been to innovate; why can’t I mix a classic song like ‘El Reloj’ with rap? Then came Akwid. Why not fuse cumbia with reggaeton? Then came Calle 13. Why not fuse bolero with hip-hop, ranchera with rock, bachata with r&b, and do it in English and Spanish. A bilingual approach. Why not? It’s an exciting time – I’m part of a new generation in music and it’s really exciting to me. It’s my home.”

by Andrea Pelser

Rigo Luna	La Sinfonia	Reyes Brothers

"El Otro Lado del Hip-Hop II" is a live performance showcase highlighting some of BMI's cutting-edge urban Latino artists and groups from the Southern California area.

Eddie G	Mexiclan

Born and raised in Compton, Calif., Rigo Luna started his music career as a member of the successful 90s r&b group Nu-Flavor, whose Gold single "Heaven" helped sell close to one million copies of their two CDs. He embarked on a solo career in late 2001 and was soon signed to Machete Music/Universal. He is currently working on his solo record to be released this summer. In the meantime, he is featured on Abusivo's current single "Cuidala," which is getting rave reviews at radio. Univision recording artists Akwid (who also participated on the album) will also perform with Rigo Luna for one song.

With their debut Sony BMG release El Dolor, La Lucha y El Triunfo (Pain, Struggle and Triumph), rap-en-Español trio La Sinfonia offers honest commentary on life in the streets while maintaining a defiant, unifying optimism. Comprised of rappers Seis (Alfonso García), Arsenal (Luis E. Bañuelos) and rapper/singer Vane (Arsenal's sister Vanessa Bañuelos), L.A.-based La Sinfonia is also one of the few bands in its genre whose female member is a true equal - together they wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the 15 tracks on their debut CD. One of the breakout Latin rap groups of 2005, La Sinfonia has been performing live across the U.S. in support of their CD as well as working on new material.

After vowing to one day finally work together, the Reyes Brothers - Senen "Sen Dog" Reyes and younger brother Ulpiano "Mellow Man Ace" Reyes - have joined forces to create their debut album, Ghetto Therapy for Latin Thug/Hawino Records. Sen Dog is best known as one-third of rap titans Cypress Hill, while Mellow Man Ace holds the "Guinness" record for being the first Latin rapper to go platinum, largely off the pioneering Spanglish single "Mentirosa." Collectively, the brothers' worldwide album sales exceed a staggering 20 million. Their careers have paved the way for countless others, forever widening and changing the international hip-hop landscape. With Ghetto Therapy, the two sound comfortable and natural as if they had been recording together throughout their careers. They're brothers, but by no means are they carbon copies of each other, so their divergent styles mesh together well.

Eddie G - aka the Mex Threat - began his career at the age of 12, when he started composing his first songs and poems. Growing up in Long Beach, Calif., in a single-parent, immigrant household, Eddie G took his early life experiences and combined them with the everyday portrait of life in Los Angeles to create his unique bilingual hip-hop. Combining hip-hop and reggaeton, he has quickly become one of the most versatile bilingual rap artists around, known for his great dexterity in being able to fluidly dominate in both English and Spanish.

Leaders of the Latin urban regional movement, Mexiclan represents the vibrant voice of two cultures, two languages and one way of life. The duo, made up of Sem Vargas and Sam Loko, share a great friendship marked by an equally great passion for music. Vargas sang in his local church choir at six and began setting up norteña music bands where he learned how to play the bass, keyboard and guitar. Loko became a master at improvisational rap that drew on his experiences in the barrio. With two successful albums under their belts, the authentic, innovative music of this duet from California continues with the release of their third album, El Nuevo Imperio. The CD is a byproduct of an impressively developed musical style, combining rap with versatile Latin rhythms such as cumbia, soul, a dash of reggaeton, salsa, electronica, and of course, the vibrant character of the accordion. The CD was accompanied by a DVD release that includes the videos for the band's most popular songs like "Stupid & Creído" and "Si o no," as well as interviews and behind-the-scenes segments.

DJ Joe Matrix is a DJ, promoter, producer and pioneer in Latino nightlife and the founder of Matrix Entertainment. Launched in 1989 and based in Los Angeles (818), Matrix Entertainment has since been at the forefront of Reggae Latino (reggaeton) and the Latin nightclub industry. Labeled by many in the industry as "the Godfather of reggaeton in Los Angeles," Joe Matrix has played an important role in the birth and molding of today's urban dance scene and is currently developing local talent in the genre. From warehouses, the Hollywood club scene, and an extensive and exclusive list of nightclubs through out the greater Los Angeles area (currently, the Rumba Room), DJ Joe Matrix has been delivering trendsetting Latin music and entertainment to the masses for over 15 years.

About Mun2:
Mun2 is the preeminent voice for Latino youth in America. Launched in 2001, the bilingual, multiplatform youth entertainment network offers authentic content that reflects the lifestyle of this fast-growing segment of the population with original, relevant and cutting-edge programs in proven genres including music, movies, sports, fashion and social activism. The network, which reflects emerging trends in all areas of pop and youth culture that are endorsed by its bicultural audience, is available nationwide on digital and analog cable, and satellite and free television. Mun2 is distributed to over 10 million U.S. TV households and is the first-ever Latino youth-oriented cable network to have full subscription to the Nielsen Hispanic Household Index measurement service. The network is part of Telemundo Cable Networks, a division of NBC Universal Cable Networks and a division of Telemundo, which is wholly-owned and operated by NBC Universal.]]> 2006-06-13T18:00:01-05:00