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WyY were influenced by Daddy Yankee


Wisin & Yandel plan to conquer world with "Los Extraterrestres"
BY PABLO CALVI
Tuesday, January 1st 2008, 4:00 AM


“We’re beyond reggaetón,” says a caffeine-maxed-out Wisin, the younger member of the famed Wisin & Yandel duo, while pacing around his headquarters in Puerto Rico.
Juan (Wisin) Morera and Llandel (Yandel) Veguilla are in the midst of enjoying the fruits of their relentless quest for stardom, which started in 2000.
Their fifth studio production, “Los Extraterrestres,” has finally spread their infectious beats to South America, with massive airplay even in southernmost Argentina. But the success doesn’t appear to be quite enough for the pair, which is already planning the next move.
“We are aiming at Europe and Russia first, and we know we have the potential to enter these markets hands-down,” boasts Wisin, who recently purchased a mountain in Puerto Rico.
Bragging aside, it’s true that the single “Sexy Movimiento” debuted No. 2 in Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart in November, and has stayed in that position for the last nine weeks. The album is doing equally well, sitting on the same spot on Top Latin Albums last week.
“We’ve incorporated new elements in this album and, you know, when you write a song, you pretty much know if it’s going to be a blast in South America, or in Mexico or here,” says Wisin. “But with ‘Sexy Movimiento,’ we both felt it was a worldwide hit.”
Their recent success, added to the half a million copies sold of their previous album, “Pa’l Mundo,” led Wisin to speculate that it was time to head to the Old Continent.
Though the duo had already four CDs under their belt, they were flying under the radar until the single “Rakata” became a hit in 2005.
Featured in the compilation “Mas Flow, Vol. 2,” the song was key in helping them establish their own company in 2005 — W&Y Records — which soon teamed up with Universal’s Machete Music for distribution in the U.S.
Although less innovative than their compatriots of Calle 13, the self-proclaimed “Duo de la Historia” has paired in hits with reggaetón superstars such as Don Omar and Daddy Yankee — who first featured them in his blockbuster “Barrio Fino.”
“You know, I think that, in the future, people will consider us an important part of the Latin music scene in general, not only reggaetón,” forecasts Wisin, forgetting once more the protocols for modesty.
“There are lots of people who approach us and collaborate with us because they believe in our music: Franco De Vita, Juanes, Gloria Estefan. There’s a long list that proves that we are not only part of the urban movement, that what we do transcends the boundaries of reggaetón. We are Latin music superstars.”

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