Divino
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Divino is a reggaeton artist, whose real name is Daniel Velazquez.
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[edit] Early career
Divino began his career at the age of fifteen, when his family moved from The Bronx, New York, to Ponce, Puerto Rico. Already a prolific songwriter, Divino immersed himself in the island's booming Spanish-language rap scene. With the help of a neighborhood acquaintance, he started recording his very own cassettes and selling them on the streets, thereby amassing a local following. Thanks to this growing buzz, Divino managed to score gigs as the opening act for Puerto Rican rap pioneers Vico C and Ruben DJ during their performances in Ponce. In 1994, Divino recorded his first official single, A Donde Voy, for the compilation album MC Non-Stop Reggae Vol. 1 as part of the group Psycho Unity. But despite the success of the single, Divino decided to concentrate his energies on his day job as an assistant in a juvenile institution.
[edit] Comeback
His brother, K2 Young, had made in-roads in the reggaetón genre as a member of DJ Playeros esteemed crew. He was well-known for his close friendship with Baby Ranks, with whom he often performed. Divino decided that it was his brother's fate to conquer the genre and opted to live vicariously through him instead of joining him in that journey. His own musical aspirations faded to the background. In 1999, Divino's brother was killed, only one day after celebrating his 21st birthday. "I don't know if it was my rage or my anguish, but I decided to reenter the genre," Divino says of his comeback in 2000. Baby Ranks, who was also devastated by the loss, asked Divino to join him on a track he was recording for the production Darwins The Music II. Later, they joined forces again for the hit Quiero Esa Nena from DJ Nelsons The Flow: Sweet Dreams. Impressed by Divinos voice and his unique songwriting abilities, other artists began requesting that he appear on their records. Among them was Daddy Yankee who featured Divino in Dímelo on 2002's ElCangri.com and later, Wisin y Yandel, with whom he collaborated on Salgo Filotiao on the duo's De Otra Manera album.
Perhaps the most pivotal release in Divino's career was the song Quiero Saber, which he recorded for the compilation album MVP which sold over 100,000 copies in 2002. Shortly thereafter, José Angel Gocho Torres, the producer of MVP, teamed up with Raúl López, CEO of Luar Music and MVP Records, labels which artist rosters include reggae band Cultura Profectica and reggaetón duo Angel & Khriz among others.
Gocho approached Divino and asked if he would be interested in signing to the upstart label of MVP Records, Divino quickly agreed. In 2003, he released his solo album Todo A Su Tiempo, which included such hits as the Daddy Yankee collaboration Se Activaron Los Anormales, Super Gangsteril featuring Polaco, Ya Estoy Llegando, and the ballad Dile Mar. But the most meaningful song for Divino was the profoundly personal Una Lágrima, a heart-rending tribute to his late brother. "My dream was always to record a song and dedicate it to my brother," Divino says, "that was always my motivation."
[edit] Critical acclaim
Moved by his introspective lyrics and his distinctive flow, audiences and critics alike began to take note. Todo A Su Tiempo achieved gold status and Divino earned two nominations for the 2004 Billboard Awards: one for Best New Artist and another for Best Tropical Album. Since then, Divino has released such hits as Llégale, featured in Hector El Father Presenta Los Anormales and Un Simple Bandolero, featured in MVP 2:The Grand Slam. With reggaetón earning international acclaim and Divino poised for even greater success, MVP Records released Todo A Su Tiempo: Platinum Edition on Feb. 14th. The album includes original recordings from Todo A Su Tiempo, as well as the hits Noche de Travesura, Un Simple Bandolero and Llégale, with two brand new songs, Amor de Una Noche and Para Donde Voy. The proud father is also recording his second solo album, Por Experiencias Propias, which he will dedicate to his two children. "All of my songs have some history to them," Divino says. "Even when you look at the titles of my albums, they have a personal significance to me. I named my first album Todo A Su Tiempo because after I recorded my first few tracks, everyone was like, 'Divino, when is your album coming out?' And my response was always 'Todo a su tiempo' (All in due time). Por Experiencias Propias will be just that: a collection of songs that touch on my own life experiences."
He has worked with many great artists and producers such as Daddy Yankee, Luny Tunes and Gold2 Flow.
[edit] Discography
- Todo a Su Tiempo (2004)
- Todo a Su Tiempo (Platinum Edition) (2006)
