The iconic singer talked about how she had to overcome obstacles in reggaeton, a style that was dominated by men in the beginning.
Ivy Queen claimed her status as a reggaeton pioneer on Tuesday at Leading Ladies of Entertainment, a Latin Grammy event that pays tribute to women who have broken down barriers in the world of art and entertainment.
The iconic Puerto Rican singer received this tribute along with composer Mónica Vélez, publicist Mayna Nevárez and Spotify executive Mia Nygren.
In a virtual ceremony due to the pandemic, Ivy Queen spoke about how she had to overcome obstacles in reggaeton, a style that is now sweeping the world and that in its beginnings was dominated by men.
“In my genre I was the first woman to sing reggaeton. Previously there were ‘merenrap’ and things like that, but when I got into rap and reggaeton they told me: ‘Ah, a woman rapping, what is that'”, she recalled.
“It is a constant battle in which you have to prove that you are who you are and that no one is going to steal what you were born with. It is a constant challenge,” he added.
Ivy Queen admitted that it took her a while to realize that “being different and sounding different” was not “a curse” but “a gift.”
“When I started I had many things that were a disadvantage. My nails were an ‘issue’ (a problem), my colored hair, my appearance, my loose clothes … Everything was an ‘issue’. I kind of had to please to others and stop pleasing me, “he explained.
Known as “the queen of reggaeton” and now considered an indispensable figure of this genre, Ivy Queen asked the women of Latin music to “not be silenced”, she encouraged them to break with the conventions and predetermined roles, and also urged them to “not let their legacy and their mark disappear.”
Ivy Queen and Willie Colón, in the Latin Composers Hall of Fame
Ivy Queen and her story of overcoming
In the fifth edition of the Leading Ladies of Entertainment event, Ivy Queen was accompanied by Mia Nygren, who is Spotify’s general director for Latin America; Mayna Nevárez, who is one of the most important publicists in the Latin industry; and Mónica Vélez, a prestigious composer who has signed songs for Marc Anthony, Paulina Rubio or Los Tigres del Norte.
Different stars of Hispanic music -such as Residente, Daddy Yankee, Malú or Reik- participated in this digital event to congratulate and praise the honorees at Leading Ladies of Entertainment 2021.
The event featured the actor Carlos Ponce as the presenter and the intervention of Manuel Abud, who is the CEO of the Latin Recording Academy.
The Leading Ladies of Entertainment tribute took place two days before the 2021 edition of the Latin Grammy takes place in Las Vegas (USA), which returns to the city of the game after the virtual gala for the pandemic of the year previous.
Camilo, with ten nominations, is the top nominee for these awards followed by Juan Luis Guerra (six mentions) and C. Tangana (five statuette options). (AND)
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