In a surprising revelation, reggaeton star Nicky Jam admitted that his familiarity with Cuban music was previously limited to a single genre. This confession was captured in the behind-the-scenes footage of the music video for "La Foto," shared by Camagüeyan artist El Shadow on Instagram.
"I only knew about 'reparto,' I wasn't aware that they sang afro, trap, and all that there," the Puerto Rican artist candidly shared in front of the camera while filming the video in Miami.
It wasn't a deliberate search that broadened his musical perspective, but rather the algorithm. "The Cuban music algorithm started flooding my Instagram, a lot, a lot, a lot. I began to receive a ton of talent from Cuba," Nicky Jam explained in the video.
That's how he discovered El Shadow, whose real name is Raudel Gómez Hernández, a 26-year-old from Camagüey known for blending afrobeats, trap, and Caribbean sounds, far removed from the Havana 'reparto' Nicky Jam was accustomed to.
"I saw this young guy and thought, damn. This guy has a flow and a voice different from what I'm used to hearing in Cuba," Nicky Jam remarked about the moment he discovered the Cuban artist.
The Birth of a Musical Collaboration
The story of how their collaboration came to be is as captivating as the song itself. Back in February, El Shadow had only 12,000 followers when he posted a video singing "La Foto" and urged his community to tag Nicky Jam. The reggaeton star not only watched the clip but also commented publicly, "I don't know what you guys think, should I jump on this track? It's fire, it sounds awesome," and later added, "Hit after hit."
This led to a direct message exchange. "I heard the song and immediately hit him up, and when I did, he'd already reached out to me via DM. I told him, 'Man, I like that song, let's do it, let's make it happen,'" Nicky Jam recounted in the behind-the-scenes footage.
Uniting Two Musical Worlds
The music video for "La Foto," premiered on August 13 with an exclusive feature on Billboard in Spanish, merges two distinct worlds: El Shadow recorded his part in Playa Santa Lucía, Camagüey, while Nicky Jam filmed his in Miami. Cuban influencer Samantha Hernández is featured as the lead model.
Within just three days of its release, the video was nearing 3 million views.
Nicky Jam is no stranger to Cuban talent. Earlier this year, he collaborated with the duo Charly & Johayron on "Magia" and has shown enthusiasm for projects by other Cuban artists. However, it was the algorithm, not a planned search, that led him to El Shadow.
Nicky Jam and Cuban Music: Insights and Discoveries
How did Nicky Jam discover El Shadow?
Nicky Jam discovered El Shadow through the Instagram algorithm, which began showing him a lot of Cuban music talent.
What genres did Nicky Jam learn about in Cuban music?
Besides 'reparto,' Nicky Jam learned about Cuban afro music and trap.
What was Nicky Jam's reaction to El Shadow's music?
Nicky Jam was impressed by El Shadow's unique flow and voice, different from what he was used to hearing in Cuba.