Yotuel Romero
Encyclopedia
Yotuel Omar Manzanarez Romero (born October 6, 1976) is an singer, actor
and musician
current lead singer and co-writer of the 2003 Latin Grammy Award winner Platinum album selling rap group Orishas
. Among other recordings, Emigrante
won the 2003 Latin Grammy Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album. This same album was also nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award
for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
, Cuba
.
His name is a combination of three Spanish
pronouns yo, tú and él (I, you, and he). His parents could not agree on a name so they decided to combine all 3 pronouns.
. At just 5 years of age he began to play waterpolo. At 15 years of age he started the Jujitsu form of martial arts, which he practised until the age of 19. He is also Afro-Cuban.
During the year 1996 Liván Nuñez, a Cuban singer who lived in France, visited Cuba and told the struggling Amenaza group about his interest in recording some songs with them.
In 1997 they won the first price in the 3rd edition of the underground Cuban Rap Music Awards, later on that year they would record a demo produced by X Alfonso
This first group had a very good acceptance and a lot of radio play in Cuba and some national television appearances in Cuba. From all this found fame they meet Petra Morales a representative of a French non-profit organization called ADHESIF, she liked their work so she arranged for them to travel to France from Cuba to do a cultural exchange program and to promote them outside Cuba.
While in France very few things were being done regarding the group, they had very few events and shows planned and it seemed that they did not agree with the same special requirements they had for them, one thing led to another and the band ended up homeless in the streets of Paris
for about a month, they would eat at friends homes and back to sleeping in the Paris Métro
.
There was already a strong rap music scene in Paris and they took advantage of this, they got together with Livan and the producer Niko Noki introduced them to another singer named Roldan at a club called Cupol and from that moment the group Orishas
was born. Right away they started writing lyrics and musical themes for the demo that would later become their first album titled A Lo Cubano
.
Since then Yotuel has not stopped working. He has worked on three television series La Casa de los Lios and Cuando Yo Sea Grande (Peruvian TV) and in Spain Un Paso Adelante. Movies include the features Color Habana and Perfecto Amor Equivocado, he is currently filming Chico Nuevo en la Ciudad . He has also starred in ad campaigns for Ducados
and Havana Club
.
Besides being a singer, actor and a model, Yotuel has also done work as a record producer
on two songs El rey de la pachanga and Distinto from the recordings Emigrante and El Kilo respectively.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
current lead singer and co-writer of the 2003 Latin Grammy Award winner Platinum album selling rap group Orishas
Orishas (band)
Orishas was a Cuban hip hop group The group was first called "Amenaza", "threat" or "menace" in Spanish, and appealed to the Cuban youth who were hungry for African-American culture consisting of hip hop and rap. Orishas delved into a realm of music that created a black identity to which some...
. Among other recordings, Emigrante
Emigrante
Emigrante is the follow-up to the well-received début album, A Lo Cubano, by the Cuban hip hop band Orishas. The album was released on June 11, 2002, after Flaco-Pro left the band.-Track listing:#"¿Que Pasa?" - 3:41#"Mujer" - 3:49#"Guajiro" - 3:19...
won the 2003 Latin Grammy Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album. This same album was also nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award
Grammy Awards of 2003
The 45th Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2003. Musicians accomplishments from the previous year were recognized. Norah Jones was the night's big winner winning five awards including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal...
for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Life
Yotuel was born in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
His name is a combination of three Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
pronouns yo, tú and él (I, you, and he). His parents could not agree on a name so they decided to combine all 3 pronouns.
Early life
From a young age his passions were sports and musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. At just 5 years of age he began to play waterpolo. At 15 years of age he started the Jujitsu form of martial arts, which he practised until the age of 19. He is also Afro-Cuban.
Career
He started performing rap music early in life. When he was 18 years old he got together with his friend Hiram Riveri (aka Ruzzo) and Joel Pando and all three started a rap group called Amenaza (Menace). Having any success as a rap artist in Cuba proved difficult so he also started acting in theatre and television and doing some modelling work.During the year 1996 Liván Nuñez, a Cuban singer who lived in France, visited Cuba and told the struggling Amenaza group about his interest in recording some songs with them.
In 1997 they won the first price in the 3rd edition of the underground Cuban Rap Music Awards, later on that year they would record a demo produced by X Alfonso
This first group had a very good acceptance and a lot of radio play in Cuba and some national television appearances in Cuba. From all this found fame they meet Petra Morales a representative of a French non-profit organization called ADHESIF, she liked their work so she arranged for them to travel to France from Cuba to do a cultural exchange program and to promote them outside Cuba.
While in France very few things were being done regarding the group, they had very few events and shows planned and it seemed that they did not agree with the same special requirements they had for them, one thing led to another and the band ended up homeless in the streets of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for about a month, they would eat at friends homes and back to sleeping in the Paris Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
.
There was already a strong rap music scene in Paris and they took advantage of this, they got together with Livan and the producer Niko Noki introduced them to another singer named Roldan at a club called Cupol and from that moment the group Orishas
Orishas (band)
Orishas was a Cuban hip hop group The group was first called "Amenaza", "threat" or "menace" in Spanish, and appealed to the Cuban youth who were hungry for African-American culture consisting of hip hop and rap. Orishas delved into a realm of music that created a black identity to which some...
was born. Right away they started writing lyrics and musical themes for the demo that would later become their first album titled A Lo Cubano
A Lo Cubano
A Lo Cubano is the debut album by Orishas, a Cuban hip hop group. It was originally released on October 3, 2000 on the Universal Latino label.-Track listing:#"Intro" – 1:57#"Represent" – 3:57...
.
Since then Yotuel has not stopped working. He has worked on three television series La Casa de los Lios and Cuando Yo Sea Grande (Peruvian TV) and in Spain Un Paso Adelante. Movies include the features Color Habana and Perfecto Amor Equivocado, he is currently filming Chico Nuevo en la Ciudad . He has also starred in ad campaigns for Ducados
Ducados
Ducados may refer to:* Duchy or dukedom and governed by a Duke or Duchess regnant* A form of currency used in old Spain, a local version of the ducat*In the plural:Ducados, A brand of cigarettes from Spain...
and Havana Club
Havana Club
Havana Club is a brand of rum, made in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. The brand was established by José Arechabala in 1878. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the distillery and company was nationalized by the Cuban government; subsequently, the Arechabala family left for Spain, then emigrated to the...
.
Besides being a singer, actor and a model, Yotuel has also done work as a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
on two songs El rey de la pachanga and Distinto from the recordings Emigrante and El Kilo respectively.