Mi Plan (Spanish: My Plan) is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado and the first she has released in Spanish. It was first released on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label, Nelstar Entertainment. The album was produced primarily by Furtado with other contributions made by James Bryan, Lester Mendez, Salaam Remi, The Demolition Crew, Julieta Venegas and Brian West. Furtado described the songs on the album to be "simple love songs".

Mi Plan was generally well received by music critics, most applauding Furtado's vocals. The album reached number one on the US Latin Billboard chart, and was later certified platinum (Latin field) album by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album won a Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album in 2010. The lead single from the album, "Manos al Aire" was released in June 2009. The song became Furtado's first solo number one single on the US Billboard Top Latin Songs chart. She also became the first North American artist to top the chart with an original Spanish song. Two further singles came from the album, "Más", released in December 2009, and "Bajo Otra Luz", released in June 2010. The album was further supported by her 2010 Mi Plan Tour, her first tour reaching Latin America. A remix album was released in October 2010, featuring remixes of the singles.

Background[link]

Furtado began working with guitarist and producer James Bryan on "My Plan", for a possible English language album.^[1] She said she would try to write songs in English and then in Portuguese but that she did not feel inspired.^[2] She mentioned that fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Cuba suggested that they try writing the lyrics in Spanish and then he would go on to write the melodies.^[1] After approving of the idea, she said that she, Cuba and Bryan started "really organically writing songs" in Spanish.^[1] Cuba then helped them pen more songs, including the title track, "Mi Plan", and "Manos al Aire". "Mi Plan" features Cuba on vocals.^[3][4] According to Cuba, the three got together five times between September 2008 and February 2009 and wrote nine songs, six of which made it onto the album.^[5] Furtado also worked with Julieta Venegas, who wrote the song "Bajo Otra Luz" and also contributed to another song called "Vacación", playing the accordion.^[6] Altogether, Furtado wrote 24 Spanish-language songs, 12 of which made the final track list.^[7]

Content[link]

In an interview with the The Associated Press, Furtado said that the album was a personal statement and that the central theme was love.^[8] She noted that her previous albums had songs that "explored certain aspects of love, but they're not really direct love songs" and the songs on Mi Plan were more simple.^[8] She also claimed that she "wanted to abandon the dance-pop vibe of her last record and try a different sound."^[2] Furtado explained that she decided she wanted to perform in Spanish because she did not follow commercial or sales trends and that the album was "the next phase".^[9] She said that writing songs in Spanish felt "very liberating"^[10] allowing her to "express other emotions" singing in Spanish because, as she put it, "In English, especially as a woman, the moment you start to be angry, you get labelled bad-tempered like Alanis Morissette, or if you're too sad, you get written off as fragile and sappy."^[9][11]

The first track on the album is "Manos al Aire", an uptempo dance-influenced track, which Furtado says is about "having a heated argument" with her love interest. During the chorus, she puts up the "white flag" and "surrenders" to him.^[12] Another song from the album entitled, "Bajo Otra Luz", Furtado proclaimed, is about "when you are in a relationship and you are under a light. You feel like something is glowing on you and there is something different about the world. You can’t put your finger on it."^[13] The seventh track, "Suficiente Tiempo", is a description of the busy life of an overworked wife who is "trying to make time for a date night".^[11] Furtado said that the album was "purposefully collaboration-heavy" because she "want[ed] it to sound like a community effort. I wanted it to have all those layers of experience"^[14] She also collaborated with Josh Groban on a song entitled, "Silencio" and called the collaboration a "huge blessing." She felt it was important to feature "an artist that people know more for their English recordings" because she wanted to demonstrate that "language isn't a barrier when it comes to music."^[15]

Critical reception[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[16]
BBC Music	(mixed)[11]
Billboard	(favorable)[17]
Digital Spy	[18]
Entertainment Weekly	(C)[19]
MusicOMH	[20]
Slant	[21]
The Boston Globe	(favorable)[22]
The New York Times	(favorable)[23]
Yahoo! Music UK	[24]

The album was generally well-received by critics: it scored 71/100 among professional music critics cited by Metacritic.^[25] In a positive review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that the album is "assured and cohesive" and claimed that it is her "strongest album yet".^[16] Billboard described the album as "straightforward songs that appeal to melodic sensibilities rather than rhythmic contraptions, the set is a mix of vulnerability and earnestness."^[17] The Boston Globe said "Furtado bridges pop sensibilities with Latin music" and also mentioned the songs, "Sueños" and "Silencio", saying that they "bring out the purity in Furtado’s vocals".^[22]

Digital Spy writer, Mayor Nissim, asserted that "aside from the vocals and lyrics, much of the music here wouldn't sound out of place in the UK or US charts, which is both a good and bad thing." He also went on to say that "the fact Manos and several other songs feature rather Americanised production can prevent them from completely hitting the mark" because, as he put it, "Furtado's tunes don't always get the Spanish wallop her vocals deserve."^[18] MusicOMH said in its review that "For the most part, the album is a pretty good listen" and claimed that songs from the album are "pleasant but never overly diverting."^[20] Paul Lester, a writer for BBC, gave the album a mixed review and said the music is "equally inoffensive". The writer compared it to her previous release, Loose and claimed that "Timbaland’s inventive approach to dance motion is much missed".^[11] Entertainment Weekly also stated, "Without the Midas touch of studio magician Timbaland, Furtado has only her nasal, pleasant-enough vocals and a distinctly middlebrow musicality."^[19] Kevin Liedel of Slant Magazine was very critical, writing, "[it] manifests itself here in a labored and predictable fashion" and also said it is "heartless, with forced sincerity".^[21]

Chart performance[link]

Mi Plan debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart on October 3, 2009, making it Furtado's first Latin number-one album.^[26] The album also debuted at number-one on the Latin Pop Albums chart, where it spent five weeks.^[27] On November 6, 2009, the album received a platinum certification (Latin field) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 100,000 copies.^[28] According to Nielson SoundScan, the album was the highest selling Latin pop album in 2009.^[29] It shipped over 60,000 copies in its first week.^[29] The album also entered the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at number 39.^[30] In Switzerland, Mi Plan entered the charts at number three and stayed in the top ten for five weeks.^[31] There, the album was certified gold for shipping over 15,000 units.^[32] At the 11th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, Furtado won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album.^[33]

Promotion[link]

Prior to the album's release, three promotional singles were released exclusively on Apple's iTunes Store as a "Countdown to Mi Plan."^[34] "Más" was the first promotional single released on July 21, 2009. The next month, "Mi Plan" was released, followed by "Bajo Otra Luz" in early September.^[34] "Silencio" was digitally released as a promotional single only for U.E. from Rhapsody on September 1, 2009.^[35] On October 26, 2010, a 12-track album titled Mi Plan Remixes was released, featuring singles released from Mi Plan.^[36] An English version of "Fuerte" was released as a promotional single from Mi Plan and Mi Plan Remixes on October 26, 2010.^[37] Before she began touring, Furtado appeared at various award shows and small venues, performing in places such as the 2009 ALMA Awards.^[38] Furtado also appeared at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2010, performing a medley of "Fuerte" and "Bajo Otra Luz", alongside La Mala Rodríguez and The JabbaWockeeZ.^[39] The album was also supported by the Mi Plan Tour, which began on March 16, 2010, in Mexico and Venezuela and continued further into Latin America, with six more venues in Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.^[40][41] Furtado performed at Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi, supported by Taio Cruz and Tinchy Stryder.^[42]

[edit] Mi Plan Tour

The tour was announced on January 5, 2010 via Furtado's official website.^[43] For the tour, Furtado asked her fans for help choosing the setlist, asking which songs should be on the show.^[44] The concert in Santiago was one of the firsts after the 2010 Chile earthquake that happened 3 weeks before. Nelly Furtado donated 5% of the revenues to the people affected by the catastrophe.^[45] To promote the tour in Brazil, on March 24, 2010, Furtado made a "VIP Pocket Show" appeared in the reality show program Big Brother Brasil 10 from Rede Globo, the country's leading channel. She performed 5 songs from the tour in acoustic versions ("Maneater", "I'm Like a Bird", "Try", "Say It Right" and "Turn Off The Light").

Singles[link]

"Manos al aire" was released on June 30, 2009 as the lead single from the album, sent to worldwide radio with digital and mobile retail availability the next day. It was Furtado's first single to top the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Tracks.^[46] With the song, Furtado made history by becoming the first North American artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart with an original Spanish song that was not translated from another language.^[47] It achieved international success, peaking at number two in Germany,^[48] Czech Republic,^[49] and Italy^[50] while it reached the top twenty in various other countries such as Switzerland, France and Spain.^[51]

"Más" was the second single released from the album. It was released as a download single on December 18, 2009, in Germany.^[52] It did not perform as well as "Manos al Aire", peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart.^[53] An Italian version of the song was digitally released on January 22, 2010.^[54]

"Bajo otra luz" was digitally released from iTunes in Canada and Mexico on August 31, 2009.^[55][56] It premiered as the final single from the album on US radio in early May 2010 with digital downloading available on June 15, 2010.^[57] It was the least successful single from the album, not charting anywhere.

Track listing[link]

• "Fantasmas" (hidden track, starts 5 minutes and 11 seconds into "Feliz Cumpleaños") – 3:33

Personnel[link]

Credits below are adapted from the Mi Plan liner notes.^[6]

Production[link]

Guest appearances[link]

Charts and certifications[link]

See also[link]

32x28px	Music of Canada portal
	Latin American music portal

• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2009
• List of number-one Billboard Latin Pop Albums of 2009

Release history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mi Plan at Metacritic

Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado at the red carpet receiving a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Nelly Kim Furtado
Born	(1978-12-02) December 2, 1978 (age 33)
Origin	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Pop, rock, folk, R&B, Latin pop, hip hop, dance pop, world music
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, ukulele, trombone
Years active	1996–present
Labels	DreamWorks, Geffen, MMG, Universal Music Latino
Website	NellyFurtado.com

Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her second studio album, Folklore, was released. It was less commercially successful in the US but produced three international singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)", "Try", and "Força" (the theme of the 2004 European Football Championship). Her third studio album, Loose was her biggest success worldwide. It produced the number-one hits "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)". After a three-year break, she released her first full-length Spanish album, Mi Plan. For Mi Plan, Furtado received the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. Furtado's fourth English-language studio album, The Spirit Indestructible, is set for release on September 18, 2012.

Biography[link]

Early life and career beginnings[link]

Furtado was born on December 2, 1978, in Victoria, British Columbia, to Portuguese parents, Maria Manuela and António José Furtado, both immigrants from the Azores.^[1] She was named after Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim.^[2] Her parents were born on São Miguel Island and emigrated to Canada in the late 1960s.^[3] Her siblings are Michael Anthony and Lisa Anne. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home.^[2][4] At age four, she began performing and singing in Portuguese.^[1][3] Furtado's first public performance was when she sang a duet with her mother at a church on Portugal Day. She began playing musical instruments at the age of nine, learning the trombone, ukulele and – in later years – the guitar and keyboards. At the age of 12, she began writing songs,^[2] and as a teenager, she performed in a Portuguese marching band.^[3] Furtado has acknowledged her family as the source of her strong work ethic; she spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her mother, along with her brother and sister, who was a housekeeper in Victoria.^[5] She has stated that coming from a working class background has shaped her identity in a positive way.

During a visit with her sister Lisa Anne in Toronto, the summer after eleventh grade, Furtado met Tallis Newkirk, member of the hip hop group Plains of Fascination. She contributed vocals to their 1996 album, Join the Ranks, on the track "Waitin' 4 The Streets".^[6] After graduating from Mount Douglas Secondary School in 1996, she moved to Toronto to reside with her sister Lisa Anne. The following year, she formed Nelstar, a trip hop duo with Newkirk. Ultimately, Furtado felt the trip-hop style of the duo was "too segregated", and believed it did not represent her personality or allow her to showcase her vocal ability.^[6] She left the group and planned to move back home. In 1997, she performed at the Honey Jam talent show.^[6][7] Her performance attracted the attention of The Philosopher Kings singer Gerald Eaton, who then approached her to write with him. He and fellow Kings member Brian West helped Furtado produce a demo. She left Toronto, but returned again to record more material with Eaton and West. The material recorded during these sessions led to her 1999 record deal with DreamWorks Records, where she was signed by A&R executive Beth Halper, partner of Garbage drummer and record producer Butch Vig.^[8] Furtado's first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)", was released that year on the Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

[edit] 2000–05: Whoa, Nelly!, motherhood and Folklore

Furtado continued the collaboration with Eaton and West, who co-produced her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which was released in October 2000. The album was an international success, supported by three international singles: "I'm like a Bird", "Turn off the Light", and "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)". It received four Grammy nominations in 2002, and her debut single won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's work was also critically acclaimed for her innovative mixture of various genres and sounds. Slant Magazine called the album "a delightful and refreshing antidote to the army of 'pop princesses' and rap-metal bands that had taken over popular music at the turn of the millennium".^[9] The sound of the album was strongly influenced by musicians who had traversed cultures and "the challenge of making heartfelt, emotional music that's upbeat and hopeful".^[10] According to Maclean's magazine, Whoa, Nelly! had sold six million copies worldwide as of August 2006.^[11] Portions of the song "Scared of You" are in Portuguese, while "Onde Estás" is entirely in Portuguese, reflecting Furtado's Portuguese heritage.^[3] Following the release of the album, Furtado headlined the "Burn in the Spotlight Tour" and also appeared on Moby's Area:One tour.

In 2002, Furtado appeared on the song "Thin Line", on underground hip hop group Jurassic 5's album Power in Numbers.^[12] The same year, Furtado provided her vocals to the Paul Oakenfold's song "The Harder They Come" from the album Bunkka and also made the song "These words are my own". She also had a collaboration with Colombian artist Juanes, in the song "Fotografia" where she showed her diversity of yet another language. Furtado was also featured in "Breathe" from Swollen Members "Monsters in the Closet" release; the video for "Breathe," directed by Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane, won the 2003 Western Canadian Music Awards Outstanding Video and MuchVIBE Best Rap Video.^[13] In 2003, in Toronto, Furtado gave birth to a daughter, Nevis Chetan Furtado, whose father is Jasper Gahunia. Furtado and Gahunia, who had been good friends for several years, remained together for four years until their breakup in 2005. Furtado told Blender magazine that they continue to be good friends and jointly share responsibility of raising Nevis.^[14]

Furtado's second album, Folklore, was released in November 2003. The final track on the album, "Childhood Dreams", was dedicated to her daughter, Nevis. The album includes the single "Força" (meaning "strength"/ "power" or "you can do it!" in Portuguese), the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship. Furtado performed this song in Lisbon at the championship's final, in which the Portugal national team played.^[15] The lead single is "Powerless (Say What You Want)" and the second single is the ballad "Try". The album was not as successful as her debut, partly due to the album's less "poppy" sound,^[16] as well as underpromotion from her label DreamWorks Records. DreamWorks had just been sold to Universal Music Group. In 2005, DreamWorks Records, along with many of its artists including Furtado, was absorbed into Geffen Records. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" was later remixed, featuring Colombian rocker Juanes, who had previously worked with Furtado on his track "Fotografía" ("Photograph"). The two would collaborate again on "Te Busqué" ("I searched for you"), a single from Furtado's 2006 album Loose.^[17]

[edit] 2006–09: Loose and marriage

Furtado performing live in Nuremberg, in 2006

Furtado's third album, named Loose, after the spontaneous, creative decisions she made while creating the album, was released in June 2006.^[18][19] In this album, primarily produced by Timbaland, Furtado experiments with sounds from R&B, hip hop, and 1980s music.^[20] Furtado herself describes the album's sound as punk-hop, described as "modern, poppy, spooky" and as having "a mysterious, after-midnight vibe... extremely visceral".^[18] She attributed the youthful sound of the album to the presence of her two-year-old daughter.^[20] The album received generally positive reviews from critics,^[21] with some citing the "revitalising" effect of Timbaland on Furtado's music,^[22][23] and others calling it "slick, smart and surprising".^[24] Some have labeled her a "sellout" for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favour of hip hop and R&B, while others have accused her of attempting to "sex up" her music and appearance to sell more records.^[25][26] Loose has become the most successful album of Furtado's career so far, as it reached number one, not only in Canada and the United States, but also several countries worldwide. The album produced her first number-one hit in the United States, "Promiscuous", as well as her first number-one hit in the United Kingdom, "Maneater". The single "Say It Right" eventually became Furtado's most successful song worldwide, due to its huge success in Europe and in the United States, where it became her second number-one hit. "All Good Things (Come to an End)" became her most successful song in Europe, topping single charts in numerous countries there.

In June 2006 in an interview with Genre magazine, when asked if she had "ever felt an attraction to women", Furtado replied "Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy".^[27] Some considered this an announcement of bisexuality,^[28] but in August 2006, she stated that she was "straight, but very open-minded".^[29] In November 2006, Furtado revealed that she once turned down $500,000 to pose fully clothed in Playboy.^[30] On February 16, 2007, Furtado embarked on the "Get Loose Tour". She returned in March 2007 to her hometown of Victoria to perform a concert at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. In honour of her visit, local leaders officially proclaimed March 21, 2007, the first day of spring, as Nelly Furtado Day.^[31] After the tour, she released her first live DVD/CD named Loose the Concert.^[32] On April 1, 2007, Furtado was a performer and host of the 2007 Juno Awards in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She won all five awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. She also appeared on stage at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London on July 1, 2007, where she performed "Say It Right", "Maneater", and "I'm like a Bird". In 2007, Furtado and Justin Timberlake were featured on Timbaland's single "Give It to Me",^[33] which became her third number-one single in the U.S. and second in the UK. In late 2008, Furtado collaborated with James Morrison on a song called "Broken Strings" for his album Songs for You, Truths for Me. The single was released on December 8^[34] and peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart in early January. In 2008, she sang with the Italian group "Zero Assoluto" the ballad Win or Lose – Appena prima di partire, released in Italy, France and Germany and whose video was shot in Barcelona. Furtado made a guest appearance on Flo Rida's new album, R.O.O.T.S..^[35] Furtado also made a guest appearance on Divine Brown's Love Chronicles, co-writing and singing on the background of the song "Sunglasses". Furtado married Cuban sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón, with whom she had worked on the Loose album, on July 19, 2008.^[36][37]

[edit] 2009–2012: Mi Plan and greatest hits

Furtado's debut Spanish album, Mi Plan was released with the first single, "Manos Al Aire" ("Hands in the Air").^[38] She had formed her own record label, Nelstar, in conjunction with Canadian independent label group Last Gang Labels. The first act signed to Nelstar is Fritz Helder & the Phantoms.^[39] "Manos al Aire" was released on the new label.^[40] The second, third and fourth singles were "Más", "Mi Plan" and "Bajo Otra Luz" respectively. Furtado won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Mi Plan. She is the first Canadian to win a Latin Grammy award. Furtado also recorded "Manos al Aire" in Simlish for the new Sims 3 expansion, World Adventures.^[41] Lifestyle, her planned fourth English studio album, was not released during the summer of 2010 in favor a second leg of her Mi Plan Tour. To promote the tour in Brazil, on March 24, 2010, Furtado made a "VIP Pocket Show" in reality show program Big Brother Brasil 10 from Rede Globo, the country's leading channel. Furtado participated in the live DVD recording of the Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo in Madison Square Garden on September 4, 2010. Furtado released Mi Plan Remixes featuring 12 tracks of remixed hits from "Mi Plan." This album included the Original Spanglish Version of "Fuerte", her final release from Mi Plan.

Furtado made a guest appearance on Canadian singer k-os's new album Yes!, collaborating alongside Saukrates on the song "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman," released in early July 2009. Nelly Furtado also made a guest appearance on Tiësto's single "Who Wants to Be Alone"^[42] on his new album Kaleidoscope. Furtado sang in a duet with Bryan Adams at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. The song was called "Bang The Drum" released on EMI album Sounds Of Vancouver 2010 (a commemorative album). Furtado is featured in a new song by N.E.R.D. called "Hot N Fun". She also participated in the Young Artists for Haiti song, in which many Canadian artists came together and sang K'naan's inspirational song "Wavin' Flag" to raise money for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake. Furtado was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in October 2010.^[43]

Furtado released her first greatest hits album titled The Best of Nelly Furtado on November 16, 2010. Three new songs were included on the greatest hits album, including "Night Is Young", "Girlfriend in the City", and the Lester Mendez produced track, left over from the Loose sessions, "Stars". The album's first single, "Night Is Young",^[44] was released on October 12, 2010.^[45] Furtado had previously sang two of the new songs: "Girlfriend in the City" and "Night Is Young" at her concert in Warsaw, Poland.^[46] Furtado was one of several celebrities who have come under fire after 2011 reports from the New York Times and a WikiLeaks document revealed several entertainers had received extravagant sums to perform for the family of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. She promised to donate to charity the $1 million she received for a 2007 concert,^[47] which ended up going to Free the Children.^[48]

Furtado publicly endorsed Green Party leader Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands during the federal election in 2011.^[49] Furtado was featured on one of the Game's The R.E.D. Album tracks, titled "Mamma Knows" (produced by The Neptunes).^[50] For the Canadian film The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom, Furtado lent her vocals for the Dolly Parton gospel cover "The Seeker" featured during the credits of the film.^[51][52] Furtado collaborated with recording artist Alex Cuba and K'naan once again. The duet with K'naan "Is Anybody Out There", was released as the first single from his extended play More Beautiful than Silence.^[53][54]

[edit] 2012–present: The Spirit Indestructible

The Spirit Indestructible will be released in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2012 and a day later in the US.^[55] Furtado proclaims that The Spirit Indestructible would be most like her 2000 debut Whoa, Nelly!, but containing elements from urban, alternative, and reggae.^[56][57] The influences for the album range from Janelle Monae, The xx, to Florence + the Machine.^[58] The album has attracted producers such as The Neptunes, Tiësto, Timbaland, Rick Nowels, Ryan Tedder and Rodney Jerkins.^{[59][60][61][62]} The first single from The Spirit Indestructable, "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)", was released digitally on April 17, 2012^[63] and was sent to North American radio stations on May 1, 2012.^[64] Furtado continued to collaborate with hip-hop producer Salaam Remi, who previously worked on the 2010 single "Night Is Young", on "The Edge". The lyrics for the Salaam Remi produced track are reported to be influenced by the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, in which was originally referred to as "Elin's Song".^[65] On July 2, 2011 Furtado performed a new track, an acoustic ballad titled "Mystery", from her upcoming studio album. Furtado intends on promoting the album for at least two years while embarking on a tour.^[66][67]

Furtado has simultaneously begun work on a full-length Portuguese album, as a follow-up to her Spanish effort, Mi Plan.^[68]

Philanthropy[link]

For World AIDS Day in 2006, Furtado took part in an AIDS awareness concert in South Africa hosted by MTV, BET, and Nike; fellow performers included Enrique Iglesias, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson.^[69] Furtado also hosted a program about AIDS on MTV, which also featured guests Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake.^[69] On September 27, 2011, Furtado announced during Free the Children's WeDay Toronto, that she was giving $1,000,000 to Free the Children's effort to build girls' schools in the Maasai region of Kenya.^[48]

Artistry[link]

Influences[link]

During her pre-teenage to teenage years, Furtado embraced many musical genres, listening heavily to mainstream R&B, hip hop, alternative hip hop, drum and bass, trip hop, world music (including Portuguese fado, Brazilian bossa nova and Indian music), and a variety of others.^[2] Her biggest influence when growing up was Ani DiFranco, she explained that "[w]hen I was a teenager, I wanted to be (the feminist punk-folk singer) Ani DiFranco. I never wanted to be part of corporate music."^[70] She cites diverse influences, which include soul-trip/hip hop artists such as De La Soul, TLC, world music artists Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amalia Rodrigues, as well as Caetano Veloso, Juanes, Jeff Buckley, Esthero, Björk, Cornershop, Oasis, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins and Beck.^[2][8] Furtado's music has also been influenced by her current residence, Toronto, which she calls "the most multicultural city in the entire world" and a place where she "can be any culture". Regarding Toronto's cultural diversity, she has said that she did not have to wait for the Internet revolution to learn about world music; she began listening to it at the age of five and continues to discover new genres.

Discography[link]

• Whoa, Nelly! (2000)
• Folklore (2003)
• Loose (2006)
• Mi Plan (2009)
• The Spirit Indestructible (2012)

Tours[link]

• Burn in the Spotlight Tour (2001)
• Come as You Are Tour (2004)
• Get Loose Tour (2007-2008)
• Mi Plan Tour (2010)

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of awards and nominations received by Nelly Furtado

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nelly Furtado

• Official website
• Nelly Furtado at the Internet Movie Database

Alex Cuba
Alex Cuba - Live in Concert - 2009
Background information
Birth name	Alexis Puentes
Born	1974 (age 37–38)
Origin	Artemisa, Cuba
Genres	Latin jazz, pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Labels	Caracol
Associated acts	Nelly Furtado
Website	alexcuba.com

Alexis Puentes (born 1974),^[1] better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won two Juno Awards for World Music Album of the Year: in 2006 for Humo De Tabaco, and in 2008 for his second album, Agua Del Pozo. In 2010 he won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist.

Biography[link]

Cuba was born in Cuba, spending his childhood in Artemisa, the son of guitar player and music teacher Valentin Puentes. He started playing guitar himself at age six.^[1] As an adult, he shifted into jazz fusion styles. He immigrated to Canada in 1999 after marrying a Canadian in Cuba. He and his twin brother Adonis first settled in Victoria, British Columbia, and worked as a duo, the Puentes Brothers, and received a Juno Award nomination. They started solo careers in 2004, but continued their songwriting partnership, with Adonis co-writing two of the songs on Agua Del Pozo. In 2003, Cuba moved to Smithers, British Columbia, the hometown of his wife, Sarah, whose father is politician Bill Goodacre.^[1][2] They have three children.^[2]

Collaborators on his debut, Humo De Tabaco, include Ron Sexsmith and Corinne Bailey Rae. "Lo Mismo Que Yo," a duet with Sexsmith, became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #52.^[3][4]

In 2009, he co-wrote and recorded a duet with fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado. "Mi Plan" turned out to be the title track for her fourth studio album of the same name. Cuba co-wrote more than half of the songs on Furtado's album.^[2]

His music reflects primarily Latin and African influences, but with a mix of funk, jazz and pop.^[1]

Discography[link]

• The Puentes Brothers:
  • 2001: Morumba Cubana
• Solo:
  • 2004: Humo De Tabaco
  • 2007: Agua Del Pozo
  • 2009: Alex Cuba

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alex Cuba official site
• Alex Cuba on Myspace
• Alex Cuba: Cuban Soul That Runs In The Family (NPR, November 15, 2009)

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since July 2009. It needs to be updated. Tagged since July 2009.

Not to be confused with Looney Tunes, an American animation franchise.

Luny Tunes are a Dominican reggaeton production duo consisting of Francisco Saldaña (Luny) and Víctor Cabrera (Tunes) who have been known for creating unique musical rhythms for some of the most popular reggaeton artists since the early 2000s.

Biography[link]

Francisco Saldaña was born on June 23, 1979, and Víctor Cabrera was born on April 12, 1981. Both originally from the Dominican Republic,^[1] they originally started working at the Leverett House dining hall at Harvard University before their commercial success as reggaeton producers.^[2]

Musical career[link]

2001-2003: The Early Years[link]

Luny Tunes was reggaeton's first major hitmaking production team, cranking out an assembly line of hit singles, club anthems, and CD mixtapes, all the while collaborating with many of the style's top vocalists. Luny Tunes were given their big break by DJ Nelson, a reggaeton pioneer who recognized their production talents, which had been well showcased on Hector & Tito's A La Reconquista (2002), and signed them to his Flow Music label.^[1] Luny Tunes in turn made their major-label debut, alongside another promising young production talent, Noriega, on Mas Flow (2003). The CD mixtape featured most of reggaeton's top vocalists of the time (Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Wisin & Yandel, Hector & Tito, Zion & Lennox, Baby Ranks, Nicky Jam, Trebol Clan, and many more) and firmly established the duo as a go-to production team. The CD was a huge commercial success in Latin America and was one of the top Latin albums in the United States.

2004-2007: Rise to International Fame[link]

The following year Luny Tunes continued to further their reputation, establishing themselves as hitmakers when "Gasolina," one of their numerous productions featured on Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino (2004), became a worldwide hit and club anthem. In addition to Barrio Fino, Luny Tunes also contributed productions to acclaimed albums by Don Omar (The Last Don, 2003) and Tego Calderón (El Abayarde, 2003), as well as albums by Eddie Dee (Los 12 Discípulos, 2004), Ivy Queen (Diva, 2004), Zion & Lennox (Motivando a la Yal, 2004), Nicky Jam (Vida Escante, 2004), and Trebol Clan (Los Bacatranes, 2004) — all of this within a two-year span. Their instrumentals and musical styles were creating a new standard in reggaeton in general.

In 2005, Luny Tunes released Mas Flow, Vol. 2, their first all-new album since the previous volume, and in 2006 they released a third, Mas Flow: Los Benjamins, along with a second compilation of previously released material, Reggaeton Hits, which had been preceded by a prior best-of collection, La Trayectoria (2004). The next mixtape dropped in 2007, Los Benjamins: La Continuacion, not long after the duo's second volume in the Kings of the Beats instrumental series. By this point, Luny Tunes were employing various assistant producers AND ARTIST: artist MR.PHILLIPS, PRODUCERS (Tainy, Jose M. Gomez, Nely "El Arma Secreta", Doble A & Nales "Los Presidentes", Mr. G and many more), who were employed as part of the Mas Flow Inc. production factory. As of 2007, they have produced more than 500 songs.

Luny Tunes are also known for bringing up new producers in the genre such as Nesty "La Mente Maestra", Naldo, Tainy, Nely "El Arma Secreta", Bones "The Musical chemist", Thilo "La Navaja de Doble Filo," Loz Fantaztikoz and Miki "La Mano Bionica, Madmusick (Yan & Yon)"

2008-Present[link]

In 2008 Luny Tunes got back on their Reggaeton Throne and Signed duo Erre XI to Mas Flow. After their signing, the duo released their full-length debut album titled Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI which spawned the single "Carita Bonita" featuring Pee Wee of Kumbia All Starz.

In August 2009, Lionize announced the break-up of the duo with Luny Tunes. Luny will keep the name 'Erre XI', but both Lionize and Raphy will be replaced by two other members. It is currently unknown if Lionize and El Raffe will continue to be a duo, or if both artists will pursue their solo-careers. As for the reasoning of the separation, a statement has yet to be given.

After Erre XI, in 2009, Luny Tunes signed Dyland & Lenny to Mas Flow. They were announced as replacements of Erre XI but they did not want to take the name away from the original artists. They started their career in late 2009 with "Nadie Te Amará Como Yo". Then they were featured on the song "Rompiendo Cadenas" by Mexican singer Ana Bárbara. In 2010 they released their debut album My World. Their biggest hits from the album are "Nadie Te Amará Como Yo", "Quiere Pa' Que Te Quieran" and "Caliente" Produced by Madmusick (Yan & Yon).

Luny Tunes currently reside in Puerto Rico where they own a studio estimated to be worth around US$3.5 million.^[3] On September 25, 2007 it was announced that Luny Tunes entered a five year production agreement with Fuego Entertainment. They will co-produce two albums per year to be released under Fuego Entertainment's music division, Fuego Entertainment Music International.

Discography[link]

Main albums[link]

• 2003: Mas Flow
• 2005: Mas Flow 2
• 2006: Mas Flow: Los Benjamins
• 2012: Mas Flow III: The Alliance

Other albums[link]

• 2004: The Kings of the Beats
• 2004: La Trayectoria
• 2004: Luny Tunes Presents La Mision 4: The Take Over
• 2006: Mas Flow 2.5
• 2006: Reggaeton Hits
• 2006: The Kings of the Beats 2
• 2007: Los Benjamins: La Continuación
• 2007: 20 #1's Now
• 2008: Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI
• 2009: Presents Calle 434

Production discography[link]

For further information see Luny Tunes production discography.

Awards[link]

• Latin Billboard Awards 2004: Más flow - "Tropical Album of the Year / Duo or Group"
• Latin Billboard Awards 2004: Más flow - "Tropical Album of the Year / New Generation"
• Reggaeton People's Choice Awards 2004: Luny Tunes - "Producer of the Year"
• Latin Grammy Awards 2005: Barrio Fino - "Best Album of the Year / Urban" (as Producers)
• Reggaeton People's Choice Awards 2005: Luny Tunes - "Producer of the Year"
• Reggaeton People's Choice Awards 2005: Mayor Que Yo - "Best Song of the Year"
• Reggaeton People's Choice Awards 2005: Mas Flow 2 - Best Album of the Year"
• Latin Billboard Awards 2006: Luny Tunes - "Producer of the Year"
• Premios Lo Nuestro Awards 2006: Mas Flow 2 - "Best Album of the Year / Urban Category"
• Furia Musical 2007: Luny Tunes - "Reggaeton Producers of the year".
• BMI Latin Awards 2007: Luny - "Songwriter of The Year".^[4]

See also[link]

• Reggaeton
• Mas Flow Inc.
• Urban

References[link]

External links[link]

• Luny Tunes Profile from EMI Publishing

Don Omar
Omar at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida, October 4, 2008
Background information
Birth name	William Omar Landrón Rivera
Also known as	El Rey
Born	(1978-02-10) February 10, 1978 (age 34)
Origin	Puerto Rico
Genres	Reggaeton, pop, rap, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, composer, CEO, actor, rapper
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Orfanato Music Group (His Label) VI Music Universal Music Latino Machete Music
Website	Don Omar

Don Omar (born William Omar Landrón Rivera; February 10, 1978 ^[1]), a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-rapper and actor. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname El Rey (Spanish: "The King").