More than a musical experience, Taxi Amarillo is also the vehicle that has brought together two incredible talents from opposite sides of the spectrum for the same ride. Born in the Dominican Republic, twenty-three year old Pedro Cruz Montesino, better known as Cruzmonty, has gained fame as one of the country’s fastest rising Pop stars. In 2002, after years of forming part of various musical acts such as On Stage, 5ynko, and Código Postal, Cruzmonty decided to take the reigns of his career and step out as a soloist. By 2005, not only had the ambitious singer/ songwriter released “Yo Sabré Perder,” his first solo venture, but he had also packed his bags and made his way to New York City, determined to make his mark on the scene, yet unaware of the new path his career was about to take.While Cruzmonty captivated audiences with his soothing voice and expressive lyrics, it was twenty-one year old Christopher Hierro’s writing and producing skills behind the scenes that made a powerful impression. As the son of famed merengue artist Henry Hierro, the lead member of the legendary group La Gran Manzana, and singer Lucia Guzman, Chris is music royalty. The skills Chris developed while growing up and the musical circle he belonged to allowed him to write and produce for noted artists such as Los Toros Band and Andy Andy, and also sing back up for Obie Bermudez and Jerry Rivera, but this talented artist wanted more. Determined to make an impact in his own right, Chris began doing his own showcases with his own music throughout many New York City venues.

It is at this point that fate had its hand in bringing Cruzmonty and Chris Hierro together. One night as Chris performed at Mirage, a popular nightclub in the Bronx, Cruzmonty sat with his manager in the audience completely taken away with what he heard and amazed at how much he could relate to Chris’ musical style. Within minutes, Cruzmonty’s manager arranged to get his artist onstage for a duo with Chris and what happened next was perfect musical chemistry. Once offstage, the two soon became inseparable, endlessly collaborating back and forth on lyrics and melodies over the next few months.

What bonds these two artists together are not only shared musical influences such as Sin Bandera, Boyz II Men, and Stevie Wonder, but more importantly, the same passion for being forth true sentiment in music instead of following the manufactured formulas of today. “As a musician,” Chris notes, “I have concerns about music. Cruzmonty and I make music naturally, it’s our truth.”And that truth is that two distinct artists can come together, bringing with them their individual prospective and style of music to form something much bigger. Together as Taxi Amarillo, Cruzmonty and Chris Hierro accomplish their goal of creating a journey of sound and sentiment by blending together into pop ballads their penchant for R&B, Rock, and Latin Rhythms. “We are Taxi Amarillo,” says Chris, “two halves that have come together to take a ride to the same destination.” “We’re about expressing ourselves and evoking emotion” adds Cruzmonty. That sense of expression and ability to stir the soul is being honed into their self-titled debut album. Taxi Amarillo’s collaborative writing and production endeavor has borne fruit in the form of a 12 track journey that delivers truth and emotion.With lyrics that will move you, voices that will elevate you, and a style that will blow you away, one thing is for sure, you will never be the same once you go on a ride with Taxi Amarillo.

Thalisha [Click Here to LISTEN]

In the world of music, timing is everything. With that being said, there is no better time than the present for an artist such as Thalisha. In 2005 we witnessed the explosion of Reggaeton music in the U.S. marketplace, shining the light on a once overlooked consumer demographic, the young Urban Latino community. Recognizing this new development and combining it with the recent resurgence of R&B music (2004 & 2005’s #1 selling albums) the present and future looks bright for the young Latin R&B singer Thalisha.

Born and raised in the Washington Heights section of New York City, Thalisha is a member of the fastest growing minority group in the city, the Dominican-American. Already having strong support within the Latin community Thalisha has also made her presence felt around the world. Blessed with beautiful looks and a powerful voice, Thalisha has been electrifying audiences everywhere since the age of 15. Still a teenager, her outstanding talents has already garnered her television exposure both domestically and internationally on shows such as “Showtime in Harlem” and the popular hit Latin music show “The Roof.” Thalisha’s talents have also earned her the support of Ecko Red clothing company as well as making her a winner of the 2003 Underground Music Award for Best R&B Female.

A singer/songwriter, Thalisha is a self-contained artist capable of penning her own hit records. Thalisha wrote all the lyrics her songs “Oh Baby!” and “In Too Deep,” which were produced by super-producers “The Heatmakerz” (Cam’ron, Juelz Santana,). Thalisha has also recorded songs with credited producers Jayd of “Mystery Men Entertainment” (3LW, Pink, Missy), platinum producers the Soul Diggaz (Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Monica) Insomniax (Jo Jo, B5), The Jettsonz (Nina Sky) as well as Latin music legends Magic Juan (Proyecto Uno, Huey Dunbar, Jelly Bean) and Frankie Cutlass (Shaggy, Notorious B.I.G., Tito Nieves) and currently has a song out in France with Barclay/Universal-France recording artists Relic. As a performer Thalisha has shared the stage with numerous stars, including, Fat Joe, Nina Sky, Jadakiss, 3LW, Notch and Angie Martinez.

With the changing demographics of consumers in the music marketplace, today’s music stars need to be able to appeal to a wider audience in order to maximize their full selling potential. Thalisha's versatility as an artist and ability to appeal to both the conventional mainstream audience and the burgeoning new Latin audience, gives her the makeup to be one of music's biggest stars! She’s young, charismatic and has a beauty that is in the marketing class of Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce. Her undying passion and commitment to her career, fuels her fire to become one of the very best in this business. Timing is everything, and it is time for Thalisha.

Francisco Salicrup [Click Here to LISTEN]

Francisco Salicrup December 30, 1980 Santurce, Puerto Rico It was in a high school auditorium in 1998 when Francisco Salicrup first tasted the spotlight. Singing in a scene from "Little Shop of Horrors" he surprised the audience with his vocal talent. It was then that he realized he was destined to perform. Half Dominican and half Puerto Rican, Francisco was born December 30th, 1980 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Francisco has been described by his family members as having been the center of attention, a natural entertainer who never missed an opportunity to make someone smile. He lived in Puerto Rico until the age of seven, when he moved with his mother, brother, and sister to Lawrence, Massachussetts. He attended the Leonard Elementary School until he moved on to Lawrence High School where he played football, sang in the choir, and was involved in the drama guild. His love for music was obvious even as a teenager, when he was involved in the House dancing scene of the 90's. As a young adult he began to go by D.J Xstreme, hosting parties and playing Hip Hop, Reggae, and R&B.

In the winter of 2005 Francisco auditioned for "Objetivo: Fama", the Latin equivalent to "American Idol". Competing against thousands of vocalists, Francisco was chosen to represent Boston in the show's third season. He won the audition by singing "Ahora Quien", and "Contra La Corriente" by Marc Anthony. "I would practice those songs for hours" says Francisco, accrediting much of his vocal technique to the Latin American Grammy winner. Francisco prefers to sing music that has emotion behind it. He feels to be a singer in this day in age, one must be able to provide entertainment for both teenagers and adults. He loves to sing Salsa, Bachata, and R&B, but realizes that music is forever changing, so he is open to exploring different genres. He is proud of his heritage, reconnecting with Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic during the taping for Objetivo Fama. He is also a proud advocate for his hometown in the U.S. Massachussetts has plenty to offer and it is about time we start getting noticed."

SPECIAL GUEST:

Sonido Secreto - [Click Here to LISTEN]

This visionary rock quintet was formed in New York City in the spring of 1998. Sonido Secreto’s founding members are Pozo, Gaia and Oveck. Pozo (Guitars/keyboards) is a painter that shifted his interest to guitar playing. Gaia (Drum/Percussions) started his musical career by playing drums for several local acts. Oveck (Lead Vocals/Guitar) was a childhood friend of Pozo and Gaia, he joined the band after the three of them came across at a rock concert in New York City. After the departure of three different bass players, Sol (Bass/Vocals), who happened to be a close friend and fan of the band was called upon the fill the void.

In the early days, Sonido Secreto was categorized as a blend of Grunge and Psychedelic rock with subliminal sound effects and samples. As the band went through several line up changes, their sound evolved into a more progressive rock approach by turning more into classic rock, hard rock and blues.

Sonido Secreto released their first album (Eternal Jam) in April 2005. Eternal Jam is a psychedelic rock/blues trip of four songs clocking 50 minutes in total. The long awaited first full length album “Voodoo Sonico” is due out in the summer of 2007. Voodoo Sonico would satisfy any rock fan with its mixture of blues, hard rock, psychedelic rock, grunge rock and pop rock. This production would also be Sonido Secreto’s first bilingual album (English/Spanish) and the first release under the record label Guasabara Records.

Live performances are highlighted by the use of abstract visuals which are conceived by the band. Sonido Secreto has performed at several of New York’s and other U.S. cities key venues, clubs such as CBGB’s 313, CBGB’s, BMI’s New York Latin Alternative showcase at SOB'S, CONGRESS THEATER (Chicago) with La Barranca from Mexico, RITZ THEATER (New Jersey) with Los Ilegales of Spain, ARLENES GROCERY, D-ANTIGUA, THE BITTER END, DOWNTIME, WEBSTER HALL with Rata Blanca from Argentina and THE VILLAGE UNDERGROUND.

by: Luis Moreno for LaMusica.com