Biography: Wisin y Yandel

Although they initially formed in 1995, this Puerto Rican duo only really enjoyed commercial success outside their homeland when the reggaeton scene took hold in mainland North America over a decade later.

Wisin (b. Juan Luis Morera Luna, 19 December 1978, Cayey, Puerto Rico) and Yandel (b. Llandel Veguilla Malavé, 14 January 1978, Cayey, Puerto Rico) grew up in the mountain town of Cayey in central Puerto Rico. Sharing the same musical interests (reggae and urban music), they began performing together as Wisin And Yandel in the late 90s with a series of compilation appearances on the Fresh Production label, notably the bestselling La Missión, Vol. 1. The duo released their debut Los Reyes Del Nuevo Milenio in 2000, which was heralded alongside contemporary releases by up-and-coming artists such as Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Queen Ivy and Don Chezina as spearheading the exploding reggaeton scene. Reggaeton’s blend of native bomba and salsa rhythms, Jamaican reggae and US hip-hop had quickly established itself as the music of choice with young Puerto Ricans and was dominating the club scene.

After one further album for Fresh Production, 2001’s De Nuevos A Viejos, the duo signed a new recording contract with the Universal Music Group’s Latin urban imprint Machete Music. Released in 2003, Mi Vida … My Life and 2004’s De Otra Manera confirmed the duo’s rising star in Puerto Rico with a string of attendant hit singles and sell-out live shows. During this period Wisin and Yandel each released solo albums and collaborated extensively with other reggaeton artists. Their breakthough in the non-Puerto Rican market came with 2005’s Pa’l Mundo, which spawned the US Latin hits ‘Rakata’, ‘Llamé Pa’Verte (Bailando Sexy)’, ‘Noche De Sexo’, and ‘Pam Pam’. The duo launched their own WY Records on the back of the success of Pa’l Mundo, releasing the group project Los Vaqueros with their protégés Tony Dize, Franco ‘El Gorila’, Gadiel and El Tío.

A number of live, archive and DVD releases saturated the market in the next two years, testament to the duo’s huge popularity throughout Latin America. The 2007 studio release Los Extraterrestres was the duo’s highest charting US album of their career, reaching number 14 at the end of the year.