Manuel Turizo

Manuel Turizo has proved that there’s no formula to making it in the reggaetón business. In an industry that values rapid-fire vocals, Turizo takes his time and unlike urban pop’s typically reedy crooners, he sings in a grave and even borderline melancholy baritone—and yet fans have devoured his work and other artists have lined up for collaborations. The singer was born in Montería, Colombia, in 2000 into a musical family; he has said that playing music wasn’t optional in his household, and at various times he’s studied the saxophone, guitar, ukulele and piano. But it wasn’t until his older brother Julián suggested he take singing lessons that Turizo—who’d nourished a (perhaps rebellious) idea of pursuing veterinary school—found his musical calling. His work with a Cuban voice teacher uncovered his unique, husky voice, and a few Julián-produced singles in 2016 garnered enough attention to suggest Turizo had a future. But it was 2017’s romantic single “Una Lady Como Tú” that really established him: the video went viral in Colombia, and a Nicky Jam remix landed on the Latin charts. “Una Lady” is sweetly personal—Turizo sings directly to a woman who’s had her heart broken—and it positioned him as a singer who steers clear of the typical themes of drugs, sex and material possessions in favour of relatively clean lyrics. In 2019, his debut album, ADN, showed his versatility, with a mix of urbano, trap, R&B and even vallenato.