Juliana Pache (Fader) writes that Puerto Rican singer Calma Carmona’s “sultry ‘100 Vidas’ video highlights true Puerto Rican nightlife.” Listen to “100 Vidas” in the link below. Here are excerpts of Pache’s article and interview with Carmona:

In her new video for “100 Vidas,” Puerto Rican vocalist and musician Calma Carmona takes us on a ride through authentic San Juan after dark, from sweaty dance parties to late-night horse races. The Álvaro Aponte-Centeno-directed video sets Carmona’s warm and sultry vocals against intimate scenes of boxers training in the ring and abuelos playing dominoes.

The Latin soul singer, who opened for Beyoncé during her Mrs. Carter World Tour in Puerto Rico, has lived in various U.S. states, Germany, and her home of P.R. as an army brat, a background which she credits her wide range of musical inspirations. [. . .]

The video for “100 Vidas” showcases the true, non-touristy nightlife of San Juan. Why was it important to you and the director, Álvaro Aponte-Centeno, to capture this?  The video shows a raw glimpse of where we’re from, where we live, in the Caribbean. Although it only shows just a few subcultures in different towns, including San Juan, we wanted to remind people that Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, that has so much in common with our neighbor islands. It’s full of rich subcultures, yet within this coexistence it never feels divided. You can easily experience all these layers and always feel at home, welcomed.

Are there any musicians out of the Caribbean right now that inspire you?  It’s so inspiring to see all the Caribbean-descendant women killing it right now — Rihanna, Cardi B, J. Lo, Nicki Minaj, etc. I also love Damian Marley, Chronixx, Busy Signal, and Omega, just to name a few.

Have you lived in Puerto Rico your whole life? How has P.R. and the Caribbean shaped you musically?  I currently live in Puerto Rico. I’m an army brat. I was raised between Puerto Rico, states in the south of the U.S, and Germany. Seven elementary schools, four middle schools … I moved five times between three high schools. All private and public schools, two story houses, trailer parks, apartment complexes — you name it. All of these places, people, and experiences have shaped who I am. I have so many of these influences in the way I dress, in the way I walk, and more than anything in my music. It’s taken me a long time to merge all these layers into a sound — my sound. And as any artist, I feel as though I’ll always be working on that. [. . .]

Listen to “100 vidas” here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IeEqeYm2I

For full article, see https://www.thefader.com/2017/10/05/calma-carmona-premiere-100-vidas-puerto-rico

Also see (in Spanish) https://www.inpuertoricomagazine.com/single-post/2017/10/09/CALMA-CARMONA-LANZA-SU-PRIMER-SENCILLO-100-VIDAS