The Producer of Chosen Few is looking for New Talent and you get to help!
Boy Wonder, the red-hot producer who created the Latin platinum-selling Chosen Few: El Documental (released on Urban Box Office), is now giving Reggaeton fans the chance to pick their next superstar with the creation of “El Draft” the 2005 Reggaeton Draft, an American Idol-esque competition that will allow fans of this underground music genre to elect their own new Reggaeton “idol.” Contestants will be competing for the chance to have their single heavily promoted in Puerto Rico, the United States and worldwide – something most Reggaeton artists have yet to achieve. An album featuring music by the contestants and a nationwide tour will follow the competition.
According to UBO Executive Vice President Bruce Henderson, “This contest is a landmark event. No one has ever done anything like this for Reggaeton before, and – considering it is essentially the most rapidly-growing genre in the world – the idea of this kind of artist-fan interaction is historic.”
Noted Reggaeton artist and producer Chencho, of duo Plan B, originally came up with the concept of finding stars in the genre and giving them worldwide exposure. He then proceeded to team up with Boy Wonder and UBO President Adam Kidron to create El Draft, what will become an annual search for the next Reggaeton superstar. From the 23 up-and-coming artists in consideration, a panel of judges (including radio programmers and DJs) will narrow the competition down to five finalists, who will be announced at the El Draft “800” Launch event July 30th in Puerto Rico.
At this point, the competition goes to the fans. They will have the chance to listen to the finalists and then make their choice via radio and phone voting through an 800-number, text messaging and the www.ubo.com/eldraft website. Fans will also have the chance to be winners when voting through the website or sms Short Code, where they become eligible to win one of 5 Grand Prizes (an Apple iPod and free El Draft CD), if their choice winds up becoming the next Reggaeton star from El Draft.
The El Draft winner will be announced and will also perform at a major concert at Spirit in New York City on August 3rd, an event co-sponsored by Miller Beer and New York’s only full-time Reggaeton radio station, La Kalle 105.9. The concert will also serve as the launch of the El Draft CD and a Direct Response TV campaign, where consumers can pre-order the CD before its in-store date of August 30. The CD will feature tracks from all 23 of the original contestants. An El Draft tour, featuring the winning artist, in addition to numerous other acts from the contest, is set to commence in October.
Henderson is especially excited about the prospects for the project in America. “Our hope is that El Draft will be the event to finally break Reggaeton into the mainstream – first in the United States and then, ultimately, all over the world.”
