Xbox LIVE Artist of the Month Program

More Voltio at Zune.net

Artist of the Month:

Voltio

Published May 12, 2008

Julio Ramos, better known as Voltio (Voltage), launched his third solo album, En Lo Claro, this November and it has electrified urban dance music lovers worldwide. The fifteen tracks on the album are a perfect mix of social critique and danceable fun, with the hit single "El Mellao" an example of Voltio's meshing of social satire and an infectious beat.

"It's been too much. Everbody just loves the song because it has a cumbia-like rhythm that has attracted many other people that are not Puerto Ricans," says Voltio. "I am a singer who likes social themes. I pay a lot of attention to words and what they mean, and I know people appreciate those songs of mine that appeal to their conscience. But, I also understand that, really, people want to have a good time and be shamelessly entertained. And some of the new songs in this album are just that, pure entertainment."

Julio Ramos, known as Voltio.

After performing with the group Masters of Funk, and releasing an album, Los Dueños del Estilo, as one-half of the duo Karel y Voltio, Voltio struck out on his own with the debut album Voltage A/C, and the genre of reggaetón hasn't been the same since.

"Reggaetón is changing. Now, it is more danceable," he explains. "It's had its stages. At first, it was thuggish street music. Then, it was still hardcore street sounds but with a more danceable rhythm. Now, it is all nightclub music, accessible to everyone."

His new album, En Lo Claro, was recorded in Puerto Rico, New York and Miami, and was written in its entirety by the artist. "Everybody knows that I like to write my own songs. That the lyrics are mine," he says proudly. "I started to work on the album more or less around November 2006. I'm always writing and changing and that's why, when I make a record, it's always in tune with what’s going on. The album is titled En Lo Claro because things are very clear to me now. Because I am aware of everything. This is a much more mature Voltio. I am showing the world that, in spite of all the difficult times, we can go forward with our lives."

Look for the Voltio video available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace!