Flaco Navaja
By Mabel Aragon
Influenced by the effect the pandemic has had worldwide, singer, poet and actor Flaco Navaja turned his perspective and experiences into a musical collaboration with close friend Latin Grammy Winner Obie Bermudez, producing and releasing his new single Cántale A La Vida (Sing a Song to Life).
“Early on during the pandemic, a melody popped into my head. It was as simple as that. And, it was the first time that a melody came in the form of the entire song…It was an organic response to what’s happening and a need to contribute to the narrative.”
Born and raised in the Bronx, this Puerto Rican musician combines salsa and spoken word, blending classic salsa sounds with hip-hop in a manner that’s seamless to the listener.
“Salsa music has always been a part of the soundtrack of my life, but so has hip-hop and so has classic rock and roll, and other things that I got. I’m the youngest of five, so I kind of inherited the musical tastes of my older siblings.”
An ensemble member of Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, in 2019, Navaja performed Evolution of a Sonero to critical acclaim. This passionate performer has worked with the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. His film and TV credits include Pride & Glory, Fighting, Gun Hill Road, Law & Order, CSI NY and East Willy B among other productions.
Cántale A La Vida is available on all digital platforms including Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Music, Spotify and SoundCloud.
