Puerto Rico’s independent music scene is having a moment. With acts across a wide range of genres, such as urban, rock, alternative, jazz, and more, the local music scene has something to offer to any and all musical tastes. Moreover, local artists are making sure to be heard, with several cultural festivals and organizations such as La Campechada, Art World, and La Escena Y, providing spaces to highlight emerging talent. What’s especially exciting about these times, musically speaking, is that now, perhaps more than ever, women lie at the forefront of the movement: both female singers and musicians have been paving the way with their unique writing, sounds, and style. So, in acknowledgement to women during our month, here are 4 incredibly talented women who are killing the scene right now.
- Janice Maisonet (Janie Maisonet & Galactic Trio)
Composer and saxophone player Janice Maisonet has been active around the local music scene since 2012, with her band Émina, a collaboration of five multifaceted femmes from Puerto Rico and Mexico, fusing electronic music, jazz, hip hop, and the traditional Caribbean genre of bomba.
From then on, the multifaceted musician has established herself as an experimental saxophonist, fusing the saxophone’s warm tone with various electronic effects, while staying true to her Caribbean and jazz roots. A pioneer from the start, Janice was also the first female saxophone player to have graduated from the Jazz Department at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Additionally, she’s collaborated alongside renowned artists Cucco Peña, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ile, and Tego Calderón.
While today she’s involved in several projects, she most notably performs in her own band and solo project, Galactic Tree. Self-described as “millennial jazz”, the band produces a unique combination of Afro-Caribbean jazz with a colorful touch of ambient-infused psychedelia. You can check out her current projects and performances with Galactic Tree here.
- RaiNao
RaiNao is many things: eclectic, unapologetic, and wildly talented. In less than a year this singer and songwriter from Santurce is impacting the reggaetón and trap scene, a sound best defined by a Remezcla article as Alt-Perreo. RaiNao, whose real name is Naomi Ramírez, has known music since her childhood, growing up surrounded by salsa music and eventually taking up the saxophone in middle school. After beginning a career as a touring backup vocalist for artist Rafa Pabön, RaiNao shifted towards R&B and trap in her own music, releasing tracks such as “Online” and “No”.
It was her debut EP, ahora A.K.A. Nao, that formally introduced RaiNao to the alternative local scene while demonstrating her lyrical range, which includes a booming perreo (“Plug”), a badass collaboration with Villano Antillano (“Un Amarre”), and the romantic jam set to soft reggaeton dembow that is “Mi Piscis”.
She’s also done numerous collabs with local artists: including opening for Buscabulla in their latest show in Puerto Rico, singing alongside Bad Bunny at the start of his Un Verano Sin Ti tour, and releasing the songs “Dale play” and “Tú y Yo”, with fellow trap artists Brray and Paopao, respectively —not to mention being the muse of NYC based Puerto Rican fashion designer Namibia Viera. On top of all of this, RaiNao was recently featured in a groundbreaking Rolling Stone article and its accompanying photo shoot on the women-led revolution shaking up the Urbano genre, also featuring Villano Antillano, Chesca, Paopao, and Young Miko.
- Tanicha López
Singer, songwriter, and producer Tanicha Lopez is easily one of the most versatile and energetic vocalists around. Besides performing bolero, hip hop, jazz, neo-soul, R&B, salsa, reggae, and many more genres with her vocal abilities, Tanicha’s sound is amplified by her effortless improvisation skills —-regardless of the genre, she genuinely enjoys and experiments with melodic exchanges between her vocals and the musicians she performs with. I’ve personally had the opportunity of seeing her perform multiple times, and the energy she transmits in her performances is like no other.
In August of 2022, she released her first single titled “Protesta a la Propuesta”, a soulful and introspective track with lyrics in both English and Spanish. While her solo journey is taking full flight, Tanicha has had numerous collaborations in the past, having worked alongside artists of the ranks of multiple-Grammy winner Residente, trombonist William Cepeda, and Puerto Rican alternative band Misa E’ Gallo, besides being a member of the cult reggae band Cultura Profética. When she’s not playing shows as a soloist, you can check her out performing with beatboxer Black Rhythm as Afrocustics, an electronic hip-hop and improvisation project; as well as with jazz fusion band The Supacrew.
- Kristal Fonrodona
Hailing from the world of jazz, soul, and R&B, Kristal kicked off her career as a professional singer in 2009, having performed with acts like Misa E’ Gallo, Pedro Capó, and PJ Sinsuela. In March 2022 she officially began her journey as a solo artist with her single “Contenta”, a feel-good jam celebrating uniqueness and self-expression. This attitude is expressed in virtually every aspect of Kristal’s art: she takes control of the stage with a bold style inspired by drag culture, not afraid of incorporating creative expression, sexuality, and hyper-femininity into her lyrics and fashion sense.
In her latest song, “Fuete”, Kristal effortlessly blends powerhouse vocals and sensual lyrics with vintage hip-hop. As the ultimate nod to Puerto Rican culture and retro aesthetics, the video (a visual gem directed by Michael Justiniano) is also a reference to the iconic Iris Chacón, a Puerto Rican legend.
To complement this inspiring list of femme talent, I’ve included a playlist with several tracks I cannot stop listening to right now (curated by yours truly) with even more women-lead independent musical projects right here in Puerto Rico. Happy listening!