Fito Blanko

Fito Blanko - Higher Level (MRP) - Like Dancehall before it, Reggaeton (pronounced: reggae-tone) is a growing wave of global flavored influence permeating urban music. This is a potent blend with all of hip hop's street 'tude, all of salsa's spice and all of reggae's heavy drop beat. Fito Blanko is a young Panamanian from Montreal who is taking reggaeton to a 'Higher Level' as the name of his new album would suggest. What makes this collection of songs so great is Fito's keen awareness of where all the musical elements come from. And there's a lot of them. The liner notes are worth the price of admission to this disc alone. He takes the time to explain the wild mash of styles each track delivers from Cuban Timba with Reggaeton, to Son/Hip Hop to Vultron (Panamanian lyricism) over Jamaican riddims.Credit must also be given to Fito's producer and collaborator on the project, Canadian-born Keith Kanashiro (aka Sensei) who wrote much of the music, but regardless of who gets the props, Higher Level is highly recommended.
http://worldbeatcanada.com/feature_past.htm - World Beat Canada

Desde el 27 de Julio 2004, la industria de la música canadiense pasa a un 'nivel más alto' con el lanzamiento de 'Higher Level' la más reciente producción de Fito Blanko. Producido por el experimentado músico de padres peruanos Keith Kanashiro, conocido como Sensei, este álbum es una exquisita mezcla de Regetón con Salsa, Reggae con Merengue y Cumbia complementados con un impulso constante a moverte, que Fito Blanko inspira en cada canción.

Este álbum trae una propuesta importante para la imagen de la música latina producida en Canadá, ya que no solo estará a la venta en las tiendas latinas como Super Latin Music y Rincón Hispano de Toronto, o Mario's Latin Music, Caraballo Disco, Disco Music Latin y otras de Montreal, sino que también será distribuido en importantes cadenas del país como Sunrise Records, HMV, MusicWorld, Future Shop, Chapters, Indigo Books, etc. De esta manera el álbum llega a todo Canadá para mostrar los nuevos ritmos que hoy se escuchan en Latinoamérica. El CD estará disponible en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico desde Agosto 30 2004.

El lanzamiento del CD y la producción ejecutiva están a cargo de MRP Music Group de Radames Nieves, probablemente el productor de música latina en Canadá de mayor influencia.

Entre las canciones que contiene Higher Level están Sobeteo y Ya Llegó que usan ritmos de Salsa en un contexto Reggae. El boom del Regetón viene en la forma de Dame Más Plena, Fronteo, Todo de Mi, y en una fusión con Cumbia nació Take Her Home, canción con aptitudes de triunfar mundialmente. By My Side es una canción cantada en Inglés que proyecta el crossover del artista. Trivales, el trío Regetón de Miami que se presentó en el TLN Latin Fest de Toronto, aparece como invitado en una canción.

Definitivamente este es un CD que todo Latino en Canadá debe guardar en el rincón más preciado de su colección musical.
- Toronto Hispano Inc

Fito Blanko, (whose real name is Roberto Testa), is a proud Panamanian Latin reggae artist who was raised in Mississauga. His debut performance took place at Lula Lounge on July 31st, 2003. Fito Blanko has been called “Canada’s most promising upcoming Urban Latino artist.” This talented 20 year old has already been exposed to more in the music industry than any other local artist. He has quickly learned about the business and what it takes to make it. The unique fusion style of his music is distinguished and hype!

In this exclusive interview, Fito reveals his improvising secret, and discusses his new upcoming album and how different Latin reggae is from reggaeton. By the way, his CD release party is coming very soon! Stayed tuned to SalsaSPOT for details. Find out why Fito Blanko thinks that Toronto has a strong salsa scene and how this is actually a setback. I also had a chance to talk with Keith “El Sensei” Kanashiro, Fito’s producer and, by far, one of Toronto’s most talented musicians. His interview will be released in the near future. Fito and Keith have established Canada’s only Latin urban production company, Trademark Entertainment North.
- www.SalsaSPOT.com

Fito Blanko’s musical influences come from growing up listening to the two most popular sounds in Panama; Salsa and Dance-hall Reggae. By the age of 14, Fito (born Roberto E. Testa) was already writing his own lyrics in both English and Spanish. He developed a natural and raw method of flowing rhymes with a Latino swing, creating a signature sound. After years of hard work writing and performing, Fito got a big break in the summer of 2003 when he was asked to collaborate with Panamanian Grammy nominee- “Los Rabanes”. This opened the floodgates to many opportunities to showcase his talent locally and internationally.

That same summer, two of Fito’s tracks were serviced to the Latin Record Pool Latinos Unidos. Ninety percent of the DJs added these tracks to their playlists causing them both to chart in the Top 25 of their Hip-Hop/Reggae Chart. Subsequently, a third track was serviced, Sobeteo, which also reached the Top 25.

Fito Blanko’s appeal goes beyond a niche of Urban and Reggeton enthusiasts, to attracting a mainstream Pop/Dance audience. Much of his music is radio and club friendly while maintaining a strong tie to his roots. Fito Blanko is a new face and new sound sure to be a hit in North America and Worldwide. - Latin-Artists.com