Nicky Jam is one of the key figures in the history of Latin urban music. He has 59 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart. His next major concert will be in Cali, Colombia, this November, as part of his “Tamos Activo Tour.”
Nicky Jam has released his new song “La Foto” in collaboration with El Shadow. It premiered exclusively on Wednesday, August 12.
Released through Plus Media and EMM, the song combines acoustic guitars with Afrobeat rhythms, infused with a Caribbean breeze and upbeat melodies. The lyrics, written by El Shadow (real name Raudel Gómez Hernández), are about falling in love and finding the courage to make the first move.
Nicky Jam, with over 30 years in the business, several number one hits on Billboard, and collaborations with Enrique Iglesias, Bad Bunny, and Romeo Santos, among others, is now supporting emerging talents like El Shadow, a Cuban artist with over 15,000 Instagram followers.
The most interesting thing about this collaboration is how it came about organically: El Shadow shared a snippet of the song on his Instagram in February and invited his followers to tag Nicky Jam in the comments. Nicky responded within hours, and the rest is history.
“I’ve released almost all my work solo, but that day I wanted to upload a reel and tag an artist I know fits perfectly with the song,” El Shadow told Billboard. “I suddenly thought of Nicky, and I knew he’d heard me because he already had Cubans on his contact list. A week later, he called me to say he was recording the vocals, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is really happening. It’s incredible, especially considering the situation on the island. Our country faces so many problems: no electricity, no internet connection, everything is a constant struggle, but Nicky showed me his humility and his worth.’”
A resident of Camagüey, Cuba’s third-largest city, El Shadow is a 26-year-old artist who began his career at 15, creating urban music. In recent years, he has established himself in the Latin Afrobeats genre.
Nicky Jam will perform at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali on Saturday, November 14, 2026, as part of his “Tamo Activo Tour.”
Colombia was one of the first countries to support Nicky Jam’s career, even during his most difficult personal times.
Nicky Jam has had 59 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, 17 of which reached the Top 10, and five reached No. 1.
Nicky Jam’s first hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart was in 2004, when he was invited by Tito Nieves to sing, along with India and K-Mil, “Ya No Queda Nada,” which peaked at No. 23. His most recent hit on the chart was “Hiekka,” featuring Beéle, which reached No. 32 in September of last year.
Billboard
Staff Made Of Music Latino
