Farina (singer)


Farina Pao Paucar Franco professionally known as Farina, is a Colombian reggaeton singer of Peruvian and Chinese descent. She is one of the pioneers of reggaeton music in Colombia and was the first woman to make reggaeton music in the country back in 2005. In 2017 she became the second Colombian artist signed by Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.

Musical career

2005

In 2005 she became known in the TV singing competition show X Factor where she obtained the 3rd place. That same year she had her first commercial success on the radio with the song "Sólo con Palabras".

2006–2009

Her first album Yo Soy Farina was released in 2006. In this album the main genre was Dancehall and was produced by Buxxi, Jiggy Drama, Billy Francis, and Jacky Style. In 2009 she released the song "Hasta el Final"; a romantic song which combined the two genres Dancehall and R&B.

2011

After a bit of a break, Farina returned in 2011 on a soap opera called Tres Milagros. It was a very popular show in Colombia and was her acting debut. For her role as main character, she was nominated as "Best Colombian Actress" and "Revelation of the year" in the TVyNovelas Awards. The production was broadcast in Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and the United States. She also wrote the song "Milagros Cruz", inspired by her character. This song was later included in her second album, Del Odio Al Amor.

2012

In 2012, she released her second album, Del Odio Al Amor. This album has 12 songs in total written by her and produced by DJ Largo which included one of her biggest hits "Pongan atención" and promotional singles "Money" and "Soñar No Cuesta Nada".

2013–2014

In 2013 "Pongan Atención" made it into the top 10 of "Hot Rankings" on Latinoamerican TV music channel HTV. In September of that year she released "Ácido" feat. Rayo y Toby and later in November she released "Pum Pum" feat. Ñengo Flow which quickly became a hit during 2014 and one her biggest hits to date. At the end of 2014 she launched Apágame" which mixes Dancehall and Dubstep.

2015

In 2015, Farina released the song, "Jala Jala" with Puerto Rican artist J Alvarez. In the music video she showed her choreography skills. This same year she was nominated as Best Female artist in the Heat Latin Music Awards along with Latin superstars Shakira and Gloria Trevi.

2016

Farina started dropping new music at the end of 2016 under a new label called The Commission Presents. Streaming hits like "Si Ellos Supieran" and "Copas de Vino" were launched between September and November of that year. For this new phase of her career she worked with Wyclef Jean and released 3 songs with him: "Casanova", "Hendrix Remix", and "Party Started". Wyclef Jean nominated her as Artist of Tomorrow for CBS and theGrammy awards. She was the only Latina nominated.
In 2017, she made a huge step in her career when she was signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation. Romeo Santos, CEO of the Latin division of the company, stated: "I was very impressed with her style. I heard three songs and I knew she had something special. I welcome Farina to the RocNation Latin family"
She also released the single "Mejor Que Yo?", a reggaeton pop song produced by duo A&X. This song made it to the top 10 in the Urban charts in Colombia. Being the only female act on the list. The song also charted well in Peru, El Salvador and Guatemala. Months later she released the singles "Todo", a trap song, "El Problema" a reggae with Dancehall and "Mucho Pa' Ti", an urban pop track which is aim to get her to new audiences globally. Farina has cited Puerto Rican singer Ivy Queen as a major influence on her career.

2018–present

Farina performs in important international events like Radio City Music Hall in New York City with J Balvin, Luis Fonsi, Zion & Lenox, Jowel & Randy and Nacho; the SXSW in Austin, the Viña del Mar International Song Festival and is the opening act of Romeo Santos' concerts in Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Mexico City, Lima, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.
Right after Farina released 12 songs for streaming platforms only, On May 27 Sony Music Latin announces Farina is signed to the label. "Farina is a true superstar in the making. we’ve admired her from afar for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to join forces to help take her career to new heights." said Sony Music US Latin President, Nir Seroussi .
Under Sony Music, Farina droppes the singles "Ego" and "Superarte" feat. Miky Woodz, where she explores darker sounds and a greater influence of trap and R & B. In addition, Farina begins to gain prominence in the industry by participating in various songs featuring Latin artists such as Beatriz Luengo, Leslie Grace, Sech, Abraham Mateo, Carlos Baute, Maluma and Fanny Lu.

Discography

Singles