Martin Riviera (born October 20, 1983), better known as Noztra, is a
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
musician
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
. Born in
San Francisco de Macorís
San Francisco de Macorís is a city in the Dominican Republic located in the northeast portion of the island, in the Cibao region. It is the capital of the Duarte Province, and the sixth most populated city in the country. The name ''San Franci ...
,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, his family moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
looking for work when he was seven. At the age of 16, Noztra began composing his own lyrics and music.
Biography
In June 2005, Martin Riviera better known as Noztra made history by being the first Dominican Reggaeton artist in the United States to be signed to a major record label;
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
’
Machete Music
Machete Music is an urban music label owned by Universal Music Group. The record label had been largely associated with reggaeton music, but in recent years, it has been also been signing non-reggaeton artists such as Malverde, Mala Rodriguez an ...
. This offered him the ideal platform to expand his brand and be able to open up for artists like
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
,
Nicky Jam
Nick Rivera Caminero (born March 17, 1981), known professionally as Nicky Jam, is an American singer and actor. He is best known for hits such as " X", " Travesuras", "En la Cama", "Te Busco", "El Perdón", "Hasta el Amanecer", and "El Amante"; ...
,
Tego Calderon Tego may refer to:
* Tego (toego), Bhutanese clothing
*Tego film, an adhesive sheet used in the manufacture of waterproof plywood
*Tego Calderón
Tegui Calderón Rosario (born February 1, 1972) is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor. He bega ...
,
Don Omar
William Omar Landrón Rivera (born February 10, 1978), better known by his stage name Don Omar, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. On September 1, 2017, he announced that he would retire after a ...
,
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only ...
,
Ivy Queen
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Qu ...
,
Zion & Lennox
Zion & Lennox are a reggaeton music duo from Carolina, Puerto Rico. In 2004, Zion & Lennox released their first studio album titled ''Motivando A La Yal'' under White Lion Records. After their first album, Zion & Lennox decided to start their own ...
and
Hector El Father
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
among others.
Noztra has proven to be an undeniable crowd pleaser with his powerful, jampacked, energizing sets. He performed in three Megatons (Houston, NY, LA), Vivaton 2006, Reggaeton Explocion 2 (San Francisco & LA) and at 105.9 FM La Kalle’s Block Party at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
After two successful mixtapes; Conteo Regresivo 1 & 2, Noztra released his first full-length 19-track album entitled “Ya’ Ain’t Ready.” The album was produced by Luny Tunes, Nesty, Monserrate & DJ Urba, Notty-Mekka, DJ Sonic, Myztiko and
A&X. The album covered many different sound experimentations including sandungueo, bolero, hip hop and malianteo. His videos off of the album received solid airplay on television networks like MTV en Español, Mun2, HTV, Mas Musica and many others.
The release of his album did not stop Noztra from advancing his career. He also appeared on a slew of compilation albums including Sangre Nueva, El Draft 2005 and Da Fuxion: Mas Que Perreo to name a few.
After all of Noztra’s accomplishments, he decided to take a hiatus from the music and become a successful businessman as well as a family man. Now Noztra is ready to return to the spotlight in more than the genre he paved the way for. The first release from his new body of work “La Funda” is already on heavy rotation in the Dominican Republic and is making its way to his hometown of New York City.
Fast forward to now, Noztra returns much wiser, with a new focus. His music now has a sexy and grown undertone to it. Being able to do both street records as well as pop records is a natural thing for a natural artist. Noztra is currently working on his new album “Dinero, Poder y Respeto”.
Wait and see what Noztra has in store soon!!
History
In 2002 he conducted one of the first reggaeton radio shows to air in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Shortly after, Noztra opened shows that featured reggaeton stars.
Noztra entered the scene with his single "Damelo Duro", which was distributed on
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
s and had great success on radio. His first album, ''Ya’ Aint Ready'', contains 19 tracks and a variety of sounds such as Sandungueo, Bolero, Streets/Gangsta
hip hop and social themes. The first single off this album is "El Maquinon", and was produced by
Monserrate & DJ Urba
Monserrate and DJ Urba (also known as Los Jedys) are reggaeton producers from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively. They have been on the business for some years, but they really got a start when Daddy Yankee hired them to produce ...
. It peaked at number 31 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Latin Tropical Airplay
The Tropical Airplay chart (formerly known as Tropical/Salsa and Tropical Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine introduced in 1994. The first number-one song on the chart was " Quien Eres Tu" by Luis Enrique. Originally, ra ...
chart.
[ "El Maquinon" (Latin Tropical Airplay chart) '']Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', October 8, 2005.
Noztra was the first reggaeton artist to sign with a major label.
Discography
Albums
* ''
Ya' Aint Ready
''Ya' Ain't Ready'' is the debut album by Noztra
Martin Riviera (born October 20, 1983), better known as Noztra, is a reggaeton musician. Born in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, his family moved to New York City looking for wo ...
'' (2005)
Mixtapes
* ''Conteo Regresivo Vol. 1'' (2005)
* ''Conteo Regresivo Vol. 2'' (2006)
Compilation appearances
* ''
Sangre Nueva
''Sangre Nueva'' (''New Blood'') is a compilation album by Héctor el Father and reggaeton producer Naldo. Its purpose is to introduce new artists from the reggaeton genre to the audience. It presents the new generation of reggaeton. It was create ...
'' (2005)
* ''The Draft'' (2005)
* ''The Fuxion: Mas Que Perreo'' (2005)
* ''
Los Dueños del Flow
''Los Dueños del Flow'' is a compilation album by various artists presented by Noztra.
Track listing
#"Intro - Noztra
#"Ella - Karthier
#"Cuando - Yaga & Mackie
#"Bombea - Tommy Viera
#"Digan Lo Que Digan - Ivy Queen
#"Ven - Kenny & Eric
# ...
'' (2006)
References
External links
Interviewat CorrienteLatina.com
Bioat CorrienteLatina.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noztra
21st-century Dominican Republic male singers
Dominican Republic rappers
Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent
Rappers from New York City
Reggaeton musicians
21st-century American rappers
1982 births
Living people