Five Questions With El Skiz, Artist Leading The Reggaeton Movement In Panama
Jorge Torres is a composer and Panamanian singer, best known as “El Skiz”. Born on February 9, 1996, in Colon City, one of the provinces in the Republic of Panama, he studied at the José Guardia Vega school, where he finished his first cycle of education.
El Skiz From a very young age he was interested in music, and at only 9 years old he began to compose his first rhymes, but it was not until he was 15 years old that he decided to dabble in the music industry professionally.
After years of working hard and tirelessly, Skiz had the opportunity to meet new artists who, like him, were on the rise, artists from his same genre like “El Tachi” with whom he collaborated in 2016 were they released their single Rock Star and Tal Para Cual that took them to a feature together with Sech, better known as “El Peluche” and Tobe Love.
Jorge says that his artistic name was born as a result of a conversation with the also recognized Panamanian artist Japanese, who named him El Skiz, an abbreviation of the word exquisite, a phrase which he identified instantly, staying as well as; “El Skiz”.
At the end of 2020, Skiz began to collaborate and work under the record label, Hype Productions 507 Investments, owned by the firm’s president, Christopher Jesús Olderon Braswell, best known as Panahype, and the company’s vice president, Alfredo Antonio Alleyne Córdoba best known as (Three A).
He is currently developing his next musical project, which is worked under Hype Productions and their house producer Kevin On The Beat. He recently released Friends featuring “El Tiex” from his ‘Superacion’ album.
What can you tell me about the Panamanian reggae scene? Is it vibrant? Who are the leading exponents of reggae in Panama today?
To me the Panamanian reggae scene has always been in the mix, but not given the attention as others, maybe because of the language barrier or maybe even the fact that a lot of the audience mix it up with Reggaeton, yes some Panamanian artist sing Reggaeton and some do strictly Spanish Reggae as we are known for creating, but me personally I do it all, I am a lot versatile and try to get in where I feel I can fit. Right now in Panama, the leading exponents on the mainstream is Such and El Bona to me, I’m next.”
In the early-mid-1980s, Panamanians like Renato, El General, Nando Boom, El Maleante, and Chicho Man started to take Jamaican dancehall songs and beats, singing over them with Spanish lyrics, most of the time preserving the melodies and the rhythms. Who are the major artistes doing Reggaeton in Panama today?
What those artists you mention were really singing till this day is called “Spanish Reggae” aka “Reggae En Espanol”. Reggaeton is really something that was created off the Spanish Reggae, created by those names mentioned. Puerto Ricans took it made it there way named it Reggaeton and had the opportunity and support in a bigger way then the Panamanians did and made it what it is today, but of course the history and who knows it know it all started in Jamaica then Panama.
How well is the Friends single featuring El Tiex doing? Are there visuals for it?
The single, Friends, is being accepted in ways I never expected and in countries I never thought, but I thank God overall my team and my fans that they are liking the single, and also showing a lot of love.
Who is handling the distribution of the single?
The distribution is being handled by VPAL MUSIC
I see that you have a new video promoting on your IG which has a May 28 release date? Tell me about the project?
My manager Panahype was contacted by the executive producer of the song and asked for me to be featured on it with another Panamanian artist by the name of Kabliz who is coming up good and we made the fusion and trust me you do not want to miss out on the video which premieres on the 28th
What’s the next major move or project you’ll be dropping with Hype Productions?
Right now, I am working on my first real album as an artist, I have made various mixtape and ÈP, but this one here is special, it’s 20 tracks of all types of genres. I look at this album as the album that will change my life, and will show all my fans and audience that I have the potential to do a lot more than just one type of music, and also want the world to get familiar with me and my work. I thank God for the opportunity and the doors that are being opened, especially the opportunity that came with VPAL MUSIC and little by little we are progressing for the better.