Christian Alicea has been a friend of FAME since day one. We’ve watched him navigate the salsa game with the kind of grit, charm, and hair that deserves its own publicist. So when the invite came to crown him as our Volume 45 digital cover star, the only real question was: why didn’t we do it sooner?

Enter: Swingkete Vol. 1 – Maratón
Fresh off the release of Swingkete Vol. 1 – Maratón, his genre-fusing love letter to Caribbean rhythm, Christian isn't just playing in the salsa arena—he's expanding it. The album, his first under the Rimas Entertainment umbrella, doesn’t just throw in bachata, merengue, and reggaetón for good measure—it blends them with surgical precision. Think less “Latin playlist” and more “cultural thesis with congas.”

If the title Swingkete sounds like a sweaty dancefloor challenge, that’s on purpose. “It’s a marathon of sabor and orgullo,” Alicea told us. Each of the 15 tracks, from the chart-kicking “Hello, What’s Up” to the collab-heavy “Carrusel” with Jowell & Randy, feels like a deliberate flex. The guy’s got range—and receipts.

He Brought Friends
And speaking of receipts: Christian called in serious backup. The album features reggaetón legends Jowell & Randy, a tribute to urbano staple J Álvarez, and an unexpected team-up with Eliot “El Mago D Oz” on “Tus Celos.” These aren’t just flashy names—each guest brings a unique flavor to Alicea’s sonic buffet. You can tell these collabs aren’t label strategy—they’re rooted in mutual respect and shared cultural roots. Somehow, Alicea’s still the star of every track.

From Lares to the World
2025’s already been stacked for him. He landed his first Premios Tu Música Urbano nomination for Best Tropical Artist and scored a rare tropical finalist spot at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. "Hello, What’s Up" cracked Billboard’s Top 10 Tropical Airplay like it owned the place, and “Me Lo Gozo” doubled down on that buzz with its cumbia twist. Oh—and he’s been sharing stages with salsa legends like Tito Nieves and La India. The man’s playing in legacy territory now, and not just holding his own—he’s turning heads.

Christian Alicea isn’t here to modernize salsa politely. He’s here to salsa like your abuela’s stereo just got Spotify. This isn’t the return of tropical—it’s the remix we didn’t know we needed.