Coast City engineers live-only tribute for reggaeton legend in Las Vegas
The Miami duo spent ten months arranging complex genre-blending performances for a private gala honoring Daddy Yankee.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Coast City members Danny Flores and Jean Rodriguez are finishing final rehearsals in a Miami parking lot.
The Puerto Rican duo is serving as music supervisors and producers for the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year tribute to Daddy Yankee. The private gala is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Las Vegas, one day before the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony.
Flores began working on the tribute in January. His team has spent ten months designing arrangements that adapt Yankee's catalog into regional Mexican and merengue styles. The goal is to demonstrate the musical complexity of reggaeton while preserving the original song structures. Rodriguez notes that some pieces have gone through 20 or 30 different versions to match specific guest performers.
The show will be performed live without playback or prerecorded lead vocals. This approach places a heavy technical burden on the musicians. Flores estimates that 90 percent of the assembled band is based in Miami. The group includes players from Chile, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Colombia. Rodriguez says the musicians are eager to join the project because they will play alongside top-tier talent.
The team consulted reggaeton pioneers DJ Playero and DJ Nelson to ensure historical accuracy. Flores says these conversations helped him understand how early artists created music in bedrooms due to limited studio access. The duo is also selecting guests based on their personal relationships with Yankee, not just their vocal abilities.
Flores is keeping the full guest list secret as a surprise for the honoree. He describes the tribute as a gift for Yankee. Rodriguez is also preparing for the awards season through his work on Anitta's album "Equilibrivm," which received nominations for Album of the Year and Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album.
The duo's latest album, "Soñar Despierto," blends R&B, pop, and Caribbean influences. Rodriguez says the intense focus on the tribute has made them eager to return to the studio. The team recently wrote much of that material while traveling to Tenerife and Madrid following a previous Latin Grammy event.
