Calma Carmona debuted in 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but she’s been taking her time over the past two years to build the career she wants. No longer a newcomer to the industry, her debut EP There’s No Other Girl (2013) was praised by blogs from both the Latin-American and Anglo markets – and she even got the chance to open for Beyoncé on the island (!!!).
Though all this can be considered success, the real achievement is how she’s carved out a lane and sound for herself in her self-described genre of “Latin Neo-Soul.” In her most recent single “Dancing in the Dark,” she combines her Afro-Latino roots with a soft organ-driven track, and her soothing, yet raspy voice makes the subtle switch from Spanish to English without sounding like a cliché. There are echoes of 90s adult contemporary pop here (does anyone else hear some of Donna Lewis’ ’96 hit “I Love You Always Forever”?).
“Dancing in the Dark” was produced by Grammy Award winner Frequency (who has worked with the likes of Eminem and Snoop Dogg) and mixed/mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Seth Horan. The song will be part of the upcoming work Girl on a Bridge, her first LP ever.