Biography
Urban Latin singer/songwriter Fariana, who previously performed under the name Farina, became the pioneering figure to lay down reggaeton tracks inside Colombia. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation roster welcomed her as its second Colombian signee, coming directly after Shakira. From the moment she stepped onto The X-Factor stage in 2005, she has fused cumbia, reggaeton, and dancehall into a personal sound across scores of singles such as the “Soñar No Cuesta Nada” remix with Jowell & Randy, “Pum Pum” alongside Nengo Flow, and “Si Ellos Supieran” featuring Bryant Myers. Beyond crafting her own dancefloor and shoreline anthems, she remains a sought-after guest vocalist whose singular rap approach and penetrating, reedy alto have placed her on nearly as many featured tracks as lead releases. Early team-ups include Pipe Calderon’s 2009 cut “Vas an Extrañarme,” Wyclef Jean’s “Hendrix Spanglish Remix” that also spotlighted Bryant Myers and Anonimus, and Jean’s own chart success “Party Started.” More than 58 million viewers clicked on the 2017 clip for “Mejor Que Yo,” while “Perras Como Tú” with Tokischa served as the official single for the 2019 Miss Bala soundtrack. She and Arcangel dropped the charting “La Boca” in 2021, she appeared on Maluma’s “Asi Asi,” and “El Vibe” with reggae vocalist Sean Paul reached broadcasters throughout Latin America. By March 2024, her joint effort “Dora” with rapper El Alfa was circulating on dance formats in both the Americas and Western Europe.
Medellín-born Farina Pao Paucar Franco entered the professional arena in 2005 as an X-Factor contestant, then issued her debut album Yo Soy Farina the next year, an effort steeped in the dancehall tradition that had shaped her most. She pivoted toward acting in 2011, taking the role of Milagros “Nikita” Cruz in the Colombian series Tres Milagros and earning nods for Best Actress and Revelation of the Year at the TV y Novelas Awards. Her second full-length, Del Odio al Amor, arrived in 2012 containing twelve self-penned numbers produced by DJ Lago; lead single “Pongan Atención” climbed the charts and lifted her visibility. Recognition followed in 2013 when Mi Gente TV Awards named her Best Colombian Artist.
Fariana inked a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint in 2017 and began shaping her third project, Mejor Que Yo, under Wyclef Jean’s production guidance. Jean’s subsequent nomination of her for Grammy Artist of the Year marked the sole Latina placement in that category, reflecting both her contributions to his singles and her own club successes. Five charting releases emerged in 2019, among them “Fariana” with Blueface, “Perras Como Tú” featuring Tokischa, “Como una Kardashian,” and “Asi Asi” with Maluma; the last reached number 41 on the Latin Airplay Chart and its video surpassed 100 million views.
Pandemic restrictions did little to slow her output. The 2020 star-studded “Dale Cintura (Kuliki)” paired her with Steve Aoki, Kiko El Crazy, and Tono Rosario and logged more than 10 million streams, while “Estoy Soltera” alongside Leslie Shaw and Thalia and her contribution to Tinie Tempah’s “Whoppa” with Sofia Reyes both thrived on streaming platforms. She closed the year with her own charting entry “A Fuego.”
February 2021 brought “La Boca” with Arcangel, which accumulated over 100 million streams and held three weeks on the Latin airplay chart. March saw her join Natti Natasha and Cazzu for the club track “La Nenas,” and April delivered the six-song EP FlowRes with Arcangel that spanned trap, cumbia, reggaeton, and funk. “Flow Calle” and “Fiesta” with Ryan Castro reached DJ charts in 2022, and October’s remix of “Soy Mama” with La Insuperable and Yailin las Mas Viral resonated across South American, Miami, and New York dancefloors. Solo release “No Money No” surfaced in 2023, quickly followed by the modest radio hit “El Vibe” with Sean Paul; November placed her on “Demasters Presenta: Tamos Claros” alongside DeMasters and Rafa Pabon.
She launched 2024 with a high-energy tech-house take on “La Torta” and, two weeks later, the pop ballad “La Ultima Copa.” March brought “Dora,” a reggaeton cut with El Alfa that restored her presence on both DJ and streaming rankings.
Medellín-born Farina Pao Paucar Franco entered the professional arena in 2005 as an X-Factor contestant, then issued her debut album Yo Soy Farina the next year, an effort steeped in the dancehall tradition that had shaped her most. She pivoted toward acting in 2011, taking the role of Milagros “Nikita” Cruz in the Colombian series Tres Milagros and earning nods for Best Actress and Revelation of the Year at the TV y Novelas Awards. Her second full-length, Del Odio al Amor, arrived in 2012 containing twelve self-penned numbers produced by DJ Lago; lead single “Pongan Atención” climbed the charts and lifted her visibility. Recognition followed in 2013 when Mi Gente TV Awards named her Best Colombian Artist.
Fariana inked a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint in 2017 and began shaping her third project, Mejor Que Yo, under Wyclef Jean’s production guidance. Jean’s subsequent nomination of her for Grammy Artist of the Year marked the sole Latina placement in that category, reflecting both her contributions to his singles and her own club successes. Five charting releases emerged in 2019, among them “Fariana” with Blueface, “Perras Como Tú” featuring Tokischa, “Como una Kardashian,” and “Asi Asi” with Maluma; the last reached number 41 on the Latin Airplay Chart and its video surpassed 100 million views.
Pandemic restrictions did little to slow her output. The 2020 star-studded “Dale Cintura (Kuliki)” paired her with Steve Aoki, Kiko El Crazy, and Tono Rosario and logged more than 10 million streams, while “Estoy Soltera” alongside Leslie Shaw and Thalia and her contribution to Tinie Tempah’s “Whoppa” with Sofia Reyes both thrived on streaming platforms. She closed the year with her own charting entry “A Fuego.”
February 2021 brought “La Boca” with Arcangel, which accumulated over 100 million streams and held three weeks on the Latin airplay chart. March saw her join Natti Natasha and Cazzu for the club track “La Nenas,” and April delivered the six-song EP FlowRes with Arcangel that spanned trap, cumbia, reggaeton, and funk. “Flow Calle” and “Fiesta” with Ryan Castro reached DJ charts in 2022, and October’s remix of “Soy Mama” with La Insuperable and Yailin las Mas Viral resonated across South American, Miami, and New York dancefloors. Solo release “No Money No” surfaced in 2023, quickly followed by the modest radio hit “El Vibe” with Sean Paul; November placed her on “Demasters Presenta: Tamos Claros” alongside DeMasters and Rafa Pabon.
She launched 2024 with a high-energy tech-house take on “La Torta” and, two weeks later, the pop ballad “La Ultima Copa.” March brought “Dora,” a reggaeton cut with El Alfa that restored her presence on both DJ and streaming rankings.
Albums
Singles
