Maluca

Natalie Ann Yemez came into the world in New York, NY, and later performed under the name Maluca while spending her formative years in the predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights in upper Manhattan. Her father, a DJ, immersed her in bachata, cumbia, merengue, and mambo along with hip-hop and assorted club sounds. Stage fright postponed any public appearances until an acquaintance urged her to supply backing vocals for his rock group Bowery Riots, prompting her swift realization that she belonged in front of the microphone. The handle Maluca, drawn from the Spanish word for “bad girl” and used by her uncle during her early years, surfaced after an unplanned introduction to Diplo of Mad Decent. He first encountered her during a karaoke session at the Lower East Side bar where she worked in New York, resulting in her signing to the label shortly afterward. In mid-2009 she issued her debut EP, El Tigeraso, which she characterized as “experimental tropical punk, ghetto tech, and hip-house.” The project featured the Diplo-produced cut “El Tigeraso,” a track centered on Dominican men in Washington Heights, together with remixes by Feadz, Toadally Krossed Out, Sticky K, and others.