NG²

Norberto Vélez and Gerardo Rivas serve as the lead voices behind NG2, the pioneering pop-salsa pair whose arrival came after each had already accumulated substantial stage experience. Vélez launched his career at ten by performing traditional Puerto Rican repertoire with neighborhood ensembles, then entered the Orquesta Trompeta de Trovadores at seventeen. Under Elías Lopés he progressed from skilled instrumentalist to confident vocalist, later entering Victor Manuelle’s orchestra, where the eventual partnership with Rivas took shape. Rivas, meanwhile, had already tested the waters as a bandleader through Gerardito y Los Rockolos, studied percussion at the Escuela Libre de Musica, and, right after graduation, signed on with the same Manuelle orchestra as a percussionist. Encouraged and supported by Manuelle, the two musicians stepped away to launch their own project. Drawing on songwriting and production contributions from Manuelle and Ramón Sánchez, NG2 issued their first album, Comienzos, in 2004; the set yielded the radio successes “Algo Imposible” and “Quitémonos la Ropa,” the latter climbing to number two on Billboard’s Latin Tropical Airplay chart that same year. Two years afterward, operating with reduced guidance from their mentor and greater autonomy, the duo delivered the Sony/BMG Discos 605 release Al Fin, which spawned further singles such as “Como Amigo No,” “No Me Perdones,” and “La Nueva Generación.” The group maintains an active road schedule, appearing on U.S. festival stages as readily as at Puerto Rican prom celebrations.