‘This Is What the Caribbean Sounds Like’: Manuel Turizo Delivers Eclectic ‘201’ Album 

Manuel Turizo is taking fans to his native Montería (located 30 miles away from the Caribbean Sea in Colombia) through his fourth studio album, 201, out via La Industria Inc. and Sony Music Latin. The name is an homage to the apartment number of where he grew up, and which “represents all those dreams I had since I was a child, all those young desires,” he previously told Billboard. 

With the 12-track that includes already released singles “Mamasota” with Yandel, “De Lunes a Lunes” with Grupo Frontera, and “Que Pecao’” with Kapo, Turizo welcomes fans to his roots.

“For me, this is what the Caribbean sounds like,” he says in a new interview with Billboard. “This is where I get drunk and have a good time with my people, where I live my life. It’s my home. The idea [of this album] is that people enjoy it and at the same time want to party. December is coming!” 

After achieving newfound success with “La Bachata” and “El Merengue,” both of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, Turizo dives into other eclectic rhythms. 

He flirts with salsa on focus single “Sigueme Besando Asi”; teams up with Elder Dayan Díaz (son of the iconic Diomedes Díaz) on the heartfelt vallenato “La Ex de Mi Amigo”; and dabbles in country music on “Yo No Me Vuelvo a Enamorar” with Alok. 

“I like trying different and new things. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun with music,” he explains. “I think that if you do the same thing all the time, you lose the magic. I wanted it to sound original, but at the same time not to make a copy of what already exists. Instead, I wanted to propose an authentic flavor with something different. I took the time to find a unique identity for each song.” 

Like his third studio album, 2000 (named after his birth year), 201 is representative of his true identity — one that he’s been faithful to since kicking off his music career.

“Manuel Turizo has never been a character,” he elaborates. “I never wanted to create something different from what Manuel is — that’s why my stage name is the same as my birth name. Everything around Manuel is like that, including my music. What I feel is that if my fans connect with my music, it’s because they see the world the same way I do. They connect with my thoughts. It’s where I can link my music with my personal life.”

Liste and stream 201 below: