Billy Ronca on Flamenco House, Puerto Rico, and New Single "Yamekite"

Billy Ronca has released "Yamekite," a flamenco house and Latin house collaboration with STBAN on FLAMENCA Records. The Brazilian-born, Europe-raised artist sat down to discuss the track, his decade in Puerto Rico, and how straddling two continents has shaped his approach to urban and electronic music.

Key Takeaways

• "Yamekite" fuses flamenco house, Latin house, and reggaeton, blending Ronca's European electronic roots with Latin urban influences
• Ronca moved to Puerto Rico in 2016 to join Baby Rasta y Gringo's WolfFlow Music, working with artists including Noriel, Ñengo Flow, and Jon Z
• The title "Yamekite" plays on the Spanish phrase "ya me quité," meaning to leave a situation or walk away from negative energy
• After ten years based in Puerto Rico, Ronca is now working from Europe and developing collaborations with Spanish artists for the summer tour season

Flamenco House Meets Reggaeton

The new single marks a natural fusion for Ronca, who grew up surrounded by European electronic music while maintaining deep ties to Latin and urban genres. "Since I grew up for a big part of my life in Europe, I've always had a strong connection with electronic music, especially house music and European sounds in general," he explained. "At the same time, my roots and my career have always kept me very close to Latin and urban music. Being able to combine those two worlds naturally is something I really enjoy, and I think with 'Yamekite' we found a very fresh balance between electronic energy and Latin rhythm."

Ronca's multilingual background has also informed his writing. He started his career writing in French and now works across Spanish, Portuguese, and English. "Every language expresses emotions differently," he said. "Mixing Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English has allowed me to develop a much more versatile writing style, playing with different sounds, melodies, and ways of delivering ideas."

A Decade in the Birthplace of Reggaeton

Ronca's move to Puerto Rico in 2016 to join Baby Rasta y Gringo's WolfFlow Music proved formative. "Moving to Puerto Rico helped me focus more and truly understand the seriousness of the business," he said. "It was a very important stage for building a stronger and more solid career. It also helped me creatively because songwriting comes from life experiences, and living in the birthplace of reggaeton gave me constant inspiration."

Working with Baby Rasta y Gringo, pioneers of the genre since the 1990s, offered lessons in longevity. "They helped define an entire era of the genre," Ronca noted. "What's even more impressive is that besides being pioneers since the 90s, they're still completely relevant today. They continue touring all year and collaborating with the biggest artists of the moment because they have the respect of the entire industry."

Back to Europe

After a decade primarily based in Puerto Rico, Ronca is now working from Europe and eyeing opportunities in Spain's summer tour circuit. He's currently in Switzerland organizing projects and developing collaborations with Spanish artists. "I'm someone who loves change and enjoys experiencing new things," he said. "Even though Puerto Rico is still officially my home and those ten years there were extremely important for me, I'm currently spending a lot of time in Europe."

"Yamekite" is available now on FLAMENCA Records.