| Ovy on the Drums | |
| Birth Name: | Daniel Echavarría Oviedo |
| Birth Date: | 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Medellín, Colombia |
| Years Active: | 2016–present |
| Label: | Warner Latina |
Daniel Echavarría Oviedo (born 1991), known professionally as Ovy on the Drums, is a Colombian producer, composer, songwriter, and musician. He is a longtime collaborator with Colombian reggaeton artist Karol G, alongside working with Nicki Minaj, Shakira, and Myke Towers among other reggaeton and Latin pop acts.[1] [2] Echavarría Oviedo has won a Latin Grammy for Album of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for his production work on Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito.[3] Echavarría Oviedo has received a total of eight Latin Grammy nominations.[4] [5] Echavarría Oviedo has been described as "one of Latin music's top producers".[6] As of 2022, Echavarría Oviedo had 32 entries on Billboards Hot Latin Songs chart.[7]
Daniel Echavarría Oviedo was born in Medellín, Colombia in 1991.[1] [8] As a child he enjoyed listening to Bob Marley, Modern Talking, The Pet Shop Boys, and the salsa that he heard played at parties.[9] As a teenager, Echavarría Oviedo worked selling chicken and party supplies in a market square in Medellín, he attributed learning the value of hard work to this experience as he would wake up at 3:00am and finish work at 5:00pm.[10] A friend of his cousin introduced Echavarría Oviedo to beat-making and audio production using FL Studio, a software he has continued using ever since.[1] [9] Echavarría Oviedo attended school at the Institución Educativa La Salle de Campoamor in Medellín.[10] As a student, he described himself as "dress[ing] as a reggaeton artist" while singing and making videos in Windows Movie Maker.[10] Music became a way for him to channel his restlessness and hyperactivity.[10] Echavarría Oviedo describes his parents as "the first people who believed in me as a musician", giving him a computer and some equipment to make music with.[11] Echavarría Oviedo briefly played football as a left back for the Itagüí based Águilas Doradas while they were a Colombian second division, or 'Categoría Primera B', team.[12] [10]
Echavarría Oviedo sold his early beats at $5 each, before gradually building connections in the music scene and becoming acquainted with local producers and industry professionals.[1] Echavarría Oviedo's breakthrough opportunity came as a DJ for Karol G, via an introduction from producers La Compañía, on a tour of Colombian universities.[1] Echavarría Oviedo went on to work with Karol G on the production of her debut album Unstoppable, released in 2017.[13]
Echavarría Oviedo worked on the 2019 hit "Tusa", which received nominations for two Latin Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year and Song of the Year; "Tusa" was the lead single for Karol G's third studio album KG0516 (2021).[14] The track went on to surpass one billion Spotify streams in April 2021.[15]
In 2020, Argentine singer Paulo Londra named Echavarría Oviedo as a defendant, alongside Big Ligas LLC, Cristian Andres Salazar, Ritholz Levy Fields LLP, Matthew Greenberg, and Stephanie Chopurian, in a civil case in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade county, Florida described as a "complex business dispute".[16] The case involved a dispute concerning the rights to Londra's releases and gained public attention.[17] The case was settled on amicable terms in November 2021.[17]
In 2022, Echavarría Oviedo received nominations at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Urban Song for "Mamiii", Record of the Year for Provenza, Song of the Year also for Provenza, and Album of the Year for Sebastián Yatra's album Dharma.[18] In the same year, Billboard listed Echavarría Oviedo at No. 3 on the end of year list of 'Hot Latin Songs producer of the year' and at No.21 on the Hot 100 Producer of the Year list.[18] Echavarría Oviedo also received a nomination for Producer of the Year award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.[18] In the same year, Echavarría Oviedo signed a partnership with the Latin record label Warner Music Latina[7]
In 2023, Echavarría Oviedo took part in Spotify's Radar program to support emerging artists in developing a global platform, recording singles with Junior Zamora, Valentina Rico, and Loyal Lobos.[19] In March 2023, Echavarría Oviedo first entered the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at no. 83 as the producer on Karol G's "Cairo".[18]