Fito Blanko is the stage name of Roberto E. Testa (born on May 7, 1983), a Panamanian-Canadian singer-songwriter known for being one of the most successful Latin crossover artists in North America. At the age of 8, Testaâs family relocated from Panama City to Montreal escaping Manuel Noriegaâs dictatorship but soon moved to Mississauga, Ontario. The young artist started writing songs in both English and Spanish while still a teenager and released his full-length debut, Higher Level (2004) with the help of Peruvian-Canadian producer Sensei. Despite having the support of a major label, the album failed to meet Universal Music Latinoâs expectations and Testa was eventually dropped. In subsequent years, Testa released a highly-successful string of singles, most notably 2009âs âMamboâ featuring Drake, and 2011âs âVIP,â a collaboration with Fuego that peaked at Number 12 on Billboardâs Latin Rhythm Airplay. In 2012, he teamed up with Latin pop star Elvis Crespo for âPegaÃto Suavecito,â a catchy urban pop number that topped Billboardâs Latin Tropical Chart and was awarded platinum certification by the US RIAA. A few years later, his single âMeneoâ was featured on the soundtrack for Furious 7 (2015) and he was inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2017. Testaâs winning streak continued in 2019, when both of his singles âLa Gringa,â in collaboration with Bright Lights, and âElla Me Besó,â also featuring Elvis Crespo, entered the Top 10 on Billboardâs Dance Club Songs and Latin Tropical Airplay charts, respectively.
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