Maluca, also known as La Maluca Mala, is a rising star in New York City. She is the daughter of Dominican immigrants who was born and raised in New York City. She says, “New York influences my music. Everyone who’s here…the style…the vernacular…inspires the kind of music that I’ve made, the lyrics that I write, the way I dress, the way I am.”
And the pervasive street harassment in New York City influenced one of her songs, “El Tigeraso,” which is set at Audobon and West 182nd Street, an intersection in Washington Heights, the heart of New York City’s Dominican community.
Via the International Museum of Women:
“The song’s lyrics were inspired by an issue many women deal with every day: cat calls and harassment on the street. [Maluca says,] ‘Dominicans call the bad boys on the corner who are up to no good – but who have mad swag – Tigeres. ‘El Tigeraso’ is the game or swag. Growing up, I would go visit my cousins or grandma uptown. Back then, you couldn’t get from one corner to the next without those ‘Tigeres’ trying to holler at you. It was kinda outta control. Especially if you walked down Broadway. So the song ‘El Tigeraso’ is poking fun at that whole situation.'”
Thoughts on the song and video?
