Diego is all grown up.

Five years ago, Diego Andrés González Bonetta was a cute 13-year-old in the finals of Codigo F.A.M.A. – think "La Academia," for kids. Diego didn't win, but he eventually became a tween heartthrob in México by parlaying his appearance on "Codigo" into acting roles on youth telenovelas like Alegrijes y Rebujos and Misión SOS: Aventura y Amor.

At 14, Diego took on the role of Roco in REBELDE, the inspiration for RBD. With his wavy locks and dimpled chin, he soon won the hearts of teens from Tijuana to Tuxtla Gutiérrez. RBD's Dulce Maria had nothing but praise for her young co-star: "[Diego] may be one of the youngest ones here, but I swear he's also one of the most mature."

In 2006, Diego returned to music, releasing a self-titled album of grown-up pop that belied his 16 years of age. He scored a hit with Solo Existes Tú, a catchy pop-rock track with playful synths and a pulsing bass guitar. He embarked on an international tour that took him to Brazil, Chile, Romania, Spain and the U.S.

Earlier this year, Diego dropped Perdido En Ti, a rock anthem which he also recorded in English (Losing Me), from his forthcoming Jonas Brothers-meets-Alex Ubago album, Indigo. Featuring production by Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams) and Matt Wallace (Maroon 5) and co-signed by the legendary Juan Gabriel, Indigo is scheduled for release next month. Diego says building the courage to collaborate with such big names isn't scary: "What scares me more, is not trying anything at all."

Intocable might sound like a superhero name, but front man Ricky Muñoz knows his band is far from being "untouchable."

In 1999, the Latin Grammy-winning Tejano group founded by Muñoz and friend René Martínez in Zapata, Texas was involved in a car accident while on tour in México. Two of its members, Jose Angel "Pepe" Farias and Silvestre Rodriguez, were killed along with the band's road manager – just a few months after the band performed for an estimated 65,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome.

Muñoz considered retirement but pushed ahead, telling the San Antonio Express-News that the group's fans had brought them back: "We got hundreds of calls, letters, postcards... [w]e really felt the people were on our side." Intocable returned to the stage six months later. The band is now comprised of Muñoz (vocals-accordion), Martínez (drums), Sergio Serna (percussion), Johnny Lee Rosas (acoustic bass), Dany Sánchez (vocals-acoustic bass), Juan Hernández (MC) and Felix Salinas (electric bass).

Combining the Norteño rhythms of Ramon Ayala with pop melodies and arrangements, Intocable built its devoted fan base by touring constantly. The band has kept its set list fresh by releasing nearly an album a year since its major label debut in 1994. In 2005, Intocable's tenth anniversary, the band released X, a double CD featuring the hit single Aire; the second bonus disc features covers by artists like Pepe Aguilar, Tego Calderón and Kinky.

For those unsure if they should call Intocable Tejano or Norteño, Ricky Muñoz has an answer: "We don’t necessarily fall under a specific genre, we are a vanguard group … groups like Los Tigres Del Norte or Intocable always stay in the minds of the people, because we have and create our own style of making music."

A young American with hip hop swagger is inching his way up the pop charts in Japan. It's not Chris Brown. It's not Usher. Meet Jero, a soft-spoken 26-year-old who specializes in enka, a traditional style of Japanese pop music.

Born in Pittsburgh, Jerome White, Jr. was a young child when he was introduced to enka by his Japanese grandmother. Like Mexican boleros, enka songs are melodramatic pop ballads; they're hugely popular for karaoke. Intrigued by his grandmother's culture, Jero began taking Japanese lessons in high school and lived in Japan as an exchange student while in college. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and moved to Japan to become an English teacher.

Jero was cutting his teeth in karaoke bars and singing competitions when he caught the eye of Japanese major label Victor, a division of JVC. They signed the wiry singer and made him take voice lessons for two years before releasing his first single, Umiyuki (Ocean Snow). The syrupy song dripped all over Japan's top five, debuting at number four on the charts. The first 10 seconds of "Umiyuki" hint at a hip hop sound, but the rest of the track is pure enka: dramatic synth strings, cheesy electric guitar flourishes and lyrics about lost love.

Jero, known for wearing fitted caps, jewelry and baggy clothing, says he's embraced by young and old because he isn't trying to be something he's not: "I’ve been wearing hip hop fashion since I was in high school. Now, if I were to wear a kimono on stage when I sang, no one would take me seriously."

Ñejo y Dálmata are broke. And famous, too, according to title of the reggaetón duo's debut album, Broke & Famous.

Boasting about your lack of funds may seem like a bad move when your scene is known for blin blineo, but Puerto Rico natives Carlos D. Planas (Ñejo) and Fernando Mangual Vázquez (Dálmata) are fine with being the exceptions to the rule.

Raised as an only child after his three older brothers were kidnapped – they've since reunited – Dálmata grew up with dreams of rock stardom. An avid keyboard player, the 27-year-old Dálmata transitioned from roquero to reggaetónero when one of his songs landed in the hands of producer DJ Joe, who retooled Dálmata's track and included it on his Fatal Fantassy compilation. It was on sequel Fatal Fantassy 2, where the lanky Dálmata first appeared with the husky Ñejo.

A rapper with a Tego-influenced flow, Ñejo kicked a heroin addiction that almost derailed his career. Determined to bounce back, the 32-year-old Ñejo made appearances on the Fatal Fantassy compilations and Guatauba XXX. After hitting it off with Dálmata at a party, the two teamed up and eventually landed guest spots on DJ Nelson's Flow La Discoteka 2. Their contribution, Peligrosa, is straight-up reggaetón about a girl with all the right moves.

DJ Nelson's signature eclecticism appears to have rubbed off on Ñejo y Dálmata. Along with dem bow, Broke & Famous features the electro-reggaetón of Algo Musical with Árcangel, the Vallenato-influenced Por Alla Por Donde Vivo, and the ska-rock of Pasarela (Panamá Remix) featuring Los Rabanes.

Making music that bridges the gap between artists like Wisin y Yandel and Calle 13 may be a risky proposition, but when you're broke like Ñejo y Dálmata, there's nowhere to go but up.

Last year, Panamanian singer Eddy Lover teamed up with La Factoría to drop the surprise romantic reggae hit Perdoname. Along with Flex and El Roockie, the 23-year-old with a winning smile is leading a new wave of Panamanian reggae to the top of the charts.

La Factoría and Flex are putting Panamá on the map. Would you say Panamanian music is finally getting its due?

I wouldn't say we're "getting our due." Although the roots of reggae lie in Panamá, los Boricuas took a huge step forward with the commercialization of reggaetón. We feel a certain amount of gratitude because they've opened doors and thanks to them, our music has been able to evolve.

Do you think artists from other countries steal their style from Panamá?

I think the influence of Panamá in what's currently happening in reggaetón around the world is obvious. But I don't want to take any credit away from anyone who decides to become a reggae or reggaetón artist.

What's the scene like in Panamá? In Puerto Rico, artists united, helping reggaetón to grow. Why hasn't that happened in Panamá?

Since the beginnings of reggae in Panamá there were many talented artists who either were only in it for fame or who didn't take their careers seriously enough – almost as if it was a hobby. As I mentioned earlier, in Puerto Rico, the artists approached their music with more maturity. Besides, a few years ago our music didn't have credibility and for that same reason, there weren't producers or people who were willing to invest and take a risk on it. Now, our music has evolved. It's never too late to make one's mark. I think Panamanian artists will have a shot at showing our talent.

What do you think about the controversy between Nando Boom and Don Omar/Wisin y Yandel?

All I can say is that if it happened to me, if someone else covered one of my songs, I wouldn't be bothered by it as long as my rights as a songwriter weren't violated.

How did "Vete," your collaboration with Flex, happen?

We've never collaborated on a song together. That's just some confusion caused by an unofficial remix on YouTube. Someone out there wishes we could collaborate. "Vete" is my song and I'm the only one who performs it.

Reggaetón or reggae? Which do you prefer?

I prefer reggae. The roots of reggaetón.

What's next for Eddy Lover?

There's a lot on the way. Right now, I'm a newcomer to the music industry. After the success of "Perdóname" I decided to give my debut album the same title. It has 12 songs and it'll be out very soon. The lead single is called "No Debiste Volver" and I hope everyone likes the video.

(image by Frank Steele via flickr)

Who can catch Fred Rodriguez? Over the last two decades, the 34-year-old cyclist known as "Fast Freddie" has gone from being a kid learning bike tricks to one of the top names in U.S. cycling.

Born in Colombia and raised in Los Angeles, Rodriguez was a self-proclaimed BMX daredevil when his father, a bicycle shop owner, gave him a faster, more aerodynamic road bike and introduced his first love: speed. As a child, Rodriguez built strength and endurance by climbing to the top of LA's San Bernardino mountains on his bike – riding alongside his father and siblings. Twenty years after his first race, the lanky sprinter has over five Tour De France appearances and three United States National Road Championships (2000, 2001, 2004) under his belt (cycling superstar Lance Armstrong won the race in 1993).

Always a favorite among U.S. fans, Rodriguez is among a handful of American riders pushing to increase youth participation in the niche sport. He created the Fast Freddie Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to help students balance their schoolwork and the demands of professional cycling. It's a dilemma that he wishes he had confronted differently: "I tried to go to college, I was too scared I wasn’t going to go to the next level because I would miss events, miss training.

Despite being a naturally gifted athlete, Rodriguez insists the key to success is hard work and perseverance: "I look at my whole career, and going back to when I was a junior, I was a talented rider, but there were a lot of guys as talented as I was. The difference is that I always get up and keep coming back."

Santi White, aka Santogold, remembers she was so nervous being the only Black kid in her class that on her first day at school she hid in a corner. She's not hiding anymore.

The 32-year-old Philadelphia native is being hailed as the artist to watch in 2008 by hipsters and mainstream critics, alike. Combining Jamaican reggae with British New Wave and American rock, Santogold is making room on the dance floor for ladies who are sexy – because they're smart. As she puts it: "it's not about being naked."

A graduate of Wesleyan University and a record producer, songwriter (Ashlee Simpson, Lily Allen) and former label talent scout, White first got in front of the mic as the lead singer of the Philadelphia punk band The Stiffed. You can hear traces of that group's Straight Jackers on Santogold's upbeat mix-up Say Aha – and for good reason: her former bandmate John Hill is her current studio collaborator.

Where the white British singer Amy Winehouse borrows her vocal accents from the American (Black) South, Santogold often borrows from the British to make her sometimes hip hop, always pop vocals cut through the mix. Laid over thinner tracks, White's voice and diction might come across as grating, but the music on Santogold is as rich and deep as a 12-inch thick chocolate bar.

On the patient L.E.S. Artistes, the album's opening track, White's hot, strutting lyrics play over a cool bed of synthesizers. The previously mentioned "Say Aha" crams together the upbeat of reggae, an achingly sweet vocal bridge (think Bollywood meets Blondie) and the raucous energy of post-punk. Fans of the British troublemaker M.I.A. might cry "biter" when they hear Santogold's Creator, but the track was put together by FreQ Nasty and Switch, one of M.I.A.'s chief producers. (The song is catchy enough to sell Bud Light Lime on television.)

The now Brooklyn-based Santogold, who last year opened for Bjork at some of America's biggest arenas, is currently on tour in Europe. She'll probably take over the U.S. sometime this Fall.

Recommended for anyone who was ever disappointed with Gwen Stefani and/or is bored with Beyonce.

José Darey Castro of Los Dareyes de la Sierra is confident a band isn't defined by its name.

The vocalist-accordionist from Navojoa, Sonora started his Norteño career a decade ago, when he founded Los Llegadores de Sonora. The band later changed its name to Los Alteños de la Sierra and built a following in México with tracks like La Más Bonita de Todas and "El Tamarindo." Then tragedy struck.

In 2004, the band's tour bus was ambushed by unknown gunmen. Castro survived multiple gunshot wounds, but guitarist Daniel Gracia Zayas did not make it. The event was immortalized in two songs, La Tragedia de los Alteños and El Corrido de la Tragedia de Los Alteños de la Sierra:

Dos Cheyennes del año pararon al camión del grupo Los Alteños, preguntando por el vocalista y a todos les quitaron el sueño, los desviaron de la carretera y no identificaron al dueño.

Las noticias dicen que fue asalto, lástima que mataron a varios, Daniel Gracia fue uno de ellos, guitarrista del grupo Norteño. Le siguieron el Chino y el Chivo, y el Gordito no escapó de aquello.

A year later, the founding members of Los Alteños – Castro, José Miguel Enríquez (bass) and Alberto Verdugo Leyva (guitar) – splintered off from the group to form Los Dareyes de la Sierra. A resulting feud with the current incarnation of Los Alteños and the loss of a bandmate has done little to slow the momentum built by Castro over the last 10 years. Hasta El Día De Hoy, the lead single from their most recent release, Dareyes de la Sierra: Con Banda, is currently number one on Billboard's Regional Mexican chart.

Ángel y Khriz would like to prove they're not a one-hit-wonder.

In 2005, the Puerto Rican reggaetón duo dropped the hit single Ven Bailalo. The tropical dance track, from their debut album, Los MVPs, reached the top five on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and is featured in the new video game Grand Theft Auto IV. After touring Latin America and Spain continuously for the past three years, the self-proclaimed "MVPs" have returned with a new album, Showtime, and a catchy new song, La Vecina, a Caribbean club jam with blaring trumpets and wah-wah guitars, which finds the duo embracing a heavy salsa and merengue influence.

Both 28 years old, Ángel Rivera Guzmán and Christian Colón made their debut in 2002 alongside future superstars Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Hector y Tito on Guatauba XXX. Singer Ángel says he was raised on salsa and reggaetón while Khriz, the rapper, is a disciple of the Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill. It's a mix that gives them plenty of room to collaborate. After releasing Los MVPs, Ángel y Khriz made appearances on star-studded compilations like Mas Flow: Los Benjamins and MVP, Vol. 2: The Grand Slam.

Ángel says their new single, "La Vecina," is proof they have more hits to come "We're not trying to kill [Ven Bailalo], it's the song that has taken us to where we are, and we are very proud of it… [b]ut Showtime has many 'Ven Bailalos.'"

Jonas Brothers are boys in a band, but don't call them a boy band.

A cuter, happier and poppier My Chemical Romance for the Disney crowd, the three real-life brothers from New Jersey – 15-year-old Nick, 18-year-old Joseph and 20-year-old Kevin – write most of their songs and play their own instruments. Deeply religious siblings with Italian roots, the Jonas Brothers began as a solo project, when Nick Jonas, the youngest of the three, began performing on Broadway, appearing in plays like "Les Miserables," "A Christmas Carol" and "Beauty and the Beast."

In 2004, an 11 year-old Nick released two singles, "Dear God" and "Joy To the World," but his solo debut was shelved after Columbia Records execs listened to Please Be Mine, a catchy pop tune written by the three brothers on acoustic guitars. Nick's solo album finally saw the light of day in 2006, when it was retooled and released as the Jonas Brothers' debut, It's About Time. Album sales were less than stellar and the brothers were dropped from Columbia a year later. It may have been a blessing in disguise.

Disney's Hollywood Records, home of Miley Cyrus, Cheetah Girls and High School Musical, signed the trio in early 2007. Months later, the Jonas Brothers released their eponymous second album, featuring songs that are alternately bubblegum punk (Year 3000 and Hold On), power pop Kids of the Future, and country When You Look Me in the Eyes. After the trio teamed up with Miley Cyrus, aka "Hannah Montana," appearing on her wildly popular TV show and opening her concert tour, Jonas Brothers went platinum.

This year the Jonas Brothers are everywhere: they're starring in a reality series called "Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream," a movie titled Camp Rock and another film, J.O.N.A.S.!, that begins production in the fall. A Little Bit Longer, the brothers' third album, is scheduled for release in August. Nick says fans – and there's quite a few of them – can expect more of the same: "I think we've gotten a little better as musicians, so maybe the chords of the songs are a little different, more mature. But it's still fun, pop-rock music and lyrics."