Trinidadian star Nyla Blackman is being positioned for international expansion, by way of Spanish-language recordings, collaborations with Jamaican and Latin music stars, that will introduce her unique sound to new audiences.
In an exclusive interview with World Music Views, Latin music executive Eduardo Basagana, who recently signed Blackman to a co-management deal, outlined his plans for the singer, whom he believes has the potential to become the Caribbean’s next major global star.
Basagaña, a veteran music executive with approximately 18 years of experience in concert promotion, artist management and talent development, believes Blackman has the cultural appeal, musical versatility and work ethic necessary to break beyond the traditional soca market.
“I think music is a universal language,” Basagaña told World Music Views. “Nailah, of course, is soca royalty, but I think her sound has been global in a way. She really wants to make a step forward into becoming bigger outside the Caribbean and outside the Caribbean diaspora.”
The executive believes the growing international popularity of Latin music, Afrobeats and Caribbean-influenced sounds presents a significant opportunity for Blackman.
“Latin is taking the world by storm,” he said, explaining that his connections in both the Latin and mainstream English-language music industries could help introduce Blackman to new audiences.
Nailah Blackman to Attend Latin Grammy Activities Next Week
As part of the international push, Basagaña revealed that Blackman will attend the Latin Grammy Awards next week and participate in activities surrounding the prestigious music industry event.
Her planned appearance follows her introduction to Latin audiences during Billboard Latin Music Week in Miami, where her signing was announced and she performed a Spanish-language version of her song “Baila Mami.”
Basagaña said the performance generated interest from industry figures and reinforced his confidence in Blackman’s ability to connect with Spanish-speaking audiences.
“She had the chance to perform for the first time in Spanish. She performed a Spanish version of ‘Baila Mami,’ which was a success, and I had a lot of people asking me for Nailah,” he said.
The Latin Grammy activities will provide another opportunity for the Trinidadian singer to build relationships within the Latin music industry as her management team works to develop new recordings and international collaborations.
Spanish-Language Music and Reggaeton Route
The executive confirmed that the singer will begin incorporating Spanish into her music, with reggaeton and other Latin influences forming part of her evolving sound.
“She’s going to start to speak and sing in Spanish as well,” he revealed.
However, Basagaña says that the strategy is not intended to replace Blackman’s soca identity or her existing English-language catalogue.
“Of course she will continue to sing in English. That doesn’t change. It’s just adding a little bit more to her sound to try to help her become more global.”
The manager sees the crossover as a natural progression for an artist whose music already incorporates elements of soca, dancehall, pop and other Caribbean genres.
“All these artists are starting to mix their Latin music, the reggaeton music, into more sounds from the coastline, from the Caribbean,” he said.
Basagaña also highlighted the global influence of African music and the growing importance of Afro-Latin sounds within the Latin industry.
For Blackman, whose cultural identity reflects Trinidad and Tobago’s African and Indian heritage, he believes the opportunity extends beyond simply recording songs in another language.
“Nailah embraces a lot of things. She embraces her Indian heritage as well, not only the African heritage. All the mixture that you see in Trinidad,” he explained.
Jamaica is expected to play a central role in Blackman’s international development.
Basagaña identified the country as one of her strongest markets outside Trinidad and Tobago and said the singer intends to record more dancehall and reggae-influenced music.
“Nailah’s second market in the world is Jamaica. She has a lot of Jamaican fans,” he said.
“Absolutely, she will start to do more Jamaican-flavoured things, more dancehall, for sure, reggae.”
The executive also disclosed that discussions are underway involving prominent Jamaican recording artists, including one internationally successful male performer whom he declined to identify.
“One of the artists from Jamaica, he’s so big and he has charted so many times in the US,” Basagaña teased.
He described the prospective collaborator as a legend but refused to confirm his identity, stressing that announcing collaborations prematurely could jeopardize negotiations.
Basagaña believes the influence of Jamaican music on contemporary Latin hits demonstrates the possibilities for artists who successfully combine Caribbean and Spanish-language sounds.
He referenced Colombian superstar Karol G’s use of the Jamaican “Coolie Dance” riddim on Bby Wow produced by Tainy as an example of how dancehall rhythms have helped shape music reaching international audiences.
According to the manager, Shaggy invited them for a private conversation about the music business, his international career and the potential for soca to achieve greater global recognition.
“Shaggy invited us to his house. He was so generous because he was watching Nailah growing and he wanted to meet her,” Basagaña recalled.
The visit left a strong impression on the executive, particularly because Shaggy expressed a belief that aligned with his own ambitions for the Trinidadian singer.
“He told us all his experience, how he grew, and how he saw that soca could be the next dancehall.”
Basagaña said hearing that perspective from an artist who successfully carried Jamaican music into the global mainstream was especially meaningful.
“It was so crazy for us because we think the same, but when you hear this from the legend himself, from Shaggy…”
The manager said the team intends to experiment with hybrid recordings that combine soca with other genres, potentially making the music more accessible to audiences outside the traditional Caribbean carnival circuit.
The meeting also underscored the importance of mentorship and collaboration between established Caribbean stars and emerging artists seeking international recognition.
Potential Collaboration With Zara Larsson
Blackman’s management team is also exploring opportunities outside the Caribbean and Latin America.
Basagaña disclosed that he has been in discussions concerning a potential collaboration with Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson.
“I’m talking with Zara Larsson, for example, to try to make a song with her,” he said.
He noted that music executive Roger Ames, whom he identified as Larsson’s manager, has Trinidadian roots, creating another connection between the Caribbean and the international pop business.
The discussions remain preliminary, and no collaboration has been officially confirmed.
Eduardo Basagaña’s Career in Latin Music
Basagaña began his career promoting concerts and festivals, working with leading Latin recording artists and developing relationships throughout the live entertainment business.
He said he was involved in Karol G’s first tour and has worked on major concert productions involving some of Latin music’s biggest names.
However, as Live Nation expanded its influence over international touring, he found it increasingly difficult to compete for major concert packages as an independent promoter.
That shift eventually led him into artist management.
“Some of the artists started to come to me and say, ‘Hey Eduardo, you want to do management?’” he recalled.
Although initially reluctant, Basagaña eventually embraced the opportunity and began using his experience in live entertainment to help develop recording careers.
His management roster includes Spanish pop star Ana Mena, whom he described as having accumulated nearly five billion streams, Argentine singer Ángela Leiva and Israeli pop star Noa Kirel.
He has also established a record label focused primarily on developing emerging talent.
Basagaña considers artist development one of his greatest strengths.
“I think I am a developer,” he said. “I know how to develop artists from scratch to the biggest places.”
His experience across touring, management, music production and international networking forms the foundation of his strategy for Blackman.
He also believes managers from Latin America and the Caribbean possess the skills necessary to compete with their counterparts in the United States and Europe.
“Being Latin or being Caribbean or being Asian, whatever, doesn’t mean that’s the roof,” he said.
Anson Soverall Remains Part of Nailah Blackman’s Management Team
Basagaña confirmed that his agreement with Blackman is a co-management arrangement involving her longtime manager and producer Anson Soverall.
He praised Soverall’s work ethic, production skills and close relationship with the singer, explaining that the existing manager will continue overseeing her day-to-day career.
“Anson, I love Anson. He’s such a nice guy, such a hard worker,” Basagaña said.
“He’s the one that does the day-to-day. He’s the one that knows Nailah most.”
New Album in Development as Nailah Records Around the Clock
Blackman is already recording a substantial amount of new material under the expanded management arrangement.
“Nailah now is recording massive. She’s recording every day,” he said.
The next stage involves selecting the strongest recordings and determining which international collaborations will be included.
“Now we have to choose the songs, we have to pitch the collaborators,” he explained.
His ambitions extend beyond Blackman’s individual career.
“I really hope that my work with Nailah will help other Caribbean artists to get bigger as well.”
He acknowledged that the undertaking will not be easy.
“Trying to bring a strong Caribbean artist like Nailah into the Latin world is a challenge,” he admitted.
“I’m excited about this project. Trust me, I’m waking up in the mornings with a smile.”
