Cuban Singer El Shadow Releases Song 'La Foto' with Nicky Jam

August 20, 2026

Cuban singer Raudel Gómez Hernández, known as El Shadow, released the song "La Foto" on August 13, 2026, alongside Puerto Rican reggaeton star Nicky Jam, a collaboration blending acoustic guitars, afrobeats and urban sounds. The music video, produced by Plus Media Music and premiered exclusively by Billboard en Español, was filmed partly in Playa Santa Lucía, Camagüey, featuring influencer Samantha Hernández, while Nicky Jam shot his scenes in Miami.

The collaboration originated from a social media post El Shadow made in February 2026, when he shared a video performing the song and asked his followers to help it reach Nicky Jam. The artist responded positively to the gesture, and the exchange went viral within days, paving the way for the two to record the track together months later.

El Shadow, 26, is from Camagüey, where he began his music career at age 15. Following the collaboration's success, he expressed gratitude on social media, saying his achievement was possible "thanks to you all and thanks to God."

The artist's story, shaped by the everyday hardships -including power outages- faced by young musicians in Cuba, has been highlighted by outlets including Billboard, which recently named him among the Latin emerging artists to watch.