COLORSxSTUDIOS

You grew up in Guatemala. What are some of your standout memories from your childhood in your home country?

It was a very hard childhood. We never had any money. Guatemala is a third world country. When I go back now, I’m like, “god, it’s so beautiful”, but when I was living there it was a constant struggle for survival. I grew up with a single mother who was struggling with her mental health. I did have both my grandmas though. They always looked out for me and I am the man I am today because of them.

How did you end up falling in love with music? 

My mother was a stylist and my dad was a choreographer and a singer, so music must be in my blood! The first group I remember listening to is this Mexican pop, acoustic band called REIK. Discovering them felt like finding freedom.

When I first fell in love aged eleven, I didn’t want to tell the girl that I loved her, so I wrote her a poem. That was my way of expressing myself. There was so much I wanted to say but couldn’t because I had no platform. Music became my platform.

When you were young, you started dreaming “the American dream”. 

Around the age of 13 or 14, I discovered the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and all the Disney stuff. It was my introduction to American culture and it really shaped me. Then I discovered Paramore, which made me fall in love with more alternative music.

You emigrated to the States as an undocumented immigrant at the age of 15. It took you 30 days to cross Mexico and the Arizona desert. What prompted you to make such a difficult, dangerous journey? What kept you motivated throughout?

I was a single child until the age of ten. After that, my sister and brother were born. I always felt a bit like a dad to them because their fathers weren’t in the picture. I loved (and still love!) them so much and wanted to save them from their situation.

My dad got killed due to violence when I was 15. That was a turning point for me. I decided that one day I was going to change my sibling’s lives for the better. For me, the best way to do that was to move to and work in America.

When I was walking to the border, I would look up to the stars. I’ve always had such a deep connection with a creator, or higher energy. When I was cold, I felt somebody hugging me. I can’t explain it, but it felt like someone was watching over me. That, and the thought of my siblings, was what kept me going.

You say you haven’t “made it”, but you’ve had some amazing career highlights, including supporting Bad Bunny at his show in Guatemala and recording with the Mexican artist Thalia.

At the time, I didn’t really celebrate these achievements, because I just wanted more and more. Now I can look back and appreciate them. This said, doing COLORS is way bigger than both those things for me. I left my management company in December. It was really scary to suddenly be independent, and I felt like I needed one thing, a sign, that I was on the right path. A day later, I got an Instagram DM from COLORS. A week later, I was in Berlin doing the recording. It felt like fate. That’s why I wore a shirt saying “I manifested this” on the show. There was nothing else to it besides not giving up, and putting things out into the universe that ended up coming back.

Tell us about the song you performed on COLORS.

‘Pesadillas’ is one of the hardest songs for me to perform live. I don’t have any time to breathe! I practiced every day before the recording—three times in the morning, three times in the evening, and three times at night. Being in the spotlight at COLORS is not easy. When you’re standing there, it’s an opportunity to really show what you’ve got, and whether you prepared for the moment! When I showed up there that morning, I was so sure I was gonna kill it because I’d practiced so much.

The lyrics are in Spanish. Can you explain what they’re about for non-Spanish speakers?

The title translates as ‘Nightmares’. It’s about continuing to dream about someone even after you’ve broken up with them. This is something that happened to me. My dreams about my ex were beautiful and anxiety free, but when I woke up, chaos ensued. Reality was the real nightmare.

I’m so proud of this song because it’s produced by a Guatemalan producer called Cadilak. It’s a dream for us both to have our track on COLORS.

Do you have a favorite lyric from the song? 

It’s not a deep lyric, but in the hook I say, “yesterday I dreamed about you, we had such a wonderful night, but when I woke up you were not here.” It’s straight to the point. My goal as a songwriter is to explain feelings and emotions in the most simple way possible.