When I meet Sophie Castillo on a burning afternoon of 93 levels in Austin, Texas, positioned on board the Fairy Hotel pool in an extended leather-e blazer tells me that it’s preserving it.
“We spent seven consecutive days with out Sunshine final month,” says the singer -songwriter born in London, who carried out on the annual South by Southwest Music Festival within the metropolis (Sxsw). “I’ve to soak up the solar!”
The daughter of a Colombian mom and a Cuban father, Castillo, 26 years outdated, is on a mission to amplify the Latin American diaspora within the United Kingdom, primarily by his music: a sublime melange of balmose digital plots and Latin American inheritance seems like Salsa, Bachata and Reggaeton. He hopes that these genres can take off within the United Kingdom, in addition to Afrobeats, Ska, Bhangra and different musical types that immigrant communities have helped combine into British common music.
“The British (not) get sufficient credit score on how open they’re,” he says. “Every time I’ve seen folks react to Latin music within the United Kingdom, they’re enthusiastic. They usually are not like, ‘Oh, I do not wish to take heed to it as a result of he’s in Spanish.’ I’m like “that is stunning, inform me extra!”
During the Amigo’s showcase in Rozco’s on the evening of March 12, Castillo, embellished with a cowboy hat and a crimson velvet ensemble, launched his new single, “The Betrayal”. A lower from his subsequent EP, scheduled for April, “The Betrayal” is a sensual Baile Funk tune that cleared with the proper indignation.
“I really like Brazilian music, so I needed to attempt a funk fusion,” explains Castillo. “Everything was joined to this Shakira Arabic scale. The drama was there, the cinematographic ingredient was there, which is what I really like.”
(Elana Marie / de Los; Photos by Leila Sophie Castillo)
Beyond Latinidad, music runs within the blood of Castillo. His father, the famend dancer of Salsa and Dj Nelson Batista, studied dance on the House of Culture in Havana earlier than immigrating to London within the Nineteen Eighties. He grew to become the primary sauce teacher recognized within the United Kingdom Sparks flew between him and the mom of Castillo, a sauce dancer that immigrated from Colombia.
The uncles of Castillo, Eddie and Lee led the younger Sophie to see musical as a toddler. And when it was massive sufficient, they inspired him to take part in a after -school theater program. He then built-in his musical training by studying how you can produce songs utilizing Garageband at residence.
“My uncle Eddie dropped my CD to Universal after I was 13 years outdated,” he says. “It was so enjoyable. I did not know anybody within the musical business, nor the Latin Musical business. How do you do noise? “
Castillo constructed his viewers organically on Tiktok, the place he tried the clips of his songs among the many followers of the Marías and Kali Uchis-Due appearing within the United States who have been important in his improvement as Latin artist amongst cultures. “I all the time needed to sing in Spanish, however I used to be just a bit shy,” says Castillo. “But Kali Uchis actually ready the trail for Latin Indie by making music in English with slightly Spanish. I actually have a lot love and respect for this.”
In 2022, Castillo revealed the tune, “Call Me by Your Name”-a melody of Bachata Dream-pop sung in English. “Pov: you might be listening to a Bachata Bachata of a British Latin”, Read the caption of his video. It was a viral feeling. “The Americans have been like, ‘What, are you guys there?’ Castillo remembers. “They would say:” I can not imagine (a) the Latin of the United Kingdom is one factor! “”
While there are demographic classes for the Caribbean from the previous colonies of the United Kingdom, it’s tough to search out an correct rely of the Latin American inhabitants. In 2013, the census reported at the very least 250,000 Latin American who dwell within the United Kingdom, however second A report of 2024The Latin American inhabitants elevated by 406% in London and 395% in England and Wales from 2001 to 2021.
Castillo carried out small open-close nights in Brixton eating places and golf equipment, usually with the Latin different artist he raised French, who’s Colombian and Italian. But Castillo obtained his largest live performance in the summertime of 2024, when he obtained an e -mail from the Ja Balvin group, inviting her to open for Colombian Superstar throughout his live performance on June 5 on the O2 Arena in London. It has turn out to be the primary Latin within the United Kingdom to carry out on the headquarters.
“It’s unimaginable, you realize – Tiktok is like such a strong instrument,” he says about his expertise. “I used to be capable of respect a totally impartial artist and how you can have all freedom and management to do what I needed.”
