Anyone with an eye on the charts for the past several years has surely noticed a sea change within the music industry.

More than ever before, Latin artists are reaching the U.S. mainstream. In 2018, consumption of Latin music overshadowed that of country music, previously the most-consumed genre in the United States. Artists like Bad Bunny, Maluma, Ozuna and more have appeared on the Billboard Top 100. In fact, between 2016 and 2017, Latin artists saw an increase from 4 top 100 hits to 19– in just one year!

Some of the most popular artists in the industry are also releasing Spanish-language albums and songs: Christina Aguilera’s 2022 EP La Fuerza, Selena Gomez’s 2021 EP La Revelación and Cardi B’s Latin Trap Remix of “Bodak Yellow” are just a few excellent examples of Latin music’s meteoric rise in the United States.

But American artists releasing Spanish-language music doesn’t account for all of the genre’s recent popularity boost by any means. Artists from Spain (Rosalia), Puerto Rico (Bad Bunny), Colombia (Maluma) and many more have taken up residence on U.S. charts, and it looks like they’re here to stay.

So what’s next for Latin music in America? Plenty of up-and-coming artists are eager to add their unique sounds to the increasingly-diverse Billboard charts and beyond. One of these is a Nicaraguan musician and actor who performs as The Pirate.

Born Luis A. Lopez Soza, The Pirate (also known as El Pirata and The Pirate NYC) currently lives in New York City– but his journey to New York wasn’t an easy one. He was born in war-torn Nicaragua amid great social unrest. At a young age, his mother gave him a Walkman, which was especially precious in a country where such things were rare or completely inaccessible. He was able to escape the sounds of violence outside his home by listening to music. These early days of music exposure shaped his future life as an artist, and to this day he’s influenced by his childhood favorites: Bob Marley, Daddy Yankee, Ruben Blades, Ricky Martin, Reggaemania and many more.

The Pirate left Nicaragua to travel through Europe, living in Milan for 10 years. His travels exposed him to all kinds of new music, allowing his own style to evolve and incorporate a much more diverse sound. After his time traveling, he went back home to Nicaragua to pursue his ultimate dream: winning a Latin Grammy. 

Unfortunately, political turmoil and social unrest were still very much present in 2018 Nicaragua, and anyone who opposed the government faced serious consequences, including excessive violence, arbitrary detention, and even execution. Pirate wrote a song called “Insurreccion” in opposition of the dictatorship and faced persecution from the government. He was forced to flee through the jungles all the way to the United States.

He spent two weeks at the border until he was allowed to go to New York, where his mother lives.

The Pirate, after living through a situation that many in the United States cannot even imagine, was diagnosed with PTSD. For some, this would mark the end of their creative career, but it only spurred Pirate to go further. He was able to freely release “Insurreccion” on his 2021 EP I Am The Party, and has been steadily releasing music ever since his arrival in the United States. 

Pirate firmly believes in sharing between cultures. His unique experience living in Nicaragua, combined with his travels through Europe and his time in the United States, have allowed for plenty of cultural exchange. As a result, his music is unique, nuanced, and accessible to listeners of all genres, and he’s poised to ride the current wave of Latin music’s popularity to become the next big thing.

Watch Pirate’s latest music video for Suavecito Mami on VEVO, and check out his new single Sunday Funday coming out April 20 on all music platforms.