Santos Bravos, a five-member Latin pop group, will open for Shakira this Friday when she kicks off her European residency at the Estadio Shakira, built in Madrid's Villaverde district. The group is part of the lineup for Es Latina, a festival running alongside the 12 shows that will close Shakira's 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.'
Es Latina was created to give artists from across the industry a chance to present their work during the residency, and Santos Bravos is one of the names on that bill.
While already in Madrid for the shows, the band visited the CADENA 100 studios to introduce themselves and explain how the opportunity came about, something that was not even possible a year ago, before the group existed. They described themselves as a group formed by Hybe Latinoamérica, calling themselves the first Latin pop group and noting that they have five members from five different countries.
Who are Santos Bravos
The five members are Alejandro Aramburu, from Peru; Drew Venegas, from the United States; Gabi Bermúdez, from Puerto Rico; Kauê Penna, from Brazil; and Kenneth Lavíll, from Mexico.
The group said their multicultural lineup took shape through a reality show streamed on YouTube, where they trained for six months as part of a group of ten finalists. They now have a million and a half followers on Instagram and close to two million monthly listeners on the largest music streaming platform. The band admitted they had always hoped to achieve something big, but said they did not expect everything to happen so quickly.
Adjusting to the pace
Asked about going from nothing to everything in such a short time, the group was candid, saying it is something no one is fully prepared for, and that they have had to learn gradually simply by doing the work. That rise will put them in front of audiences across Europe this weekend, during Shakira's opening shows. The band said Latin culture makes them a natural fit for the kind of show the Barranquilla-born singer wanted for a residency designed to go beyond a conventional concert format.
Asked how they feel about the opportunity, the group called it an honour, saying there is nothing better than representing their cultures and showing the world how beautiful it is to be Latino, and that it will always be meaningful to share the pride they feel in representing their countries as best they can. They also spoke about performing for Shakira herself, describing her as not only an artist but an incredible person in every respect, and said they are grateful for the opportunity she has given them.
Meeting Shakira in Mexico City
The opportunity traces back to one of the 13 concerts Shakira performed at the GNP arena in Mexico City. The band said they had only hoped to enjoy one of her live shows, perhaps filming something for social media. Instead, they ended up walking to the stage alongside her, and the new chapter now opening for them came about almost by chance, in the band's own words, with one thing simply leading to another, as they put it to CADENA 100.
Favourite songs from three decades
The band promised to give their best in Madrid and named some of their favourite songs from Shakira's career, which spans more than three decades. Among the titles they mentioned were 'Rabiosa,' 'Pies Descalzos,' 'Antología,' 'Día de Enero' and 'Waka Waka,' songs the band said reflect how Shakira's music has reached across generations as one of the leading figures in Latin music.
How the band describes their sound
Asked to describe their music for someone who has never heard them, the band said their sound is based on duality, split between what they call a 'santo' side and a 'bravo' side. They explained that, as human beings, they experience a full range of emotions, with days that feel sad, happy or confused over a friendship or situation, and said they have a song for each of those emotions. For that reason, the band said, their music is meant to be healing and to stay close to listeners. Audiences in Madrid will get to judge for themselves this Friday.
