Miami, Oct 16 (EFE).— Colombian singer Juan Duque says he hopes to highlight the talent of Colombian musicians as he makes his debut at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to take place next Thursday in Miami.
“Colombia is already recognized for its music and the talent it has,” Duque told EFE, adding that it fills him with pride to see Colombian representation at international awards.”
For Duque, who has collaborated with fellow artists Ryan Castro, Andy Rivera, and Nanpa Básico, performing at an event he used to watch from home “feels surreal, almost like a dream.”
“I’m going to sing it like in the shower”
“I’m going to sing a song that I love, one I sing in the studio, on stage, even in the shower, and I’m just going to enjoy it so the audience can feel that too,” he said.
This will be Duque’s second performance in the United States, following his July appearance at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in New York, which brings together emerging voices in Latin music.
After releasing his first album in 2024 and performing across Latin America and Spain, Duque, affectionately known as El Wawa, says he is “starting to reap the fruits” of his work but remains grounded: “You can’t stop watering the little tree or taking care of it,” he said with a smile.
Family roots and musical legacy
Duque credits his late father, who passed away when he was eight, for teaching him to enjoy music before creating it.
“Many artists can make good music, but they don’t enjoy it. My dad taught me to love it first, and then to make it,” he recalled.
His father also introduced him to Carlos Vives, one of his biggest inspirations. “He always listened to all kinds of vallenato, but I loved Carlos Vives because he mixed vallenato with rock,” Duque said.
Creativity runs in his family. “In family gatherings, my uncles were always telling jokes, doing plays, rhyming, or reciting poetry,” he laughed.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Duque spent four years creating comedy content for Latiners, a job that helped him finance his early music career.
Social media success and global reach
Duque considers social media an underestimated tool for artists. “When I started, social networks were the only free platform I had to show my music,” he said.
His collaboration ‘Solcito,’ featuring fellow Colombian Miguel Bueno, became a viral sensation this year.
“We went to sleep after releasing it, and the next day there were 20,000 TikTok videos using the song, many from Spain,” he said. “It’s beautiful because music transcends cultures; everyone understands it the same way.”
Looking ahead, Duque dreams of working with artists he admires: Piso 21, J Balvin, Karol G, Feid, and Maluma, and says he has already spoken with some of them about potential collaborations.
To his younger self, who started his career in 2018, filled with stress and uncertainty, he would say:“I told you we were going to make it, that it was going to be real.”
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