In an trade the place Latin music and EDM usually intersect as passing acquaintances, Vikina has turned them into inseparable dance companions.
Contemporary off the discharge of her genre-defying album ¿QUESTIONS?, the Miami-born artist is ushering in an period the place Latin affect is not a function—it is the muse. The album is a daring sonic experiment, threading emotional vulnerability by club-ready manufacturing and turning existential dilemmas into irresistible anthems.
Tracks like “Candela” mix sultry Spanish vocals with thumping home basslines, whereas “Descontrol” merges moody soundscapes with unmistakable dembow rhythms. The result’s an introspective but electrifying fusion that speaks to 2 worlds without delay.
Launched beneath Pitbull’s venerable Mr. 305 Information banner, ¿QUESTIONS? additionally options the Latin-Grammy nominated “BAMBOLE,” Vikina’s latest collaboration with the famend digital music producer Deorro.
The Latin Grammy nod is a testomony to the rising influence of Vikina’s sound, which resonates on sweaty dancefloors and world playlists alike. And as EDM evolves past its pageant roots and Latin music continues its world ascent, she’s proving that these worlds don’t simply coexist—they thrive collectively.
We caught up with Vikina to debate her efforts to redefine Latin dance music.
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EDM.com: What do you assume is driving the present world urge for food for Latin-infused dance music?
Vikina: I feel the world is lastly catching on to what we’ve recognized perpetually: Latin music is alive. It’s vibrant, emotional and filled with ardour. There’s an vitality to it—the rhythm, the tales, the best way it makes you’re feeling—that actually connects individuals to their tradition and lets them share it by music.
While you mix these sounds with dance music, I’m capable of present how dynamic and thrilling the style will be. It’s about pushing boundaries and creating one thing that feels recent however nonetheless honors the place it got here from.
EDM.com: How has your upbringing in Miami influenced your fusion of conventional Latin sounds with modern digital beats? Are there particular cultural components you need to spotlight?
Vikina: Rising up in Miami meant being surrounded by this unimaginable melting pot of Latin tradition. With my Ecuadorian mother and Cuban dad, I used to be always uncovered to a mixture of sounds from each style you may consider. Gloria Estefan was an enormous inspiration for me—she confirmed that Latin music may have a large influence in america. I would like my music to seize that very same vitality and variety, to mirror town that raised me.
EDM.com: Are you able to stroll us by your inventive course of when working with Deorro in your Latin Grammy-nominated track “BAMBOLE?”
Vikina: I had been eager to collaborate with Deorro for a very long time and despatched him a bunch of concepts earlier than, however this one lastly caught his consideration. I began the thought with some native producers in Miami, utilizing a “75 Brazil” pattern we knew could be powerful to clear. I knew Deorro would take it someplace daring and electrical. I had a sense he’d do one thing wonderful with it, however what he created fully took me abruptly—in one of the best ways doable. I needed the vocals to really feel like they have been calling you straight to the dancefloor and we layered that with a type of iconic Deorro-style drops he crafts so properly. All of it got here collectively so naturally.
Deorro really deserves the popularity he will get. He’s paved the best way for Latinos in EDM, and collaborating with him was such an honor. Realizing it earned me my first Latin Grammy nomination makes it much more particular.
EDM.com: What’s your final mission as an artist?
Vikina: My mission is to proceed the legacy of the Miami artists who paved the best way earlier than me and mix cultures in that particular manner solely we all know how. I need to create a soundtrack for freedom—for dancing, crying, wanting, celebrating and dwelling totally within the second. Past the awards (which, let’s be actual, are unimaginable), I need to encourage individuals, particularly ladies, to take up area, personal their roots, be fearless and break boundaries. I hope my journey encourages the subsequent technology to jot down their very own guidelines, whether or not that’s in music, life, and even politics. As a result of the magic—and the reality—is all the time someplace within the center.
EDM.com: How do you push the boundaries of physicality and sensuality in Latin dance music to inform various tales?
Vikina: Sensuality is a part of who we’re as Latinas, but it surely’s not our entire story. Early in my profession, I wrote loads about craving and wanting somebody who in all probability wasn’t 100% into me. These have been enjoyable and cathartic in a way, type of a sexual love letter—with class in fact. Nevertheless, in Spanish there tends to be a way more poetic manner of describing sure issues.
As of late, I’m extra centered on telling significant tales by dance music. One observe may be about dancing by heartbreak, and the subsequent is about proudly owning your energy. My objective is to convey depth to the dancefloor—whether or not you are vibing to the beat or actually listening to the lyrics, there’s all the time one thing there to attach with and to really feel.
EDM.com: What challenges have you ever confronted as a lady reshaping the male-dominated Latin dance music narrative, and what progress do you see?
Vikina: Oh, honey, the challenges are actual however I’ve by no means been afraid of a problem. Individuals usually underestimate us or assume we’re simply the “pretty face” on the observe—however little do they know I am truly the songwriter, recording engineer and vocal producer of most of my tracks too. I’ve discovered to let my abilities converse louder than any stereotype and to get comfy with my function as a chief in these rooms.
Robust communication abilities and being well-educated in what you are promoting and craft earn you actual respect even when appears to be like obtained you within the door. So I say, “Use it!” I’m seeing extra ladies getting into producer roles, headlining festivals and simply proudly owning their area. It looks like we’re not simply breaking the mildew—we’re shattering it.
c/o Mr&interval; 305 Information
EDM.com: What do you see as the subsequent evolution in Latin dance music?
Vikina: The long run is all about mixing genres much more. I really feel like we’ve actually ridden the tech home and Afro home wave onerous this previous yr. With all these “Latin sample packs” on the market, it looks like anybody could make Latin EDM now. I’d like to see issues evolve—perhaps extra Latin techno or mainstream progressive Latin EDM.
For instance, Deorro is fusing Mexican music in a very cool manner. Think about a bachata guitar with futuristic synths or conventional Andean flutes on a drum & bass beat. The sound must evolve, and it’s time to make it occur
EDM.com: What has been probably the most stunning lesson you’ve discovered about your self in these fast-moving genres?
Vikina: That I’m manner stronger than I believed. It’s a tricky trade, however each problem has taught me resilience. I’ve discovered to belief my instincts and embrace my uniqueness—as a result of what’s the purpose of following the group while you have been born to steer the dance?
EDM.com: What would you like your music to speak to listeners unfamiliar with Latin tradition or dance music?
Vikina: I would like them to be moved, whether or not it’s by the lyrics or the sazon of the music. It’s extra than simply sound—it’s concerning the feelings, the historical past and the neighborhood behind it. Dance music is all about launch. Even for those who don’t converse Spanish, I hope my music makes you’re feeling one thing. That is why I write in Spanglish generally as a result of I would like there to be one thing for everybody to carry onto. Music is the common language, and I’m right here to verify EDM en español turns into part of everybody’s playlist.
Observe Vikina:
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Instagram: instagram.com/vikinamusic
TikTok: tiktok.com/@vikinamusic
Fb: fb.com/vikinamusic
Spotify: tinyurl.com/5absh84v
