Singer-Songwriter Xavi: "Mexican Artists Had To Work Hard To Show the World Who We Are" - INTERVIEW

HOUSTON - At 20 years of age, Mexican-American singer and songwriter Xavi has taken the regional Mexican music landscape by storm. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, but raised in both the United States and Mexico, Xavi has been able to render his dual-national identity into music accurately.

Influenced by social media, YouTube and his family's roots, he began teaching himself to play guitar at the age of 10 and by the time he was 15 years old, he started posting videos and songs online. But as Xavi revealed in an exclusive interview with The Latin Times, music was not part of his long-term plans.

"I only did it as a hobby. I used to play the guitar thinking to myself what I would do with my life," Xavi said. "My only options were being an electrician or joining the family business at a taqueria. To this date, I can't believe what happened. I feel like it was a miracle."

Xavi considers himself as a "family man," and added that performing alongside his brother Fabio Capri and having the opportunity to help his mother plan the re-opening of her taqueria are part of the blessings he has experienced since his songs caught the attention of Interscope Records' executives.

Performing at the Verizon Access Concert Series in Houston, Texas, a full house enjoyed a selection of Xavi's latest album "NEXT" which includes some of his famous hits, including "La Víctima" and "La Diabla." People from all ages chanted to Xavi's songs, who serenated the crowd with the support of traditional instruments in Mexican music such as the tololoche and requinto guitars.

Although he is still young, Xavi has become one of the leading players in the ever-evolving scenery of regional Mexican music through his distinctive voice and romantic melodies. To Xavi, staying true to his roots is non-negotiable, as he believes Mexican culture is finally seen as equal to any other community in the music world.

Mexican Pride

"I think we have to represent the places where we are from and be proud of being Mexicans," Xavi said. "In the past, people looked at us differently; they made us feel less, and we had to work hard to show the world who we are and what our culture is all about."

He added that Mexican music was labelled as "regional " in the past. However, with the new movement that started with artists such as Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma, Mexican music is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Such has been the boom of "corridos tumbados" and other movements within Mexican music that more international artists are now working more and more with Mexican artists. Earlier this month, Canadian rapper Drake was the latest high-profile artist to feature in a regional Mexican song with Chino Pacas and the band Fuerza Regida.

"The worlds are finally fusing. In the past, they used to divide us into two different worlds. Our music was just considered "regional," but it is now a global movement," Xavi said.

A Bicultural Message

Intertwining both worlds has been one of Xavi's main focuses since becoming an international star. In May 2023, he released his debut EP titled "My Mom's Playlist," which featured covers of pop-oriented songs such as Maná's "Rayando el Sol" and Sin Bandera's "Kilómetros." He said that growing up in both Mexico and the United States gave him the opportunity to see the world "through different lenses."

"I grew up with a lot of musical influences. When I was living in Mexico, I used to think to myself 'Why are both worlds separated when it is all part of the same thing?," Xavi said. "Having the ability to see the world through Mexico and the U.S... I was able to see a little bit of everything. I wanted to fuse things by using melodies and words from both cultures to create something unique," he said.

For the past two years, Xavi has been able to do just that. His musical style, labeled "tumbado romantico," has landed him more than two billion streams on Spotify, with "La Diabla" being his most listened-to song with over 786 million streams.

Earlier this month, Xavi released his first studio album, NEXT, which includes 15 songs. As the American trade magazine Variety mentioned in its review of NEXT, "Xavi's sense of adventure, his willingness to push the genre into unexpected territories," has been well received by the general public.

According to Billboard, NEXT earned Xavi a debut on the publication's album charts at Nos. 9 and 6 on Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican album charts, respectively.

Xavi's concert in Houston was part of Verizon's Access Concert Series, which gives customers access to exclusive concerts simply for being a Verizon customer.