Building bridges through song.
Rapper-singer Guaynaa hopes that as he fuses different sounds like rap and pop together, his fans will similarly understand different perspectives. Why not make cross-genre references cross-cultural?
"You're having different experiences and you're growing up as you when you're making new families and your reach is bigger and you can send message messages to different crowds that are not going to see you staying the same," Guaynaa exclusively explained during E!'s Ones to Watch video series on Sept. 15 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. "The kids needs to know that there's something cool out there. There's not just reggeaton, there is not just pop or there's not just trap or salsa or whatever. You know, there's something happening in another part of the world right now in this moment and it's really cool. People dancing too and people enjoy it. So I wanted them to enjoy it too."
Guaynaa continued, "I realized that there's a lot of work to, you know, and you have to fight a lot and depends how you create your career is just how long it is going to last."
The "Cumbia a la Gente" singer is "proud to be Puerto Rican" and strives to be a "different kind of artist" thanks to a new deal with CMN Events for an international tour—especially since Guaynaa can be exposed to more cultural sounds while on the road.
"It's a nice opportunity that brings our art and our show to different parts of the world," he noted. "I mean, I got some music coming for you guys, so you have to be prepared because we're going to come with interesting fusions that are going to keep pushing for the culture."
And the timing couldn't be better for Guaynaa.
"At this time in my career, I don't care about money. I don't care about a priority or a perception. I care about culture," the artist revealed. "How are we going to push forward the culture with what we're doing, it's all about that.
"How are you going to make the Asians connect with the Latino people? How are you going to make the Puerto Rican connect with the Dominicans or the Mexican connect with the people from Spain? It's a really interesting thing because at the end of the day, we're humans."
Guaynaa's passion for interconnectivity and understanding extends to his social media, where he uses Instagram to "talk about human rights," especially in Latin America. That is just part of the responsibility that Guaynaa feels to represent his culture and ethnicity.
"For me, being Puerto Rican is a big fruit," he mused. "We're here because we've got a lot of determination. We are here because we are huge fighters, both sides. There's a lot of story, a lot of situations, a lot of inequality, things that were happening in the past. And it's still happening right now."
Guaynaa concluded, "But I'm very proud of my people. I'm very proud of what we're doing. And who we are and from where are we going to go. I'm very proud. And I think that we are the meaning of being a hard fighter and hard workers, you know, people with ethics and dignity, that is very important."
Watch the full interview above to hear more of Guaynaa's story!