Exclusive Interview with Sammy Arriaga: Bringing His Latin Roots to the Country Music Scene
Posted on08/27/26 at 09:59
- Sammy Arriaga claims his Latin roots.
- He opened the show for Jordan Davis
- Nashville turned his dream into reality
Sammy Arriaga at Red Bull. Breaking into country music is already a huge challenge. Doing it as a Latin roots singer, in a genre where Hispanic representation is still limited, makes Sammy Arriaga’s story especially significant.
The Cuban-American artist spoke exclusively with Alonso Bañuelas for MundoNOW from Dallas, Texas, where we experienced firsthand an event that began with the soundcheck and ended in front of a packed audience at The Bomb Factory for the Texas debut of Red Bull Jukebox.
MundoNOW was invited to join this journey and learn about a concept that transforms the traditional concert into a kind of «live jukebox»: attendees can participate in song selection and even decide how they want to hear them.
For Arriaga, the night had special meaning. Not only was he part of the lineup, but he also had the opportunity to open the show headlined by Jordan Davis, one of the country figures he admires.
«Imagine being a Latin singer in a genre where there aren’t many Latinos. Sharing the stage with Jordan Davis, one of my favorite artists. It’s a very special moment,» Arriaga said during the interview with MundoNOW.
Red Bull Jukebox Turned the Audience into Part of the Show: Sammy Arriaga Red Bull
According to information provided by Red Bull, the event held in Dallas marked the debut of Red Bull Jukebox in Texas, with Jordan Davis as the headliner and Danielle Bradbery and Sammy Arriaga as the artists in charge of opening the evening.
The concept allowed fans to influence the repertoire through prior voting and glow sticks during the concert, creating a show whose development could change according to the audience’s decisions.
Davis performed songs like «Damn Good Time» and presented special moments, including a remix of «Take It From Me» with Cheat Codes and a collaboration with the female group Mariachi Las Alteñas.
«The Red Bull Jukebox is unlike anything I’ve done before,» Jordan Davis stated in comments distributed by Red Bull, highlighting the experience of finding out in real-time what the audience wanted to hear.
From a Cuban Family to the American Dream: Sammy Arriaga Red Bull
Behind Sammy Arriaga’s presence on that stage is a family story marked by migration and sacrifice. The singer was born in the United States and is the son of Cuban parents who arrived in the country when they were young.
«My mom and dad were born on the island of Cuba, they moved to the United States at 20 years old,» he explained. Arriaga said he was the first in his family to be born in the United States and recalled that his grandfather also dreamed of dedicating himself to music.
His father, he recounted, had to work up to three jobs to help support his family. When it was time to support Sammy’s dreams, he wanted to offer him the opportunities that previous generations had not had.
Before music, there was soccer. Arriaga remembered with laughter that he played as a defender and was characterized by his speed in recovering the ball, but ultimately, music was what ended up indicating his professional path.
«The first passion of mine that put a check in my hand was music. That was the moment when I knew this is my dream, this is my mission in the world,» he assured.
He Arrived in Nashville with $300 and Started from Scratch
His career was far from starting on big stages. Arriaga recalled in conversation with Alonso Bañuelas that he arrived in Nashville with just $300 and had to learn how a highly competitive industry worked.
One of his first spaces was Broadway, the well-known area of Nashville filled with bars and stages. There, he explained, musicians could approach the establishments, ask for an opportunity to sing, and try to convince the managers with their talent.
If it worked, they could get four-hour shifts performing covers and also depend on the audience’s tips. Sammy claims he spent about six or seven years working that way.
Over time, he began writing his own songs in English and Spanish. Then he made a decisive decision: to stop focusing on performing other people’s songs and bet completely on his artistic identity.
The Rejection of American Idol and the Advice that Changed His Life
Before Nashville, there was also a rejection. Arriaga said he auditioned for American Idol when he still had little professional experience and was studying at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.
Hearing that he wasn’t what they were looking for was tough. The singer recalled feeling especially vulnerable, but again, his father appeared to encourage him to continue and pursue a career in country music.
«If you want to move to Nashville to pursue a country career, I’ll support you all the way,» he remembered his father saying. Shortly after, he left university and decided to bet on Nashville.
TikTok Changed His Career During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down much of the music industry, but it forced Sammy to explore tools he barely knew until then. TikTok and Instagram became new stages to showcase his work.
He started posting videos with original songs and some covers. Around 2020, he explained, he increased his activity on TikTok and began to find an audience while defining his sound more clearly.
«I knew what I wanted to say and what I wanted to do in my country career,» he stated. Years later, that search took him to Dallas to share the bill with Jordan Davis and represent his Latin country proposal.
«Siete Rosas», Country Between English and Spanish
Another important piece of that identity is «Siete Rosas», a project with which Arriaga adapts country songs that inspired him into Spanish, trying to preserve their melodies and the meaning of the original compositions.
To achieve this, he works with the Sonoran composer Johan Sotelo, among other collaborators. Arriaga explained that some songs can be easily adapted, while others require modifying certain words to preserve their intention.
The project already has three installments. Among the adaptations mentioned during the interview is «Always on My Mind», popularized by Willie Nelson, converted into Spanish as «En mi mente siempre estás».
Sammy Arriaga Red Bull… Wants to Collaborate with Carín León
The conversation also reached Carín León, another artist who has challenged traditional genre and market boundaries. Sammy revealed that they have already met and openly expressed his desire to work with him.
Arriaga said he recently attended one of his concerts in Nashville and highlighted both his vocal quality and his personal treatment. «Very humble and honestly one of the best voices I’ve heard live in my life,» he assured.
In Dallas, meanwhile, his own proposal had the opportunity to shine. According to Red Bull, he opened the night with «Moves Like Mexico» and «Tequila Made Me Do It», in addition to performing «Selena» and «Left My Heart in Texas».
«My two worlds come together here,» Arriaga expressed in statements provided by Red Bull about his presentation in Texas. That phrase summarizes much of what he seeks to build: a space where his Latin roots and country music do not have to live apart.
Before saying goodbye to MundoNOW, Sammy returned to that idea. «It’s an honor to represent my Latin culture on a very special stage,» he said from Dallas.
For an artist who arrived in Nashville with $300, spent years singing covers for tips, and decided to build a bilingual identity in one of the most competitive genres in the United States, that night alongside Jordan Davis meant much more than just another concert: it was a new showcase for Latin country and Hispanic presence within the genre.