Billboard caught up with Mexican-American singer Adriel Favela backstage during the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Week, where he opened up about his experience growing up Latino.
Discussing an unforgettable childhood memory that he has, Favela recalls the moments that he had with his father. “I lost him when I was only seven years old,” he says, “so I wish I could have had more time…It’s really different growing up in Mexico, as growing up in the United States. I had both, and definitely, I’m never gonna forget that.”
The “Chequen El Porte” singer also discusses his appreciation for a wide range of Latino artists, explaining, “That’s what makes us beautiful. We have a mix of cultures and I think that it’s very important for us to put it out there in a good positive way.”
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Asked what the biggest stereotype about his culture is, Favela says that it’s the idea that Mexicans wear sombreros at all times. “No, it’s not like that,” he tells Billboard. “We respect stage, we respect that time that we do have to wear it and feel proud of where we come from and what we are…We need to chill and we just wanna wear Nikes or something. Converse, I love Converse. So definitely, there’s a lot of stereotypes.”
“[There are] so many talented people that are here right now,” he continues. “I think that we’re putting that right foot in the ground and saying, ‘this is what we are nowadays.’”
Check out the video above to hear much more from Adriel Favela, and don’t forget to watch the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will broadcast on Telemundo this Thursday (April 26) at 7 p.m. ET, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
