Sebastián Yatra
Yatra in 2022
Born
Sebastián Obando Giraldo

(1994-10-15) 15 October 1994
Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active2016–present
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
LabelsUniversal Latin
Websitesebastianyatra.com

Sebastián Obando Giraldo (born 15 October 1994), known professionally as Sebastián Yatra, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. He began as a Latin pop artist and has recorded many ballads, but has released several successful reggaeton singles. Yatra is noted for his romantic lyrics, melding traditional lyricism with modern reggaeton influences. He rose to prominence in Latin America in 2016 when he released the hit "Traicionera". He has released three studio albums and recorded with artists from a diverse range of musical genres throughout his career.

Born in Medellín and raised primarily in Miami, Yatra began singing at a young age and returned to Colombia to begin his musical career. He achieved breakout success with "Traicionera" followed by "Robarte un Beso" featuring Carlos Vives. "Traicionera" served as the lead single for his 2018 debut album, Mantra, which also featured the single "Sutra", featuring Puerto Rican rapper Dalmata. He then released the album Fantasía including the lead single "Un Año" featuring Mexican band Reik. He received continued success collaborating with Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, and the Jonas Brothers on the bilingual single "Runaway".

Early life

Born in Medellín, Yatra lived briefly in Cartagena before moving with his mother to Miami, Florida at age five. At the same time, his father stayed in Colombia to work in real estate.[1][2] Discussing the experience, Yatra explained, “It was a big sacrifice. Since my dad stayed working in Colombia, [my parents] had a long-distance relationship for like 12 years.”[2] He studied piano, guitar, and vocal technique, and was an avid football player before deciding to concentrate on his music, although he continues to practice football as a hobby. The first concert he attended was that of Colombian pop singer Juanes.[3] He decided to become a singer at age twelve after landing the role of Troy Bolton in his school production of High School Musical.[4]

In high school, Yatra played the position of the central defensive midfielder on his school's football team and often wore a scarf over his mouth during practice to protect his voice.[5] He practiced performing for his teammates on the bus to and from games, performing songs by his favorite artists as well as his own original songs.[2] He attended vocal lessons every day after school.[2] After graduating from the Sagemont Preparatory School in Weston, Florida in 2012, Yatra attended Babson College to study business administration.[2] However, Yatra dropped out of school to focus on music and at age 20, Yatra returned to Colombia to begin his musical career.[2][5]

Career

2013–2017: Early career and "Traicionera"

In September 2013, Yatra had his first minor hit single, "El psicólogo", which charted in his home country Colombia, as well as Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico and the United States.[6] "El Psicólogo", a pop ballad with reggae influences was recorded in the United States, and produced by well-known Latin producers Yhonny Atella and Ender Thomas, mastered by Tom Coynequien and music video shot by Colombian director Simón Brand.[7] Yatra toured with Paty Cantú in her Drama Queen Tour and with Sandoval Sandoval in her Deja Que La Vida Te Sorprenda Tour gaining more fame. His follow-up single "Todo Lo Que Siento" was mildly successful, but the ensuing "Para olvidar" became a big hit in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and yet again in the States.[8] 2015 saw launching of two successful singles, "No me llames" featuring Alkilados and "Cómo Mirarte", a repeat hit first as solo and again in a collaboration featuring Kenai and remixed by producers like Kevin ADG, Chan El Genio and Dandee.

Yatra first received international success with the single "Traicionera"[9] a Reggaeton, trap and EDM-influenced hit that solidified his status as a favorite international artist in Latin America, in the Latin market in the States also charting in Spain and finding success all over Europe. The single was classified double platinum in Colombia and platinum in Ecuador. It peaked at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[10] Yatra's collaboration with Colombian vallenato singer Carlos Vives entitled "Robarte Un Beso" won an ASCAP award.[11] The single's accompanying music video, directed by Venezuelan filmmaker Daniel Duran and released on July 28, 2017, features four love stories that all center around partners serenading each other.[12]

2018–2019: Mantra and Fantasia

We never said, we do ‘this’ type of music, I just make songs to make you wanna party like crazy or make you get intimate with a girl you like. All these songs have a purpose and each of them are written for a different moment in life. All these beats make you feel different things. I did a trap record called 'Como Si Nada' with this guy Calle and the rap he does is mind-blowing.

– Yatra, on his 2018 album Mantra.[1]

Yatra released the album Mantra on May 18, 2018. On the album's title, he explained, “My mantra are my songs. It takes you to that good energy with whatever you’re listening to. All these songs have these positive vibes, especially in the lyrics. They’re just sharing love."[1] In 2018, Yatra voiced the character Migo in the Spanish language version of the computer-animated film Smallfoot.[13] He released the single "Sutra" featuring Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Dalmata in March 2018, which also peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs.[10]

In December 2018, Yatra's single "Ya No Tiene Novio" featuring Mau y Ricky reached number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart.[14] To promote the song, Yatra and Mau y Ricky publicized a "feud" between them to create attention around the track, with Yatra explaining, “It’s pretty crazy because the song blew up before it even came out. Instead of telling people it was awesome, we told everyone that the collaboration sucked and having everyone say, ‘Dude you guys messed up the song so bad.’”[1] Artists Maluma, Zion Y Lennox, and J Balvin publicly commented on the "rivalry".[1] The music video features a playful nod at the artificial feud, with the artists competing over love interests.[1]

In January 2019, Sebastián Yatra and Reik launched a collaborative work titled “Un Año” (one year). The single was well-received by many Venezuelan migrants who identify the song lyrics with separations from families.[15] The single was released alongside his new album Fantasía, which was released in April 2019. Despite releasing several reggaeton-influenced songs prior to releasing the album, the majority of the twelve tracks on Fantasía have been classified as ballads. Yatra commented, "I started my career as a balladeer. I listened to Luis Fonsi, Reik, Alex Ubago and Michael Bublé. I'm very grateful for all the urban things I've done but I did not want to lose my essence."[16] Fantasía has been nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[17]

2019–present: Dharma

In June 2019, Yatra released the track "Runaway" with Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha, featuring the Jonas Brothers.[18] "Runaway" is the first bilingual song Yatra has released. After writing the chorus in English, Yatra realized that he wanted a mainstream English-language musician to feature on the track, putting the recording of the song on hold for two years while he searched for the right collaborators.[18] Commenting on the song, Yatra stated, "you feel the happiness in the track."[18] Yatra performed the song alongside Natti Natasha, Daddy Yankee, and the Jonas Brothers on the opening night of the Jonas Brothers' Happiness Begins Tour in Miami.[19]

His single "Oye", featuring Argentine singer Tini, reached number one on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 for the week of October 26, 2019.[20] The music video received more than 40 million views in the two weeks after it was released on YouTube.[20] In October 2019 he was involved in political controversies after expressing his support for the politicians and candidates of the Colombian far-right, including controversial former president Álvaro Uribe.[21] Yatra collaborated with Mexican rock group Maná in November 2019 to release a new version of the group's 1995 single “No Ha Parado De Llover”.[22] The song's music video, which partially centers around a fatal car accident, serves as a public service announcement against texting and driving. Maná initiated the collaboration after seeing Yatra cover the song at the 2018 Grammys gala.[22]

Yatra has publicly advocated for fans to practice social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19. In March 2020, he began reading children's books on Instagram Live every night at 8pm EST.[23] Also in March 2020, he released a remix of his Fantasía song "Falta Amor" featuring Ricky Martin. On the collaboration, Yatra reflected, "Singing with Ricky Martin is just insane. I would have never thought it possible in [this] lifetime. It’s huge not only as a Latino, but for any person that loves music.”[23] He announced that he will be the opening act for Martin and Enrique Iglesias's US tour, which is planned to take place from September 5 to October 30, 2021.[23]

In 2021, Yatra recorded the Spanish song "Dos Oruguitas" and its English language version, "Two Oruguitas" for the soundtrack of the Disney animated film Encanto.[24] The song, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, represented Yatra's first inclusion on a Disney movie soundtrack and the accomplishment of a personal goal: "It's always been a dream of mine to be a part of a Disney movie and it really hits the heart when it's a Disney movie about my country and showing the best of what we have to offer, which is love and family and miracles," Yatra noted.[25] "Dos Oruguitas" was one of five songs nominated for Best Original Song for the 2022 Oscars.[26] On February 22, 2022, Yatra revealed the North America dates for his Dharma World Tour.[27]

Artistry

Yatra performing in 2018

Yatra's music has been classified as Latin pop, reggaeton, and ballads. According to The Fader, Yatras music lands "somewhere in between the olden times’ sappy romantics and the new wave’s sensuous vibras."[5] He is influenced by Latin pop and reggaeton artists Ricky Martin, Shakira,[28] J Balvin, Juanes, and Reik.[3][29] In an interview with Billboard, he expressed a desire to collaborate with Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.[3] Yatra believes that contemporary musicians commit an "error in associating ballads with boring and slow and old", and hopes to rejuvenate intererest in ballads for a younger audience.[1] However, his music contains elements of other genres; Desire Thompson of Vibe described his song "Traicionera" as a "trap-EDM blend".[1]

Despite growing up in Florida and being fluent in English, Yatra sings almost exclusively in Spanish. Yatra explains, “My goal was always to be a singer in Spanish. And I really wanted to understand where I come from and live it. A lot of times I went to Colombia and, even though I spoke Spanish and was always speaking Spanish with my parents, I still felt like an outsider. I wasn’t 100 percent part of it. I wanted to give my roots the importance they deserve.”[2] His June 2019 song "Runaway" was his first foray into bilingual songwriting.[18] In December 2019, he collaborated with South Korean boy group Monsta X for the song "Magnetic", which features verses from Yatra in Spanish and a bridge from Monsta X in Spanglish.[30] Sara Delgado of Teen Vogue called the song a "truly international pop hit".[30]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 Smallfoot Migo Voice role; Spanish dubbing[31]
2019 Me llevarás en ti Himself Guest star[32]
2019 Klaus Jesper Voice role; Spanish dubbing[33]

Telenovels and series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Guerra de ídolos Himself Guest star
2017 Las Estrellas Himself Guest star
2018 The Queen of Flow Himself Guest star[34]
2017 Simona Himself Guest star
2022 Érase una vez... pero ya no Diego / Maxi Lead role

Realities shows and others

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 La voz Kids 3 Coach Winner coach
2019 Viña 2019 Member jury Event
2019 La voz Kids 4 Coach 3rd place coach
2020 2020 Premios Juventud Host Ceremony
2020 La Voz 7 Advisor of Pablo López
2021 Conecta y Canta Host [35]
2021 2021 Premios Juventud Host Ceremony
2022 La Voz Kids 7 Coach 3rd place coach
2023 La Voz Kids 8 Coach Winner coach

Discography

Tours

  • Sebastián Yatra Tour (2018-2019)
  • Yatra Yatra Tour (2019-2020)
  • Dharma World Tour (2022)

Awards and nominations

ASCAP Latin Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2018[11]"Robarte un Beso"Award Winning SongsWon

Heat Latin Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2017[36]"Traicionera"Best VideoNominated
Sebastián YatraBest Andean ArtistWon
2019[37] Sebastián Yatra Best Male Artist Nominated
Best Pop Artist Won
"Por Perro" Best Video Nominated
"Robarte un Beso" Best Collaboration Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2020 Fantasía[38] Best Latin Pop Album Nominated
2023 Dharma Nominated

Latin Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2017 Sebastián Yatra Best New Artist Nominated
Extended Play Yatra Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Nominated
2018 "Robarte un Beso" Song of the Year[39] Nominated
2019 Fantasía Album of the Year Nominated
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Nominated
"Un Año" Song of the Year Nominated
2020 "Bonita" Song of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Song Nominated
2022 Dharma Album of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Vocal Album Won
"Tacones Rojos" Song of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Song Won

Latin American Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2018[40]Sebastián YatraNew Artist of the YearWon
MantraFavorite Album - PopNominated
"Robarte un Beso"Favorite Song - PopWon

MTV Europe Music Award

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2016Sebastián YatraBest Latin America Central ActNominated
2017 Nominated
2018 Won
2019 Won
2020 Won
2021 Won

American Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2022 "Dos Oruguitas" Favourite Latin Song Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Thompson, Desire (October 11, 2018). "Pandebono And "Traicionera" Tunes: 24 Hours In Colombia With Sebastián Yatra". Vibe. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gomez, Luis (August 21, 2019). "Sebastián Yatra's Music Dreams Began in South Florida". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Schiller, Rebecca (November 14, 2019). "Sebastián Yatra Explains Why He Thinks J Balvin Is an Innovator in Latin Music". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Sebastian Yatra on New 'Fantasia' Album: 'It Felt Right to Take a Risk'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 12, 2019. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "Sebastián Yatra is giving Latin ballads a new cool". The Fader. October 30, 2018. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  6. ↑ Monger, Timothy. "Sebastián Yatra Biography". All Music. Archived from the original on 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  7. ↑ "Sebastián Yatra llegó a enamorar". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). April 29, 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  8. ↑ "16 Things About Sebastián Yatra You Should Know". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  9. ↑ Sebastián Yatra – Traicionera, archived from the original on 2019-04-12, retrieved 2019-04-12
  10. 1 2 "Sebastian Yatra Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  11. 1 2 "El Premio ASCAP 2018". ASCAP. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ Fernandez, Suzette (July 28, 2017). "Carlos Vives & Sebastian Yatra Unite for a Mission in 'Robarte Un Beso' Video". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ Deitrick, Quinn (October 3, 2018). "'Smallfoot' is thoughtful, entertaining with a big message". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  14. ↑ Raiz, Jessica (December 13, 2018). "Sebastian Yatra and Mau & Ricky Are Single, Ready to Mingle in 'Ya No Tiene Novio' Lyric Translation". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  15. ↑ ""Un año": Canción de Sebastián Yatra y Reik con la que se identificaron los venezolanos". NTN24. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-01-20. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  16. ↑ Fernandez, Suzette (April 12, 2019). "Sebastian Yatra Shares the Inspiration Behind 7 Key Tracks on New Album 'Fantasia'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Grammy Nominations 2020: See the List". The New York Times. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Cobo, Leila (June 14, 2019). "Jonas Brothers Sing in Spanish For the First Time on Sebastian Yatra's 'Runaway': Exclusive". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ Yang, Rachel (August 8, 2019). "Jonas Brothers perform 'Runway' live with Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, and Sebastian Yatra". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  20. 1 2 Billboard Argentina (October 23, 2019). "TINI & Sebastián Yatra's 'Oye' Breaks Into Billboard Argentina Hot 100's Top 3". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Lluvia de críticas a Sebastián Yatra tras expresar su afinidad política". La FM (in Spanish). 2019-10-26. Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  22. 1 2 Exposito, Suzy (November 2, 2019). "Maná, Sebastián Yatra Update 1995 Classic 'No Ha Parado De Llover'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  23. 1 2 3 Exposito, Suzy (March 26, 2020). "Sebastián Yatra, Ricky Martin Give 'Falta Amor' a Soulful Revamp". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  24. ↑ Calvario, Liz (November 25, 2021). "Sebastián Yatra on 'Nostalgic' Feeling of Recording 'Encanto' Song With Lin-Manuel Miranda (Exclusive)". ET. Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  25. ↑ Major, Michael (December 6, 2021). "VIDEO: Sebastián Yatra Sings 'Dos Oruguitas' in New ENCANTO Clip". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  26. ↑ Steve, Dove (Feb 8, 2022). "Oscar Nominations 2022 List: Nominees by Category". ABC. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  27. ↑ Flores, Griselda (February 22, 2022). "Sebastian Yatra Unveils 2022 'Dharma' U.S. Tour Dates". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  28. ↑ Solà, Xavi (2022-07-20). "Sebastián Yatra: "No me gusta que todo deba tener un orden"". Ultima Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2022-07-24. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  29. ↑ Calvario, Liz (March 4, 2020). "Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Announce Joint Tour". ET. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  30. 1 2 Delgado, Sara (December 20, 2019). "Monsta X and Sebastian Yatra Release "Magnetic" Music Video". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Sebastian Yatra on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  32. ↑ "Sebastián Yatra participa en la película "Me llevarás en ti"". iHeartRadio (in Spanish). 2 October 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  33. ↑ "Sebastián Yatra participa junto a Cecilia Suárez y Joaquín Cosío en animación de Netflix". El Espectador (in Spanish). Oct 7, 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  34. ↑ "Primeras imágenes de 'La Reina del Flow' del Canal Caracol". Rntretengo (in Spanish). 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  35. ↑ "Conecta y Canta". Archived from the original on 2022-10-02. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  36. ↑ Fernandez, Suzette (June 8, 2017). "J Balvin Wins Big at Heat Latin Music Awards 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  37. ↑ Suzette, Fernandez (November 21, 2018). "J Balvin Tops Heat Latin Music Awards Nominations: See Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Sebastian Yatra". Grammy.com. 2020. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Lista completa de los nominados a los premios Latin GRAMMY 2018". Univision (in Spanish). September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  40. ↑ Fernandez, Suzette (October 25, 2018). "Latin American Music Awards 2018: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
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