Colombian popular music made its debut at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with Luis Alfonso's opening performance. It was a historic moment for the rapidly growing genre that combines local Mexican music and string music known as carrilera in Colombia.
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“The achievement and the magnitude of how important this was to the Colombian folk genre is indescribable,” says Alfonso. Bulletin board. “For me, being in such an important space is a feeling of gratitude for all the beautiful people who make this possible. Thank you Bulletin board because it gave me the confidence, the opportunity and the ability to show the world our music, our culture and our essence.”
During the opening set, the Popayán, Colombia native performed a medley of his hit 'Tequila Con Cerveza', originally recorded with star Blessd, followed by the current viral hit 'Chismofilia'. Before performing at the awards ceremony, Alfonso also spoke about popular Colombian music on a panel during Billboard's Latin Music Week, which also featured fellow countrymen Paola Jara, Yeison Jiménez and Pipe Bueno.
But long before he made waves at Latin music's biggest event, Alfonso made a name for himself in the Regional Colombia genre with a subgenre he created known as 'contentoso', where he delivers happy and fun tunes with popular music.
His best representation, so far, is his viral track 'Chismofilia', which won his first Bulletin board entering the Latin Pop Airplay chart this year.
“We're going to do something that people can relate to. What are we missing from our lives? A jealous man, a gossip,” he explains. “Every person in life has a gossip who watches what you do. I thought, I will make an important song in the market, and thanks to jealous people, we are trending everyday. “Chismofilia” is the love of gossip.”
Alfonso's love of music stems from his grandfather, a man he describes as humble and who had a great knowledge of Mexican culture and music. He credits Mexican legends such as Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Antonio Aguilar and Vicente Fernandez as some of his early inspirations.
But his biggest influences are his compatriots Johnny Rivera and Arelis Henao. The former because of his humility and transparency and the latter because of her advice as a mother figure – whom he admires for their long and inspiring careers in Colombian popular music.
In 2020, Alfonso signed a deal with La Industria Inc. after being discovered at a birthday party by his cousin Juan Diego Medina (CEO of La Industria). Since then, he has released three live albums and his debut studio album Contentoso in 2024.
At the heart of his booming success, Alfonso is genuinely proud to be a “montanero” (climber).
“It's everything. It is the glue that unites all my passions,” he notes. “A mountaineer is a man who loves the countryside, the city, horses, animals, eating rice and egg, writing poems. I think that's just what my music means, because the music I make is music for the bars and the city.”
Below, learn more about Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise for October:
Name: Luis Alfonso
Age: 30
Featured Song: “Chismophilia”
Major Achievement: He performed for the first time at the Coliseo Medplus in Bogotá on October 26, where he sang to more than 15,000 fans. “It is a matter of pride, a dream come true and a goal in life that inspires all my colleagues,” he notes. “It was a turning point in my personal and professional life. It was the key that opened the door for us to take a step towards other horizons. When I opened the ticket sale, we had three months until the date to hit the sell-out date, but we did it in the first month. I still can't take in what a huge achievement we've made. I'm still on a cloud of happiness.”
What's next?: Luis Alfonso promises upcoming collaborations, albums and a European tour, but above all, “a lot of beautiful things and music for 'berracos'”. (Berracos is Colombian slang for someone who is determined and hardworking).
