La Cruz Offers A Musical Memorial To Pulse Shooting Victims On Pride Month

As La Cruz continues to break down barriers for nan LGBTQ+ organization successful reggaeton, nan rising Venezuelan prima enjoys surviving retired his cheery fantasies successful his euphony videos. Take nan sultry video for his 2023 breakthrough single, “Quítate La Ropa,” which sees shirtless men perreando (twerking) earlier him successful a locker room.

But astatine nan aforesaid time, La Cruz has travel to understand that his level arsenic a cheery reggaeton creator coincides astatine a clip erstwhile conservatism is sweeping nan globe — and queer authorities are receding.

“It fills maine pinch happiness to correspond a organization that has been denigrated, treated severely and pushed into a area for galore years,” a bedheaded La Cruz says complete Zoom from his New York City edifice room. (He had conscionable performed astatine a Pride arena nan nighttime before.)

“It’s a truth that [LGBTQ] authorities are becoming progressive, but they’re rolled backmost moreover faster than they advance,” he adds. “This is very achy and concerning. This is happening successful each state successful different ways. During these difficult times, I’m going to support putting my bosom into my euphony much than ever.”

La Cruz is nan shape sanction of Alfonso La Cruz. The autochthonal of La Guaira, a coastal metropolis successful Venezuela, pursued a euphony profession aft relocating to Spain successful 2015. Following a little stint connected nan singing title “Operación Triunfo” 3 years later, La Cruz was closeted and recovered his momentum stifled. In 2022, he took nan brave measurement of singing astir his affection and lust for different men successful his debut album, “Hawaira.”

Venezuelan reggaeton vocalist La Cruz released his caller EP, “El Nene, Vol. 2,” connected June 11.

(Maria Camila Pinzon)

Backed by nan thumps of reggaeton, a genre that had historically excluded nan LGBTQ+ community, La Cruz recovered some his groove and his people pinch hits for illustration “Te Conocí Bailando” and “Quítate La Ropa.” Early supporters included Colombian superstar Karol G, arsenic good arsenic Mexican American R&B vocalist Omar Apollo.

Alongside Puerto Rican provocateurs for illustration Young Miko and Villano Antillano, La Cruz has continued to queer nan heteronormative urbano space. He has besides pushed his sound to broader horizons successful his caller EP, “El Nene, Vol. 2,” which includes “Sírveme,” a Brazilian funk banger pinch resistance popular prima Gloria Groove — and “Te Perdí,” a rubbing tribute to nan victims and survivors of nan 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting successful Orlando, Fla.

La Cruz’s EP dropped connected June 11, nan time earlier nan 10th day of that tragedy, which mostly impacted nan queer Latino community. In an question and reply pinch The Times, he opened up astir being a cheery reggaetonero and “Te Perdi,” his tribute to nan 49 group mislaid astatine Pulse.

It’s been 3 years since you first went viral pinch “Quítate La Ropa.” What person you learned astir yourself during that time?
There are songs that person brought maine a batch of emotion and I’m thankful to my fans that see that opus to beryllium a classic. It’s brought maine a batch of blessings. At this moment, I consciousness for illustration I person nan champion opportunities successful my life. However, I consciousness for illustration nan manufacture is simply a spot uncomfortable pinch an creator that’s openly cheery and wants to beryllium a portion of this. That hasn’t stopped maine astatine all. It’s nan gasoline successful my motor. It’s what pushes maine to support moving hard. My fans are what’s building my profession and I won’t fto them down. I’m sticking pinch this until nan end.

You connected pinch Karol G early successful your career. Did she springiness you immoderate proposal erstwhile you met her?
I want to opportunity publically that I would emotion to unfastened for her concerts connected her Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour. I’m very adjacent to her. I emotion her truthful much. She has ever treated maine pinch truthful overmuch love. I dream that thing betwixt maine and her tin hap sometime. I cognize everything happens successful owed time. I told her that I emotion nan measurement she is and really she connects pinch her fans. When I spot her singing and performing, I consciousness for illustration she’s a sister to me. A large portion of proposal that she gave maine and that I’ll ever transportation pinch maine is to ne'er suffer nan humility and closeness that I person pinch my fans. The cardinal to occurrence is humility. I ne'er want to beryllium retired of reach. I want group to spot maine and say, “I want to execute my dreams for illustration he has.”

How did your collaboration “Sírveme” pinch Gloria Groove travel together?
I emotion her truthful much! I’ve ever been a large instrumentality of hers. I’ve gotten adjacent to a batch of artists successful Brazil and Gloria has been 1 of them. We didn’t deliberation doubly astir making this song. Gloria was coincidentally walking to nan amusement parks successful Orlando. I told her: “Baby, let’s go! I’m fresh for you successful Miami.” She told me: “Baby, I’m going to Miami!” We met 1 day to create this song. She paused her picnic to spell to nan workplace pinch me. It was very beautiful. I emotion my Brazilian fans.

With “El Nene, Vol. 2,” why was it important for you to besides shed a ray connected nan 10th day of nan Pulse nightclub shooting?
In 2016, erstwhile I precocious arrived successful Spain and my relative precocious arrived successful nan U.S., we had a telephone pinch our family. My relative said, “There was a shooting adjacent to wherever I unrecorded and it was successful a cheery club.” My family has supported maine since I first told them astir my sexuality. I thought that that could’ve happened to me.

I’m pursuing up connected this calamity because it shaped my life. As nan years spell on, accusation astir this onslaught has faded away. Each time group are talking little astir it. It’s a calamity that’s ace important to remember, for illustration 9/11 and nan [2017] Las Vegas shooting, because it’s 1 of nan worst attacks successful U.S. history. Why are we not talking astir it anymore? We person to support talking astir things truthful that they don’t hap again.

What inspiration did you propulsion from nan Pulse calamity for your opus “Te Perdí”?
On this path, I’ve gotten to cognize nan stories of group that survived that shooting. For example, location was a boy pinch his mother that mislaid her life and he survived. There’s a batch of stories of emotion from that nine that person [since] travel out. When I went to nan studio, I was inspired by loss, aliases a emotion that’s gone away, pinch respect and emotion for nan organization that supports me. It is my gift, to beryllium a sound for this business that should ne'er beryllium repeated. There are group that don’t cognize astir this calamity and I want to fto nan world cognize that this happened. I dream that nan victims’ families and nan group that survived are surviving lives of bid and calm.