Latin Grammy-winning artist Chiquis opens up about her humble beginnings, growing up in a bilingual household, and falling in love with banda music in Billboard’s new “Growing Up” episode.
In the 8-minute clip, the “Mi Problema” singer shares her journey as one of the few women in the male-dominated regional Mexican genre. “I knew it would be difficult because I lived it with my mom (Jenni Rivera) and had seen it first hand,” says Chiquis, who grew up in a musical household as part of the Rivera dynasty.
She went on to release her first LP, Ahora, in 2015 but it was her 2020 album, titled Playlist, that scored her her first Latin Grammy. “I was scared because we had to release it during the pandemic, but we won the Grammy. It was amazing, I still look at it and think, ‘Wow, I’m so grateful.’”
The 36-year-old singer, who grew up in Long Beach and Compton, Calif., also shares anecdotes about her humble beginnings — including selling cassettes at a swap meet with her grandparents at age 4 — what made her fall in love with music, and why she’s proud of her Mexican-American identity.
“My first language was Spanish, and it got a little difficult when I went to school and had to go from Spanish to English, but it’s the best of both worlds,” she says. “Being at 200% is amazing. I’m 100% Latina and 100% American.”
Watch Chiquis’ “Growing Up Banda” episode above.