Sebastián Yatra is sure to make his legion of fans swoon when he takes the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 2022 Academy Awards on Sunday (March 27). The uber-famous Latin pop artist has been tapped to perform at the glamorous gala, making him one of the few international stars set to grace the stage at this year’s Oscars. While he is widely known in Latin America, he is just beginning to break into the American mainstream. Find out more about this rising sensation, below!
1. Where Is Sebastián Yatra From?
Sebastián Yatra was born on October 15, 1994 in the city of Medellin, Colombia. He was raised in Miami by his mother, while his father stayed back in Columbia to wrok in real estate, per Miami New Times. “It was a big sacrifice,” Sebastián tolf the outlet. “Since my dad stayed working in Colombia, [my parents] had a long-distance relationship for like 12 years.”
After dropping out of Boston University to follow his dreams of becoming a pop artist, Sebastián almost immediately shot to stardom with a pair of singles in 2016: “Traicionera,” which reached number one in Colombia, and “Alguien Robó,” which peaked at number two.
2. He’s Singing His Song From Disney’s ‘Encanto’ At The Oscars
In 2021, Sebastián recorded the song “Dos Oruguitas” in Spanish and in English (as “Two Caterpillers”) for the Disney film Encanto. “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,” he told BroadwayWorld. Written by by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the song would go on to be one of five songs nominated for Best Original Song at the 2022 Academy Awards.
3. Sebastián’s Response To Being Tapped To Perform
Shortly after it was announced he would be performing at the Oscars, Sebastián took to his Instagram with a video to tells his fans all about it. “Hello everyone. I want to make this video to tell you something very special. We are officially confirmed to sing this Sunday, March 27 at the 94th Oscars. I’m going to be singing ‘Two Caterpillars’ representing my country, Colombia, and having this great opportunity to represent our language, Spanish. I couldn’t be more excited, grateful. I have nerves, I feel a lot of things, but more than that, thanks to life for what is happening. Everything that happens never ceases to amaze me. Thank you.”
4. He Had A Chance To Practice On A Late Night Show
Sebastián had his first chance to perform “Two Caterpillars” in front of an international audience when he made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 14. A week before, he regaled the audience at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon by performing his mega-hit “Tacones Rojos.”
5. Sebastián Asked John Legend To Be On A Remix
Sebastián recruited iconic musician John Legend to be on the bilingual remix of his hit “Tacones Rojos.” He even posted an Instagram video of the two hanging out for the video shoot (above)! After John agreed to putting down his dulcet tones for the track, Sebastián told Billboard, “John is miraculously talented and musically he can go anywhere. He’s someone I admire, and vocal-wise, it’s very intriguing to see how he’s going to sound in a song like this because of his vocal capacity.” He added, “When you have a song you love so much, you want to give it to someone who has a stroke of genius like John has, and who will keep the essence instead of just a translation.”