Carin León was born and raised in Sonora, Mexico, a small farm town near the border of the United States, which León attributes to leading him to country music. It was common respect. We’re from the north [of Mexico] and we always lived in unison with country music and norteña music. American folklore and Mexican folklore are like distant cousins, he tells us against the backdrop of the Sonora wind.

The similarities between American country music and regional Mexican music cannot be denied—they are both enriched 
with storytelling, live instruments, and raw emotions. The folklore of regional Mexican music with subgenres like ranchera and norteño is known for its lyricism about love, heartbreak, nature, and patriotism with orchestrations that tug on your heartstrings. Ranchera derives from the term rancho because the songs originated on ranches and in rural Mexico. León takes elements from the two genres to write music that seamlessly blends and unifies both worlds. I'm very happy that folk music worldwide 
is getting with country, bachata, salsa, norteño, and Mexicano. I also think it’s time to break barriers and unify music, 
which unifies people.

At the age of 34, Carin León has amassed over 31.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and his songs have 
been streamed over a billion times with hits like Primera Cita, Que Vuelvas, and Una Vida Pasada. He’s won two Latin Grammy awards—one for his song Como lo Hico Yo and another for his album Colmillo De Leche. León’s success is undoubtedly due to his dedication to staying true to his unique sound. All the things I’ve been absorbing through the years, all the music I have experimented with, are now part of me. But what has influenced and impacted me the most 
in my life is the musical education I received from my parents. That’s where my sound comes from, he explains. 
I follow the sounds of my heart.

Now, he’s branching out and collaborating with mainstream country artists, including American singer-songwriter and Academy of Country Music Award winner Kane Brown. Their hit The One (Pero No Como Yo) features Latin instruments with a two-step beat—both artists singing in English and Spanish, combining their fanbase and a new appreciation for each other’s sound. Crossing over with multiple genres has now become expected from León. I was the first to do this, and while I’m proud of that now, at first I was very nervous.

León’s risk paid off. His TikTok video in 2023 covering country classic Tennessee Whiskey went viral and brought on 
a new legion of fans, and this year in 2024, he received his official welcome to country music, playing at country music’s most prestigious venue the Grand Ole Opry. To say that Carin León is putting a stamp on country music is an understatement—he’s transforming the genre while highlighting the Latin community, fusing worlds, art forms, and sounds to create music that speaks to his soul.

That’s not to say León didn’t face adversity when he first came onto the scene. It’s hard for new artists like León, 
who love all kinds of music, art, and expression, to be confined to one set of rules. “I was more under pressure when I wanted to be on the path where everyone goes, the mainstream,” he explains. The risks of experimenting for potentially critical audiences felt very real for him. But then, there was a shift. When I decided to do things my own way—because each [experience] is its own world, and naturally you obtain genuine, different music—I stopped worrying so much if people would like my songs. By staying true to himself, he started following his heart. Now, I do things as they come into my head and what my heart dictates. I believe that’s what music likes, when you are honest with it.

The pure joy he feels when he’s true to his sound motivates him to be faithful to his art in front of others. I think it’s the way that I live with the art that I want to do, León explains. For a long time, I tried to be the artist that people needed or [create] songs that would become hits. But nowadays, I do things that fill my heart. I do things out of passion. This newfound freedom enabled him to stop looking externally for the answers and instead to honor his inner voice. Now, I only look within and see how I can be better each day, he explains. That is the best [gift] an artist can have. Because we 
have many things inside [of us] that want to come out.

His artistic expression has been resonating with widespread audiences because he has stayed true to his sound, 
and people believe in the music he makes. Music has shown me, in many ways, that the best songs I wrote are the more sincere and honest songs, the ones that [pull out what I have within]. That’s why I stay faithful to what I believe and what I want to listen to myself.

His ability to fuse genres and break rules for the sake of honest storytelling drives his art, and now that he feels accepted as an original Mexican artist, he no longer doubts his choices. Now, I’m capable of doing whatever I like 
and not being punished for being myself and staying true, he explains. It's like having a big palette of colors to paint 
my work, and I have more options. It’s very rich for a genre. It just gets better with time and with the experiments that 
we are doing. Experimenting with art and blending genres comes naturally to Carin León. It’s not like inventing the wheel, it’s more like following the sounds of my heart, which I have collected through years of listening to great musicians. For León, putting limits on music isn’t an option.

Carin León has dominated the regional Mexican music scene since he released his debut album, Desvelada con Banda 
y Mariachi, in 2018. As his ascent as a crossover artist continues to rise, his contributions to American country music will flourish. While he attributes his success to staying true to his sound, León doesn’t do it for the fame. Music is the most motivating thing on earth. I wake up and hear music, he tells us poetically. I think it’s the way that God talks to me.