How Kapo’s Mindset Took Him From Living at a Gas Station to Global Success

With two concurrent viral hits right now, “Ohnana” and “UWAIE,” Kapo is having a moment.

Far from an overnight success, the Colombian newcomer has been hustling in the music industry for 15 years. In fact, his first approach to music was at the age of 12, with música popular (Colombia’s version of regional Mexican music). 

“I lived at a gas station in a small town called El Cabuyal, where that’s the only type of music that was heard,” he tells Billboard. “I sang at the small stores and parking lots near the truck stop, that’s how I debuted, and people would give me coins. I wanted to become a global artist.”

At 13, Kapo recorded his first urban song, “Yo Tengo Un Sueño” (I have a dream), which became popular among his school friends. At 16, he sold his motorcycle, and with the money he moved to the capital, Bogotá, invested in a music video, and in a promo tour. He pursued a brief career in mass communication, but always with the itch to follow his dream as a singer.

The first person to support him was an artist from Cali called Big Daddy “El Negro,” who would take him to his shows to sing and connected him with other artist and producers in the industry. In search of extra income, Kapo participated on the reality show Yo Me Llamo, where he would imitate Puerto Rican rapper Cosculluela. For two years, he was also the background vocalist for Dominican-born, Panamanian-based artist Mr. Saik. 

In 2019, he inked a record deal with La Industria, Inc.,—home to Nicky Jam and Manuel Turizo, to name a few—and released songs such as “Pelinegra” with Nánpa Basico and “Bulevar” with Esteban Rojas and Pirlo, which gained traction locally. Still, Kapo was behind his global hit. 

“I realized that I didn’t have to do what worked, but what moved me,” he notes. “I made romantic music all my life, but I kept it to myself. I have a very bohemian vein, an old soul. My mother always spoke to me about very beautiful things. She is a very humble lady, her vocabulary is not very advanced because she always worked in a restaurant, but she raised her son and her son looked for alternatives to succeed with the correct morals and principles.” 

He analyzed the music industry, other artists, the songs that made him known locally — and realized that there was a lack of feel-good, reflective, romantic music. He changed the way he dressed and talked, he focused on his health, read books, and took yoga classes. But it was one precise trip to Jamaica, and a heartbreak, that changed his fate. 

“Ohnana,” released this June, was born during a music camp where he was joined by dancehall artist Lion Fiyah and Colombian hitmaker Gangsta. “After I visited The Bob Marley Museum, I worked on the song, I was in a vibe, and in another tune with my vocal tones. ‘Ohnana’ means ‘trust everything will be fine.’”

And the suave Afrobeat with poetic lyrics earned Kapo his first global hit — one that he manifested for 15 years. “Ohnana” peaks at No. 21 on the Hot Latin Songs chart this week, and rises to a new peak on the Billboard Global 200, at No. 60. Plus rises to its No. 30 high on Global Excl. U.S.

Simultaneously, his recent single “UWAIE” — which means “I’m in love with you” in his very own “Kapito Language,” and is an ode to the women in his life — debuts at No. 35 on Hot Latin Songs and at No. 138 on Global 200 and at No. 81 on Global Excl. U.S. The song also counts over 1 million video creations on TikTok at the time of publishing. 

“I started to declare everything. I started to talk positively to myself. I started to love myself, and not go where all the sheep go,” he concludes. 

Below, learn more about this month’s Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise:

Name: Juan David Loaiza Sepúlveda

Age: 27

Recommended Song: “UWAIE”

Major Accomplishment: “Loving what I do and expanding what I do in music to nourish my life and my family. My mother is calm and can count on a son who is moving forward and giving love to the world. More than having hit songs, my mother feels comfortable that I can trust in me and not doubt my creativity. My voice is imperfect musically but in the end it transmits and reaches people. That is what makes me happiest, that through my gift I was able to support my family and connect with people in the best way possible… by being myself.”

What’s Next: “The ‘Ohnana’ remix and a salsa version of the song are coming. I would also like to do an English version with artists from Africa, but that’s a project I have in mind. I’m going to be on the remix of Greeicy’s ‘A Veces a Besos,’ and I’m going to release music with Maluma and J Balvin, but also a song of mine called ‘Sonrie’ (smile) that reflects everything I’m feeling at this moment.”