Sophie Castillo's indigenous roots inspire her music

There's a reason Sophie Castillo's discography doesn't focus on one genre, language or rhythm. The London-born Colombian and Cuban is a versatile artist whose music is a testament to the cross-cultural environment in which she grew up. You may know Castillo from TikTok, where her song “Call Me By Your Name” became one of her most-listened-to tracks. Her ability to seamlessly blend Spanish and English into a bachata beat has undoubtedly earned the admiration of listeners.

Castillo began singing at the age of three. While she was growing up, her Colombian mother and Cuban father, who were the first of their respective families to immigrate to Britain, played exclusively Latin music – particularly salsa. “My family always played a lot of salsa, so Grupo Niche, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Joe Arroyo, Celia Cruz,” says Castillo. And her love and talent for musical theater were recognized early on. When Castillo was about five years old, she performed in a school show and left an adult audience in tears. This led to her mother and uncles placing her in an after-school drama program, which allowed her to practice music and pursue acting, singing and dancing. “It was a lifelong dream of mine,” says the now 26-year-old.

As she reflects on her childhood, it becomes clear how important Castillo's portrayal of the Latin American community in the British media is. “As a child, I definitely had my issues with not feeling represented,” she says. As a result, she idealized Eurocentric features in Barbie dolls, films, and toys. Castillo says she didn't see herself in any of these areas growing up. “I’ve never seen any kind of indigenous representation of Latina women,” she notes.

“When I was a kid and didn't have the language to have these conversations, I had insecurities, but once I was able to express my feelings about it, I got a lot of support and that really changed the way I am. “I saw myself,” she continues. Castillo's advice for women who, like her, feel unrepresented in the media is: “Remember that you have the features of your ancestors.” She reflects on a beautiful feeling she encountered online: “You look like that what you look like because two of your ancestors loved these features in each other so much that they decided to come together and create a child. This child passed on those traits, and eventually they became yours.”

Critical to Castillo's journey to self-love was honoring the legacy of those who came before her. When uncertainty arises, she reminds herself, “Wait a minute—maybe I have this nose or these eyes because one of my ancestors gave them to me.”

Castillo has also learned to look inward when it comes to prioritizing her mental health and self-image. “What I've learned over time is actually how much power we have in our own lives,” she says. “I have control over my thoughts, my feelings, my spirit. I can always change something to make myself feel better. I can always cheer myself up.”

Pride in her heritage boosts Castillo's confidence not only physically, but mentally as she makes her way through the music industry. “As Latin Americans, our continent as a country has been through so much trauma, and our ancestors have been through so much trauma, that we must honor them for what they gave us and how much they struggled to survive despite everything they had “To face each other,” she says.

The influence of Castillo's Latin heritage inspires the sound of her music – but most importantly, the influence of her ancestors serves as inspiration for her perseverance on her path to stardom. She also attributes some of her most important values ​​to being raised by Latino parents. “There are many, but one of them is inner strength and a general positive outlook on life – the ability to pick yourself up when you're down, dust off your knees and keep going,” she says. This attitude is something “that everyone in our family and in many Latino families and immigrant families had to do.”

Today, Castillo is able to honor these sacrifices and alchemize them by incorporating the language and sounds of her childhood into her stories. She combines elements of Latin music with other inspirations to develop a unique sound and a deeply personal voice. The result preserves cultural genres and makes them accessible to new audiences.

Through social media, Castillo not only built a platform for her music, but also worked to give her the representation she craved growing up. As she shares on her TikTok, she is patiently waiting to become a mainstream representative for “women with brown skin and indigenous features.”

As she puts it, “A lot of girls message me or comment that they love that I look like them and their primates and that they love seeing me with my facial features that represent us in the music industry. They’re excited about me.” And so are we.

Ashley Garcia Lezcano is an audience strategist, writer, and producer with a passion for highlighting Latino culture and stories. In addition to PS, her work has also appeared in People en Español and Teen Vogue. As a first-generation Colombian American, Ashley is committed to authentically amplifying Latino voices and narratives.