On his virtuosic album Wildheart, Blaxican R&B singer Miguel confronted his Latinidad for the first time. Since that album dropped two years ago, Miguel has continued to explore his identity in music and film. Last March, he dropped a soaring Spanish-language collab with Argentine stars Ilya Kuryaki & the Valderramas, and has been showcasing sleek sarape looks over the past year. He also landed a role as a Cuban empresario in Ben Affleck’s gangster flick Live by Night, which debuted in January.
In a recent episode of Viceland’s Earthworks series, Miguel dives deeper into his Mexican roots, visiting his family in Zamora, Michoacán for the first time. Over the course of the trip, the singer stops by the radio station where his abuela used to work, performing a rendition of “Contigo” by Los Panchos with his father and brother.
It’s a heartwarming portrait of Miguel’s rarely discussed Mexican identity. At one point, he even observes, “Most people think of me as solely a black artist, but there’s a reason why my name is Miguel.” In the episode, he meets his tías and primos for the first time – and his cousins even ask him for an autograph.
In other chapters of the series, Miguel travels through the country’s lush nature preserves, and even visits a Mexican volcano where he performs a reworked version of Wildheart’s “Waves.” Watch the full episode here.
[H/T Latino USA]