It had been weeks without power. The 18-year-old Venezuelan’s thoughts had been keeping him up all night as he plotted ways to get out and analyzed the possibilities to keep his family together in better living conditions. About to drown in a depression, he finally said the words out loud: “we have to go to Colombia.” That was the beginning of Andry Kiddos’ road to success.
It’s hard to describe Kiddos’ musical style. He doesn’t fit in a specific genre, but he draws inspiration from different countries and cultures. “I want my music to sound global,” he tells Remezcla. “I don’t know how to put into words what I am when it comes to a musical genre,” he says, adding that he considers his music “algo muy libre.” He does love reggaetón and banda music, though; an acquired taste from his time in Mexico.
Kiddos’ musical journey wasn’t planned. “I started out as a baseball player,” he says, priding himself in always wearing something baseball related to this day. However, at the mere age of 8, he realized he needed to do something that would give him a way to vent and fully be himself. He felt that he couldn’t dedicate his whole life to sports, so he tried his luck with music.
“I began by learning about Venezuela’s regional music, a genre called gaita,” Kiddos adds, revealing he developed an affinity for percussion instruments. His dad would take him to rehearsals and as Kiddos got better, he felt compelled to join the different music groups at school. “I fell in love with music,” he says.
At 14 he realized there was a demand for his beats, making him his friends’ musical producer of choice. He thought he had it figured out, until his panas asked him, “papi, pero por qué tu no cantas?” “Why don’t you sing?”
They hyped up Kiddos’ raspy voice, and assured him it would be a success. Eventually, he succumbed to peer pressure.
Determined to improve, Kiddos (born Andry Leal) pushed his own boundaries. The next step? Songwriting. This really took shape about a year ago, when he settled in Mazatlan, Mexico after a six-month stint in Colombia. “I was only supposed to be here for two weeks,” Kiddos says about his now home. An opportunity with Grammy-winning regional music songwriter Horacio Palencia had come up, and it didn’t take long before Kiddos found himself mesmerized by Mexico’s vibe, people and music.
It was the perfect setting to learn, and create a sound full of passion—con las emociones a flor de piel, extremely truthful, yet embodying the innocence of a child—an innocence he was stripped of when faced with the heartbreaking decision to leave his country. “I’ve lived things that someone my age doesn’t normally go through,” he says. “There were a lot of things in my life that happened ahead of time due to my country’s situation.”
“Cuando toca, toca,” Kiddos reflects, assuring that everything that happened was so that his family and the people he loves could live in peace, and that he could have the chance to fulfill his passion. “I’m here for that, for my music, my dreams.”
While life has made him grow up quick, Kiddos still sees himself as a kid. “I consider myself un pollito [a baby chicken] who’s learning to live,” he says. “I’m a kid doing adult things,” he adds, revealing that that’s the idea behind his artistic name. Like The Little Prince, Andry Kiddos wants to hold on to the joy and spark of being a kid and explore the depths of our imagination.
With an upcoming five-song EP in the works, including his singles “Son Tantas Cosas” and “Louis Vuitton (Me Dolió),” which have managed to build a small cult following, this little prince is ready for his spotlight.
Now, his new song, “¿Te Vas?” mixes Kiddos’ feelings from when he left Venezuela with a story that applies to any situation in which two people have to say goodbye. His honest and heartfelt lyrics have a way of healing our souls through the pain, and promising a happily ever after.
Here’s our exclusive video premiere of “Te Vas”:
