For Chika Di, nothing in her image is coincidental. Her two-color hair—blonde and black—symbolizes the mix of cultures that has marked her life since she left Medellín and began a new stage in the United States. That combination—authentic, vibrant and full of rhythm—also defines his music, his personal story and the energy he transmits on each stage. “I didn’t want to lose my roots,” the singer said about the look that has already become part of her visual hallmark.
The mix of identities also beats strongly in “Súbele”, the explosive single that is part of their album Latino Americana. With a contagious mix of electronic pop, Afro-Caribbean percussion and tropical groove, the song invites you to dance, celebrate and be grateful for the path you have traveled. The song comes accompanied by a video clip recorded in Miami and continues the momentum that Chika Di has generated after her reinterpretation of “Cielito Lindo” for a campaign towards the 2026 World Cup.
Originally from Medellín and living in the United States since she was 19, Chika Di has built a career marked by authenticity and cultural fusion. Her music has appeared in series such as Euphoria and Gentefied, and now the artist opens her heart to talk about immigration, identity, celebration and everything behind “Súbele.” Read the full interview and discover how he turned his story into rhythm, color and pure positive energy.
If “Súbele” were a temperature, what would the emotional thermometer of your life be at when you wrote it?
One hundred percent.
The song sounds like someone turned on the music in the middle of an empty street and suddenly everything started moving. What did you want to “awaken” with this topic?
I wanted to thank you. It is a matter of gratitude. I wanted to express all those feelings of happiness for the path I have taken, which has been very rewarding, and that is “Súbele”. The song talks about always being grateful for what we achieve every day, for every step, and celebrating it. “Súbele” has that celebratory vibe in which we can dance, be in the sea or wherever, always with a smile and a positive attitude.
In “Súbele” there is party energy, but also memory. What part of your past appears when you turn up the volume?
My journey as an immigrant from Colombia, from Medellín to California, and now from California to Miami, right? It’s like closing a circle. Those are the memories that return: the entire path traveled, from my experience as an immigrant to my experience as an artist, as a woman, as a mother and as a businesswoman. All of those have been long paths, not so easy, but very rewarding.
If the saxophone in the song could talk, what would it say about you that you don’t already say in interviews?
I am very open in interviews, but if the saxophone said anything, I would say that I am an unstoppable woman.
What was more difficult: learning to make music or learning to trust your own sound without asking permission?
Learn to trust myself, more than my sound. It took me many years because, when you work as a team, the focus is never completely on you. I worked for many years with orchestras and groups, so I had never put all that energy into myself until I started my project as Chika Di in 2020. That’s when I started to believe in myself and when the universe showed me that this was the place where I should put all my energy and focus.
Imagine that someone hears “Súbele” in 30 years. What version of you do you think they are going to imagine?
The version that I have always been: a positive, happy and cheerful woman. A hard-working woman who doesn’t give up and who turns adversity into something positive, because that’s what I’ve done my whole life. I turn it into the gasoline I use to keep going every day.
Your music mixes electronic with the tropical, the Afro-Caribbean and the emotional… have you ever felt like you were “too many things at once” for a single industry?
No, because for me the industry has always been a challenge and I have never wanted to imitate the sounds of other artists. I greatly respect each person’s path, but I have always been a mix of sounds and cultures. I have always embraced everything I have experienced in my life, and that is what makes me an authentic person and artist. I don’t want to copy other rhythms; I want to plant my essence and my proposal. And we have received a lot of love from people. In the end, the public is the one who decides. I always say that there are tastes for everyone.
What part of the Miami beach video is a real celebration and what part is a way to remind you that you made it this far?
I think the part that reminds me most of the path I have traveled is the scene filmed in a humble neighborhood in Miami, where I am sitting at a table drinking water. Water represents everything and nothing at the same time. It represents that we come from nothing; It’s not an expensive drink or something fancy, it’s something clean and minimalist that reminds me of my roots. Then there is the beach, the celebration, the table and the lamp, which represent that light that I have found in the middle of a very long path. That lamp symbolizes for me having reached a point in my career—although there is still a long way to go—where, on a personal level, I finally believe in myself and all that I can still achieve.
What scares you more today: turning down the volume or continuing to turn it up without knowing exactly where it takes you?
I’m not afraid of anything. I think we have to keep turning up the volume and enjoy the journey, enjoy each step without fear.
If the Latin American album were a map, what place does “Súbele” occupy: beginning, vanishing point or final celebration?
“Súbele” represents a final celebration, definitely. A celebration here in Miami, in the United States, where many doors are opening for me. And what better place to celebrate than the beach, the sea and the sand, which also remind me of the importance of keeping my feet on the ground.
