Latino Alternative Storytellers in the Performing Arts

The first-ever edition of LATV’s Latino Alternative Storytellers campaign honors twenty individuals who carry on the Latino tradition of storytelling and make an impact on our community. From the kitchen to the theatre, and fashion workshops to music studios, artists across mediums share how their stories fit into a larger Hispanic narrative.

Our first list: Performing Arts.

For musical artist Jay Wheeler, making reggaeton music embodies his Hispanic pride. For dancer Jojo Gomez, loving herself elevates her artistic style. Singer Mayré Martínez and dancer Jordan Laza go beyond technique to impactfully tell stories through their craft. Finally, producing duo Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo skillfully widen the reach of Latin music by paying attention to melody, harmony, and rhythm.

Jay Wheeler, Musical Artist

Originally from Puerto Rico, reggaeton artist Jay Wheeler made his entrance on the music scene after a video went viral in 2016. He signed with Dynamic Records in 2018 and has since released five studio albums.

“When it comes to my music, I like to tell my own stories,” he says on LATV’s new TV-special, Latino Alternative Storytellers.

Whether the song is sad or fun or romantic, Wheeler’s lyrics are almost always grounded in personal experience. Like after his first heartbreak, he went through a lot of pain. But that pain prompted growth, and he expressed that growth in his music. Hopefully, if listeners resonate, they, too, will grow beyond their own hurt.

Wheeler has worked with an array of producers, toured around the world, and was honored as The Rising Artist at the National Puerto Rican Parade. Inspired by his own stories, Wheeler’s creative and ever-evolving reggaeton music represents his Hispanic pride.

“I’m blessed … to be Hispanic, to be Latino, to be able to say I’m from Puerto Rico,” he says. “A little place can be so big.”

Jojo Gomez, Dancer

For professional dancer and choreographer Jojo Gomez, embracing her body wasn’t easy, especially in an industry that pays a lot of attention to waist size.

“I’m Latin and Greek. I’m not meant to be a stick,” she says on a CNN televised interview. “I’ve always been curvy, my weight has always fluctuated, [but] instead of embracing it, I always struggled with body image.”

Gomez has been dancing for as long as she can remember. She was born in New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles the day after graduating high school. She’s since worked with artists like Tinashe, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, and the Backstreet Boys. She’s taught at the Broadway Dance Theatre and Millennium Dance Complex.

“Year after year, I just become weirder and weirder, and I’m embracing it,” she goes on to say. “My style of dance is super passionate, energetic, raw, and animated. I love being different. I love showcasing my different emotions.”

Those emotions come from a real place. Guided by authenticity, dedicated to spreading love, Gomez encourages her students and collaborators to strive for experience instead of perfection. In this way, she brings new stories and inventive forms to the stage.

Mayré Martínez, Singer

For popular singer and vocal teacher Mayré Martínez, a great artist must access and practice true forms of expression.

“Music is so special, so present,” she tells LATV. “Once you learn the technique, that’s it. Then you have to feel the emotion, you have to feel the story, you have to feel the intention of the song.”

Originally from Venezuela, Martínez never intended to be an on-air performer. Her love for music at large was so fierce she almost stayed behind-the-scenes writing music and teaching technique to performers more primed for the public eye.

Then a student inspired Martinez to audition for a local singing show. Not only did she prevail, the 9-month contest prepped her to later win Latin American Idol, after which she released the album, “Soy Mi Destino”, to a newfound fanbase.

Over the years, she has come to know many corners of the music business. She is currently finishing her first book about the healing nature of song, set to be published in January.

“I have the ability to create my own life and make my dreams come true,” she says. “We’re full of power, full of light, full of love.”

Jordan Laza, Dancer

When dancer Jordan Laza hits the stage, she loses herself completely. In this way, her artistry stands out.

“Sometimes, I feel so deeply in how I move and hear the music that I end up hitting certain marks or tones, and I don’t even remember doing it,” Laza tells Dance Magazine.

Laza, an Afro-Latina from Houston, decided to pursue a professional dance career when she was a teenager. It’s been a fruitful journey so far. Since she moved to Los Angeles at 18, she’s worked with Doja Cat, Rihanna, Chloe Bailey, and Nicki Minaj. When she dances, she blends her training across genres, puts the story first, and consistently delivers — unapologetically.

“She … has such story-driven eyes,” says her mentor and choreographer, Nicole Kirkland, “and she’s perfected getting her audience into her dancing.”

For Laza, movement is both beautiful and healing. Where choreography meets musicality, she leans into her soul, unafraid to be herself authentically, willing to show her more vulnerable colors.

“When you’re embodying what you’re feeling, it’s a language you can speak anywhere,” Laza says.

Andrés Torres & Mauricio Rengifo, Music Producers

Music producing duo Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo are most interested in making hit music that naturally gets stuck on repeat in people’s heads.

“Melody connects with people’s feelings, harmony connects with people’s intellect, and rhythm connects with the body,” Torres says on a Mix with the Masters video.

Originally from Colombia, the songwriters teamed up in 2015 after years of friendship and professional partnership. Together, they’ve cultivated their own flavor of reggaeton music, infused urban elements, and collaborated with other composers and producers in efforts to bring more visibility to Latin music. They shook the world with “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi (featuring Daddy Yankee), which won them Record of the Year at the 2017 Latin Grammys.

“We work very hard to create music that represents us as Latinos in the world,” they told Billboard ahead of the 2020 Grammys. “Our biggest achievement has always been seeing an audience sing our songs. That’s the best thing that can happen to a producer.”

Torres and Rengifo consistently study the tracks that make the charts, figure out why they worked, and return to the studio energized and inspired to make the next global hit.

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For more storyteller content, check out LATV’s page dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month. Stay tuned for the next phase of the list next week!