Kevin Beltrán, a career beginning again

Kevin Beltrán had already performed on stages across Ecuador when he decided to move to the United States. He had been singing since childhood, taking part in competitions and performing with other musicians. But entering a larger music industry did not mean picking up where he had left off: he had to support himself, find places to perform and carve out a space amid intense competition. Now, as he focuses his efforts on urban music, he recognizes that his career is beginning again.

Music before the stage

He still has photographs of himself at the age of two, microphone in hand, and remembers making his first studio recording at around six. At fourteen, he signed a contract with a record label. Later, interschool competitions allowed him to measure his abilities alongside other musicians and understand the preparation required to step onto a stage.

He first took part in Suena Pichincha in 2014 and won the festival in 2018 as a member of a band. They rehearsed for months and took singing lessons. In the final, Beltrán was primarily the drummer, although he also sang part of the performance. The experience helped him realize that he could contribute to music from different positions on stage.

The prize included a trip to Bogotá, where they performed at the CREA festival in Parque Simón Bolívar. Meeting musicians outside Ecuador broadened his expectations. He remembers that period as the time when he began to imagine a life devoted to music.

“That was part of what showed me I could make a living from music.”

Building a career again, far from home

In 2020, the pandemic disrupted the musical activity on which he also depended for income. Beltrán decided to seek opportunities in the United States to be closer to a larger industry. The move showed him, however, that a bigger market also means competing with many artists pursuing similar goals.

Before developing his own project, he had to address immediate needs: work, housing, food and adjusting to a new environment. He estimates that this learning process took about two and a half years. Finding a restaurant where he could sing was one of his first opportunities to resume performing.

He later sang at homes and private celebrations for Colombian, Mexican, Peruvian and Chilean audiences. He performed salsa, cumbia and merengue. Switching rhythms was nothing new to him: he says he has never defined himself by a single genre. Those performances allowed him to support himself while finding a way to develop his own music.

Distance, however, comes at a cost that more performances cannot erase. Beltrán admits that he misses his family, especially his mother. He had already built some experience in Ecuador and now feels he is starting from scratch in another country. He does not describe this period as a completed success, but as an effort that combines professional opportunities with emotional difficulties.

“It’s a new beginning, but sometimes my heart is in knots.”

Finding his own sound

Although he has worked with different rhythms, reggaeton has a particular place in his plans. It is a genre he has been drawn to since childhood, and he now wants to make it the focus of his solo project. The change does not erase the music he has performed before, but it does mark where he wants to direct his creative attention.

During this process, he began working with Tonero, with whom he says he collaborated on tours in the United States for about two years. That connection brought him closer to Hits League and recording sessions in Los Angeles. There, they worked on several songs, including «Falda», «Delito» and «Aquí Todas Perrean»: an afrobeat track, a more commercial reggaeton song and a track aimed at the dance floor.

«Falda» emerged from a question in the studio: what sound had he not tried yet? Together with the Hits League team, he decided to explore afrobeat with a tropical feel. He says he felt comfortable with the result. Beyond releasing songs, he wants to find out what he can bring to his repertoire after years of singing in different styles.

Among the performances he remembers is the occasion when he opened a show for Maelo Ruiz. Spending time backstage with the salsa singer allowed him to observe the organization surrounding a more established artist. For him, learning also means watching how other musicians work.

What changes with distance

When he compares the young musician who began making music in Cayambe with the artist he is today, he speaks of maturity. Living outside Ecuador changed how he thinks about his career and how much he values training. He now pays more attention to studying, vocal preparation and the need to keep improving. That commitment goes hand in hand with his decision to prioritize his own songs.

His connection to Ecuador remains part of those plans. When he decided to leave, he also considered the possibility of returning someday and contributing to the country’s music industry. He does not give a date or speak of a project already completed: it is an intention he continues to hold while working abroad. Between what he learned on Ecuadorian stages and what he is trying to build in the United States, Kevin Beltrán is discovering that moving forward can also mean starting over, with more experience and a clearer idea of the music he wants to make.