CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso: The Duo Disrupting Latin Music’s Boundaries With Flair, Friendship and Fearlessness

In today’s mainstream Latin music landscape — a space often dominated by música urbana, tropical rhythms, and regional Mexican music — CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso have carved a lane entirely their own. Armed with flamboyant charisma, virtuosic musicality, and a penchant for genre-defying audacity, the Argentine duo represent a new wave of artistry that refuses to fit neatly into any box. At a time when the mainstream clamors for familiarity, they bring chaos and innovation to the table, pushing the boundaries of what Latin music can sound like.

Their meteoric rise is nothing short of groundbreaking. Last week, the pair performed two back-to-back sold-out shows at New York’s Bowery Ballroom — as part of their wildly ambitious 60-date world tour, which includes stops in global festivals like Coachella (U.S.), Fuji Rock (Japan), Glastonbury (England), Roskilde (Denmark), and Lollapalooza (Berlin, Paris). Just weeks earlier, the duo made their debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a rare feat for Argentine artists, and a testament to their growing influence on the global stage.

But for them, fame doesn’t come without complication — a sentiment captured in their latest EP Papota and its opening track, “Impostor.” The song serves as a brutally humorous and raw meditation on their skyrocketing success, grappling with the absurd pressure of becoming icons seemingly overnight. The Tiny Desk concert that launched them to international acclaim six months ago — now one of the most-viewed performances on the channel by a Spanish-language artist, with 33.5 million views — serves both as a badge of honor and a symbol of what they jokingly call “síndrome de impostor” (imposter syndrome) on the aforementioned song.

“Coming all the way from el culo del mundo (the ass of the world), we didn’t expect this,” CA7RIEL tells Billboard Español backstage at the Bowery, referencing their South American roots. “To suddenly appear here, with all these cameras and lights — it’s insane. We’re from way down there; we’re still adjusting to being up here.” Yet their poised combination of rock star energy and mayhem proves they’re more than ready.

Their chemistry isn’t just professional — it’s personal. The duo met when they were just six years old, drawn together by matching surnames (Guerreiro and Guerriero) and the mistaken assumption by their teacher that they were brothers. That fateful connection would snowball into a lifelong friendship and artistic partnership that thrives on curiosity, trust and unabashed eccentricity.

Raised in Buenos Aires, their musical influences stem from both the streets and their homes. CA7RIEL grew up watching his father play guitar, and today he’s an impeccable guitarist who plays jazzy, progressive riffs on his Fender. “I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I wanted to be Queen — the whole band,” he admits. Paco Amoroso, meanwhile, was hooked on pirated compilations of the Argentine rock icons, like Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, whose legacy courses through their veins. “For years it was the only thing I listened to, those 18 tracks,” Paco recalls. He adds, “Argentine rock is more like a way of life, I feel. You wanted to be like those guys, we didn’t want to go to work. We wanted to be drinking champagne. And when you’re a kid, you want that.” He also references the Dutch violinist André Rieu: “I wanted to play the violin, he is a total master.”

Their early inspirations laid the foundation for their ability to mix genres and embrace experimentation. “We go through different phases,” Paco explains, “vicios diferentes” (different vices). “At one point, it was all about rapping, then playing instruments, which was how we started. We even had a phase where we just gamed all the time and did nothing else. Then you keep evolving,” he adds. The duo’s knack for innovation — mixing intricate jazz chords, gospel-style vocals, live instrumentation and electronic rhythms, as they masterfully demonstrated that night at the Bowery — has made them boundary-pushers in their own right.

Though CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso rose to prominence as a duo, their journey has also been defined by daring forays into solo territory. After their breakthrough collaboration on tracks like 2019’s “Ouke” and “Mi Sombra,” both artists paused their partnership to venture into their individual projects. CA7RIEL’s solo debut featured two EPs before evolving into the eclectic El Disko, a 2022 Latin Grammy-nominated album that fused funky grooves, old-school hip-hop, glowing synths, and lo-fi minimalism. For his part, Paco Amoroso explored bold sonic textures in his brooding 2021 album Saeta, further pushing the boundaries of Argentinian trap and electronic music.

Despite their time apart, their connection remained intact, culminating in a magnetic reunion for 2024’s Baño María and their latest EP, Papota. The new era finds them reuniting as friends and collaborators, carrying with them the richness of their individual experiences and a renewed creative spark.

Their Tiny Desk performance — previously mentioned in connection to the introspection of “Impostor” — stands as a pivotal moment, showcasing their identity as sons of Buenos Aires and bringing their unorthodox artistry to the global stage. The performance became one of the series’ most successful videos, reaching numbers comparable to Latin icons like Natalia Lafourcade’s seven-year-old set, all while introducing viewers to the raw complexity of their sound.

Their taboo-breaking flamboyance — including playful moments on stage, sometimes even kissing each other on screen as a symbol of their camaraderie — adds a theatrical flair to their shows that captivates. It’s this kind of unorthodox, boundary-defying presence that makes them not just stars but leaders of Latin music’s avant-garde.

No moment encapsulated this better than their closing number, where CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso invited audience interaction, holding out their microphones for fans to belt out the lyrics. “Interacción total,” CA7RIEL called it.

When asked what lies ahead, the duo keeps it grounded, “Seguir estando vivos” — just staying alive. Paco elaborates with a laugh: “For some people, that’s easy. For others, not so much.” It’s an ethos reflective of their unfiltered approach to music. With every new song, stage and daring experiment, they’re proving that their bold vision isn’t just about breaking boundaries — it’s about living fully through the music they create.

Name: Catriel and Ulises

Age: Both 31

Recommended Song: Paco recommends “El Día del Amigo” because “it speaks about friendship” and showcases the essence of their project. CA7RIEL, on the other hand, picks “Mi Sombra,” a track he describes as “something that stayed in the bottom of the drawer,” which makes it an unexpected favorite for him.

Biggest Accomplishment: Both agree on one simple yet deep accomplishment: “Being born and not yet dead,” they say with a wry chuckle.

What’s Next: “Lots of touring,” they reply in the midst of their 60-date tour, which includes stops in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia, as well as performances at international festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Fuji Rock.