Who is Chipelo?

Chipelo is a salvadoran-american artist from the dmv (that means DC, Maryland, and Virginia for those not in the dmv) area.

His music is a reflection of his upbringing in the united states and being a first generation child. At home, his parents exposed him to spanish music and the culture of el salvador, while at school he learned english and was exposed to english music. He has (currently unreleased) songs in the genres of hip-hop, reggaeton, dembow, 50s rock and roll, and even indie guitar. he likes to have fusion songs that mix different genres together, and does not want to become trapped with one single “sound”.

His Love for music lead him to learning guitar, piano, bass, and the bongos on his own, and to joining latin dance and hip-hop teams. A performer at heart and a lover of having fun, he makes sure that if his song has the vibe for it, that it has its own choreography.

Currently a student at towson university, his lyrics appeal to a younger generation, one that may feel confused about where home is; is home back in latin america, or here in the us? His songs deal with the happiness and struggles that many young first generation students deal with, as a way to himself figure out the answer to that question.

Where does the name Chipelo come from?

Chipelo was originally my father’s nickname growing up.

when my father was young, he’d often be sent to get a lighter from his sister’s house. A lighter in spanish is called a “CHISPERO” but my dad couldn’t pronounce it well, so he called it a “chipelo.” Everyone started to make fun of him for that, and the name stuck. When he came to the united states and had me, they started calling me “Chipelo” as well, and it’s a nickname i had growing up. When i decided to fully delve into music, i was thinking of artist names, but only one of them could really be it.

I had other nicknames growing up too, though, as many people in latino households have. they called me FLaco (skinny), minchito (my dad’s new nickname is mincho, where his full name benjamin is shortened to min, and minchito meaning smaller min), and even pasqualillo (i don’t even know what this means). Chipelo was my favorite and the easisest to say, which matters for marketing (but people always confuse it with chipotle.)