Through Candombe, Latina Artist Julieta Rada Keeps the Pulse of Afro-Uruguayan Identity Alive

Through Candombe, Latina Artist Julieta Rada Keeps the Pulse of Afro-Uruguayan Identity Alive
The Music Joint

The connection finally stabilized before Julieta Rada’s voice filled the screen. “Good thing Zoom worked,” she said with a laugh. Speaking with BELatina, the Uruguayan singer shared her story as one shaped by rhythm, perseverance, and the inheritance of a sound that travels through generations. The daughter of the legendary Rubén Rada has moved through stages large and small, transforming years of quiet persistence into a career that now includes a second Latin Grammy nomination and performances across Latin America and beyond.

A Long Road to Recognition

Julieta described her journey through music as steady and demanding, “a job of ants,” she said, recalling how she began performing live at seventeen and has never stopped. Her fifth album, Candombe, has carried her toward new horizons with nominations at Uruguay’s Graffiti Awards and now the Latin Grammys. “It makes me happy because this genre, candombe, has brought me so many blessings,” she explained. “It gave me recognition, collaborations, and new audiences.”

The success of Candombe has been tied to her ability to bring the rhythm’s pulse into different corners of the world. She spoke fondly of her concert at the Teatro Solís, Uruguay’s most iconic stage, where she performed alongside her father and other musicians connected to her family’s history. “It was deeply emotional,” she said. “When I was little, my father was performing there, and now I stood on that same stage, this time with him as my guest.” The night became a meeting point of generations as three members of the Núñez family joined her performance, uniting the rhythm’s past and present.

Julieta Rada Is Reimagining Candombe

Candombe, rooted in Afro-Uruguayan tradition, remains at the core of her creative identity. Yet Julieta treats it as a rhythm in constant evolution rather than a historical symbol. “The drums are the foundation,” she said, “but I wanted to add new colors and sounds.” Her compositions flow between funk, Afrobeat, R&B, and pop, weaving new layers without losing the percussion that defines candombe’s essence.

This experimentation also extends to her visual storytelling. The music video for Tambor, nominated at the Graffiti Awards, reinterprets the genre’s imagery. “We wanted to step away from the usual figures like the sun or stars,” she said. “We kept the fire and the dance but gave them a new atmosphere.” Filming the fire sequence became her favorite moment, not only for its symbolism but for its warmth on a freezing night.

Finding Her Own Voice

Being the daughter of Rubén Rada could have set a heavy expectation, yet Julieta built her voice through instinct rather than comparison. “You find your sound by creating,” she said. “Once you stop overthinking and start composing, things take shape.” Her early collaborations with friends helped her discover the genres that suited her voice, teaching her to blend intuition with craft. “I was lucky to be surrounded by good people and great musicians who supported me,” she said.

She also spoke about emotional balance as part of artistic discipline. “Every artist faces moments of doubt,” she said. “Therapy helped me stay centered.” She reflected on how mental health has long been overlooked in Latino households and how her generation is beginning to change that. “Talking about therapy used to feel strange,” she said. “Now it’s becoming part of our conversations, and that’s important.”

Through Candombe, Latina Artist Julieta Rada Keeps the Pulse of Afro-Uruguayan Identity Alive
Julieta Rada and her father, Ruben Rada / Credit: The Music Joint

Taking Uruguay’s Sound to the World

Julieta sees her role as both artist and cultural messenger. Through Candombe en Vivo, she reintroduces Uruguayan classics alongside her own interpretations. “I want people to get curious,” she said. “To listen to my versions and then look for the originals, to discover the musicians who came before me.” She hopes to expand the reach of candombe, a rhythm she believes deserves recognition alongside tango and samba.

Her advice for Latinas entering music carries the same collaborative energy that defines her performances. “I always create networks with other women,” she said. “We share contacts, help each other find opportunities, and keep one another informed.”

As the call ended, Julieta smiled and thanked BELatina for the conversation. Even through the brief interruptions of internet lag, her voice remained firm and warm. It carried the sound of someone who has built her world through rhythm and persistence, singing her way through doubt, healing, and heritage until every beat feels like home.

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