On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Florida State University’s student-run Club Downunder is hosting a concert with breakout artist Cuco at The Moon. The show is free for any FSU student with a valid student ID and will undoubtedly draw a significant crowd. Students and locals are welcome to come out and enjoy some fresh new music from the young artist.
Born Omar Banos, Cuco is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Hawthorne, California. He began playing music at the age of eight, but his quick rise to internet fame didn’t occur until 2015. It came from a viral clip of him covering “Sleep Walk” by Santo and Johnny on a slide guitar, which he posted to YouTube. After this, he began writing and producing his songs out of his childhood home, uploading them to Bandcamp, an online music company.
Much of Banos’ influence comes from his background and his identity as a first-generation American. He’s a major advocate for immigrant rights as both of his parents, who he still lives with in his hometown, are originally from Mexico. In 2017, he headlined “Solidarity for Sanctuary,” a concert series which raised money for immigrant families at risk for deportation. His background is apparent in all of his music, and many fans are quick to point out his lyrical use of “Spanglish,” which he argues is “what comes out.”
Courtesy: IMP Concerts
His first mixtape, Wannabewithu, was released in 2016. Banos was only 16 at the time, having written and produced all the tracks on his own. His second mixtape, Songs4u, was released the following year. At this point, Cuco was playing clubs in Southern California and selling out venues everywhere he went. “Lo Que Siento,” his first single, was released later in 2017 and currently has over 62 million streams on Spotify.
Cuco signed under Interscope Records in March after an intense bidding war among labels. After releasing singles with artists like Clairo and Polyphia, his audience began to anticipate his studio debut highly. In July, Cuco’s first full-length album Para Mi was released. The album was widely well-received and stayed true to his music’s roots, earning a 6.8/10 from Pitchfork.
Courtesy: Genius
Cuco’s musical style has been described using a variety of names, including phrases like “bedroom pop” and “psychedelic love ballads”. Overall, his songs employ influence from bossa nova and indie pop. Cuco was also influenced by the music he grew up listening to, which included Chicano rappers like Lil Rob and Baby Bash.
Over the last few years, Cuco has become a breakout star in the music world and an inspiration for young artists everywhere. Club Downunder is highly anticipating his arrival in Tallahassee, and they look forward to inviting students from across the city to the show.
Doors will open at 7pm on Oct. 1 at The Moon in Tallahassee and for more information, visit The Moon.