Sebastián Yatra is today one of the most recognized Latin artists in the music industry. Remembered for his hits “Treacherous” and “Give me back my heart”, the Colombian singer achieved fame from a young age. With two Latin Grammy nominations in 2017 and 2018, he has been performing concerts throughout Latin America, leading the music charts and sweeping the main awards with only 24 years. However, the recently established Best Pop Artist at the Heat Latin Music Awards 2019 already had guaranteed success before getting it on its own merits.
SebastiánObandoGiraldo is the real name of Yatra, who uses this name that means “sacred path to the divine” in Hindu. And, although it is characterized by its humility in front of and behind the scenes, the young man from Medellin enjoyed an austere life during his childhood and youth. His beginnings in music occurred in the city of Miami, where he lived much of his life since he was five years old. He became interested in being a singer after starring in the musical High School Musical at his school, which prompted him to take singing lessons and stage presence. Seven years later, he released his first single, “The Psychologist” (2013), whose video was directed by Simón Brand, the renowned filmmaker behind the videos of Carlos Vives, Fanny Lu, Shakira and Ricky Martin.
Strong Colombian Roots
Son of AníbalObandoAgudelo and MaríaAdelaidaGiraldo Moreno, SebastiánYatra is the youngest of three brothers (Juan Manuel and Andrés) and was the spouse of the house. His artistic pretensions were supported by a family with a great reputation in Colombia. Although their parents studied law, both took different paths. He ended up dedicating himself to the construction and transportation sector; while she focused on raising her three children in Medellín.
However, shortly thereafter, the ObandoGiraldo family moved to Cartagena, escaping the violence and drug trafficking that prevailed in the 1990s Colombia. “Medellín was a place full of drug trafficking. A place that at that time was very difficult. My dad, there was a point where he walked with a gun to defend himself for anything, ” Yatra said in an interview with CaracolTelevisión. Such was the threat that one of the singer’s political uncles was kidnapped and disappeared forever; an event that eventually convinced the patriarch of the Obando to migrate to the United States and settle in the holiday home they owned there.
A Great Legacy
AníbalObandoAgudelo, Sebastián’sfather , is a leading Colombian businessman who founded, more than 50 years ago, the oldest transport and distribution company in Colombia, MercantilCoordinadora, dedicated to transporting courier, packages and merchandise throughout the coffee country Currently, the company is run by Aníbal’s sister and Yatra’s aunt, María Elena ObandoAgudelo. And as everything is between family, Aníbal’s other brother also stands out in the Paisa business world, although in another area.
IvánObandoAgudelo, an uncle of SebastiánYatra, also has more than 30 years in the media sector, founding the television producer ProduccionesCosmovisión SA His work success has recently earned him the Order of Merit Don Juan del Corral by the Council from Medellin. As if that were not enough, Yatra’s uncle has an artistic side. Publish, eventually, romantic songs and books. His literary work “You will take me in you” was, in fact, the most sold in December 2016 in Colombia.
Given this family legacy, SebastiánYatra has managed to excel in the music industry with his own name. Opting for an alternate surname is no accident. This distance from the recognition of his people has served to make his way beyond his home country and enjoy today his more than 20 platinum singles and two gold records in Chile, Mexico, United States, Colombia, Spain, Ecuador and Peru.