I know I’m getting old because I used to think my ideas were fresh and hip, young, energetic, fun, creative… etc., etc., etc. And lately I’ve been watching a new wave of young Latinos who seem to be doing all of the right things all of the time. It’s enough to make another man jealous. But for the moment we’re trying to leave that guy behind! Instead, I’d like to celebrate this crop of young up-and-coming talentosos by sharing them with you and telling you what about them has truly won me over and converted me into one of their most ardent (not to mention oldest) supporters.
Dulce Candy – YouTube Starlet/Entrepreneur
DulceCandy, as she is very popularly known online, is a powerhouse of a young Latina who went from serving in the US Armed Forces to becoming the It Girl on YouTube who everyone wants to be. Her videos are mostly about fashion and beauty, and through her YouTube channel she has amassed a captive audience of over 1.2 million subscribers. Yup, that’s a hell of a lot of people! Enough of them to make major brands skip a heartbeat and bend over backwards to work with DulceCandy, on her terms. And the young Latina is always planning on bigger and better things. Don’t be surprised if you find a DulceCandy fashion line at a store near you muy pronto.
Sergio Razta – Millennial Girl Crush & YouTube Star
From the very first time I discovered Sergio Razta I was hooked. He’s young. He’s inventive. And he’s hilarious. Sure his style of humor is sometimes crude and raunchy (blunt even), but for the more than 6o5,000 YouTube subscribers he’s entertaining on a daily basis, it works! A good chunk of that audience are young Latina Millennials who constantly propose marriage and other affairs of the heart to Razta. Based in Chicago, as of late, the Mexican-American comedian and YouTube sensation has taken to holding mini comedy tours across the country for his followers. They seem to be quite the hit too, judging by the social media impressions they have registered so far. Sergio Razta is about laughing at himself and his cultural identity, and no topics seem to be off limits. I especially like the videos where he tries to annoy his mother. She’s a great sport!
LeJuan James – Self-Made Vine Entertainer
If ever there was a self-made social media entertainer his name would definitely be LeJuan James. This kid’s Vine posts are so entertaining and culturally relevant that I could literally watch them over and over again. In merely six seconds, LeJuan has geniusly figured out how to package his cultural identity in a way that makes you laugh and nod your head because you just can’t deny that what he is saying or doing is so true. LeJuan is a breath of fresh air. His Vine account now has more than 110,000 followers and I am very proudly one of them. He’s actually single-handedly inspired me to get back on Vine. The sky is the limit for LeJuan James right now!
Maya in the Moment – Singer, Songwriter, Creative
I’ve been a big fan of Maya’s mom for a very long time (the undeniable powerhouse of a Latina craftepreneur Crafty Chica). What I hadn’t fully realized until only recently was just how bright of a star her daughter Maya In The Moment is as well. From playing her ukulele, to writing songs, to coming up with crazy hashtags about double chins, and sharing what it has been like to grow up in a household of artists, Maya has come into her own and found a growing social media audience to be her loyal followers. Like her, they are young, they play and live mostly off the beaten path, and they care about a great many a human and social issues. This is only the beginning for Maya. I am very interested to see what things are coming next for this undeniable talent!
