Dominican Singer Letón Pé Was Destined for the Stage

Many would probably wish their life's purpose would be revealed to them to avoid the complicated road to self-fulfillment. That's precisely what happened to Dominican musician Letón Pé — although she didn't believe it at first.

"My mom had this friend when I was growing up who everyone called 'the Prophet,'" Pé explains to New Times in her native Spanish. "One day, she told me, 'You're going to be a famous singer,' which freaked me out because I had only really sung in my room in the mirror as a little girl. But it was the first affirmation I had that I was going to be something more."

Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Pé's first interactions with the arts were through her high school musical theater program, where she admittedly solidified her love for dancing, acting, and singing. Though she humbly claims she never thought of making it to the Broadway stage, she did find a spark in pursuing a musical career professionally.

Pé's first single, "The One," dropped in mid-2019, just before the pandemic that would become a dramatic turning point in everyone's lives. Though it made Pé's artistic journey more convoluted, her debut EP, Deseo, began solidifying her as a serious emerging artist, garnering more than two million streams on Spotify alone.

What sets Pé apart are her captivating melodies and her fearless exploration of femininity, love, and sounds. Her musical influences can be found in a range of genres, from Fergie to Celia Cruz, and she fuses this same diversity in sound with her style, from merengue and bachata to jazz and soul.

Through her distinctive Domincan style, Pé's experimental nature is reminiscent of other modern-day Latin innovators such as Kali Uchis, Rosalía, and Tokischa. For instance, on her more-recent tracks, "Al Azar" and "Bailo Pa' Mi," made with similarly experimental artists Piek and Ana Mancebo, her soulful and relaxed indie beats spark memories of long beach days and underground Miami nights for her listeners.
"What I really want people to get from my music is to be more present with themselves," Pé explains. "You know that moment when someone passes you, you get a whiff of their perfume, and it brings you back to another memory in your life? That happens so much with music, too, and I want people to make those memories with the music I make."

Pé's talent has not gone unnoticed in the greater Latin music scene. When visiting Las Vegas for the recent Latin Grammys, she collaborated with Grammy-winning producer Eduardo Cabra and French-Dominican urbano artist Calacote to produce their latest single, "Tengo Miedo." The release contrasts significantly from her moody mixes to a dembow-style track, highlighting her multifaceted style and beloved Dominican roots.

"There's this dynamic Cabra has where you can pay a dollar and put together a song in about 20 minutes, so Calacote thought of me to see if we could try something new," Pé adds. "I'm a big believer that everything you do has a purpose, and I knew that once we finished that track, we had to make the full version. So it was so exciting having them on board with making the full track, especially because it's got such a good and strong [merengue de calle] sound."

Looking ahead, Letón Pé has her eyes set on Miami, with her next performance scheduled for June 29 at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, a day before her "riskiest" single is set to release. According to Pé, it will be her first major concert in the 305 (AKA the epicenter of Latin music), where she hopes to bring more exposure to her experimental Latin pop sound.

"I hold so much importance to being able to see the fans in person and create these personal moments through my music," Pé says. "It's gonna be so much fun to be in Miami, and we're gonna play until we can't play anymore."

Letón Pé. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.