MAKING HIS MARKS
After getting start on a Disney series, Colombian singer, actor ¿Téo? forging own path with unique sound inspired by his roots
Mateo Arias, who performs under the moniker ¿Téo?, arrives in Chicago on St Patrick’s Day with his Sol & Luna Tour in tow for a concert at Lincoln Hall.
The Sol & Luna Tour will feature music from his self-titled and sophomore albums, “¿Téo?” and “Sol,” ahead of his third album, “Luna,” set to release later this year.
Arias said that the music on the upcoming album will be complemented by a “blue and purple” aura. He told the Sun-Times that this project is his “favorite body of work” that he’s ever done.
“It’s very easy for me to tap into blue sadness and nostalgia,” Arias said, noting that he considers himself a “low-key dude.”
The tracks on “Sol” and “Luna” total 24 — one for each of the 24 hours in a day.
Last month, ¿Téo? dropped the single “A Mi Cama” in Spanish.
“I didn’t want to do Spanglish on this album, meaning I didn’t want to do a hook or a chorus in Spanish and a verse in English and throw in a little bit of Spanish here and there,” Arias said.
Reaching a Spanish-speaking audience is important to Arias, whose first language was Spanish. He was born to Colombian parents in Atlanta.
The decision to include an inverted question mark in his name comes from his roots — as well as the desire to push himself and experiment with different genres and styles of music.
“I’m a big fan of doubt,” he said. “Science is based on doubt. And in life and art, I’m a big fan of questioning things and making sure that I’m always keeping myself in check, making sure I’m exploring territory, making sure that I can make breakthroughs wherever I can.”
As an artist who considers himself as American as he is Colombian, he finds inspiration in both cultures, especially the space in between.
“I speak to my mom in Spanish and I speak to my brother in English. I live my life very, very fluidly in terms of language and culture,” said Arias, who played a martial arts student on the 2011-2015 Disney XD series “Kickin’ It.”
The 27-year-old first became interested in music when he spotted a piano in the lobby of his childhood apartment complex.
He grew up listening to popular Latin music of the 2000s with his parents. As he grew older, he found himself drawn to Brazilian bossa nova. He also listened to a lot of Biggie and Bob Marley, and regards Frank Ocean as one of his biggest inspirations.
In 2017, Arias released “Uno Dos” with longtime friend Jaden Smith, son of actor and rapper Will Smith, and has since made a name for himself as a global multi-lingual vocalist and artist with over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. In 2022, he toured as an opener for Justin Bieber.
Arias credits his mother’s intuition for launching his entertainment career.
He and his older brother, Moises Arias — who starred as Rico in the Disney Channel original series “Hannah Montana”— were enrolled in acting classes in Atlanta at a young age thanks to their mother, Monica Rendón, who wanted her sons to get comfortable in front of a camera.
Arias says some of his extended family thought that her decision was “crazy,” but now there is nothing but respect after years of success on-screen. Rendón created an environment where it was easy for the boys to be as emotional, expressive, and creative as possible, he said. As youngsters, they produced their own movies on a MacBook.
The singer says he’s looking forward to the “Chicago energy” at Lincoln Hall, where Nigerian American rapper Maesu will open for him.