Firmly planted at the intersection of country and Latin music, first generation Cuban American artist, Sammy Arriaga, is trailblazing a space few have occupied. His music marries the two cultures through distinct instrumentation, melodic phrasing and authentic storytelling. Pair that with his innovative prowess and social acumen, Arriaga is building a brand of his own. Indeed, the Miami native has marched to the beat of his own drum from the start. Raised in a culture that celebrated music, and immersed him in the Spanish language, Arriaga inherited his musical talents from his grandfather, and an unmatched work ethic from his father. Early on, Arriaga’s destiny seemed written in the stars. But it wasn’t that straightforward. “I was really into sports when I was younger. I played soccer throughout my childhood and that was where I started to gain confidence in myself and my abilities.” But during Freshman year of high school, Arriaga found his voice. “Pretty quickly after, I picked up the guitar and started learning to play via videos I found on YouTube. I also started writing my own lyrics. Once I learned to play guitar, my songwriting journey began.” Drawing inspiration from artists like Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Michael Buble, and more, he honed his own sound - a blend of his Latin roots and passion for the classic country sound. After a “brief pit stop” in Winter Park, Florida to attend Full Sail for production, Arriaga opted to hit the gas and aim north, heading to Nashville to officially commit to a career in music. “I found the names of some of my favorite writers and producers in my favorite CD jewel cases. I would friend them on Facebook, then send them music, asking for any sort of feedback they were willing to give.” The hustle paid off when hit songwriter Monty Powell (“One Of These Days” for Tim McGraw, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” for Keith Urban) responded, ultimately prompting Arriaga’s move. Powell was also kind enough to put a roof over his head for a few days until he got on his feet. “I had no plan, no apartment.” Not one to waste time, Arriaga hit the ground running. His first week in Nashville, he landed a standing gig at one of the city’s historic Broadway venues, and began taking meetings with anyone that would say yes. That first week kicked off a period of growth for Arriaga, one that found him brushing elbows and collaborating with some of today’s biggest stars (Lainey Wilson, Brett Young, Meghan Trainor, to name a few), and establishing himself as a mainstay. “It’s required me to evolve quite a bit. But I’ve always stuck to my guns. I’ve always wanted to merge my background with the country genre. I’m an artist that can wear that Hispanic-American crown proudly, because I was raised that way. It’s who I am. I speak it, I live it, I am it. So much of what I do celebrates that - many of my songs are also done in Spanish, and some Spanglish.” A large part of that evolution was the digital revolution. Though social media was around, it wasn’t as prevalent. “Social media has given me the tools to build a career on my own terms. To do me.” He also began dabbling in NFTs - a world not often understood by the country music community, but one that’s taken Arriaga’s career to the next level. One of the first artists to create a music-based NFT, his eyes were quickly opened to a new form of music distribution - one that bypasses the gatekeepers, and puts the power of creative value back into the artist’s hands. Springboarding off his success in the digital space, and confident in who he is as an artist, Arriaga continues his career in lock-step with his new label, Dead Rose Records, in partnership with Walk Off Entertainment. “I’ve turned years of rejection into fuel and I’ve assembled with the best team an artist can ask for. I want indie artists to see that anything is possible and that we have all the tools to make any dream a reality right in front of us. Just gotta want it…And want it bad!” Arriaga is just released his new single “Left My Heart In Texas” in English and Spanish on March 14, with additional music to follow, and an album due out later this year.