#171 - JChris - Urban Latin Singer

JChris joins us on episode 171! Don't miss JChris's 54 Below show coming up on Sept. 18th!    Singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer ​Chris Urquiaga​, known as JChris, is lauded for his exciting performance energy and smooth voice. Hailed as “…the next big thing” by ​Metro Weekly​ magazine, this Latin pop virtuoso is internationally recognized for his pop compositions which are laced with Latin, Afro and Brazilian influences. His music explores themes of gender fluidity and queer culture.   Chris started playing piano at the age of 7 and started playing at churches at the age of 9. During Chris’ childhood years, his performance experiences as a soloist and with choral and instrumental ensembles brewed an interest in composition. Throughout high school and college, Chris developed a desire to tell his own story through his own music. After studying composition at the Eastman School of Music, Chris became highly active as a singer-songwriter, releasing indie pop albums under the stage name Chris Urquiaga. Chris’ desire to deepen his connection with and express his Brazilian, Peruvian and gay identity, led him a new direction. In 2020, Chris rebranded himself as an urban Latin artist under the stage name JChris. As JChris, he has already seen great success with the release of his singles. His 2021 single, Caliente (featuring major Latin artist Naldo Benny), has reached over 1 million views on YouTube. Chris’ Spotify channel has over 500,000 streams.   As a gay Latino artist, Chris had the honor of presenting his own headlining concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below in NYC entitled Latin Music Night, featuring guest artists from Broadway and Television. New York is a city that Chris has fallen in love with. In October 2021, he made his Off-Broadway debut performing his original music at the Triad Theatre for a play entitled Dig Deep. Choral music has followed Chris for most of his life, giving him experience as a conductor, composer, accompanist, guest vocalist and clinician. In 2022, Chris became the Assistant Director f