Nacho

Nacho serves as the performing alias for Miguel Ignacio Mendoza Donatti, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter who crafts pop material. Through 2017 his reputation rested primarily on his role within the reggaeton and Latin-pop duo Chino & Nacho. His light tenor lends itself to material that draws on pop and R&B as readily as hip-hop.

He first encountered Jesús Alberto Miranda Pérez, later known as Chino, during their shared tenure in the Venezuelan boy band Calle Ciega. From 1998 to 2007 the group placed five albums and eight singles on the market, several of the latter penned by Nacho himself. After departing the collective they launched their joint career with the 2008 Universal release Época de Reyes. Two years later Mi Niña Bonita earned the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Album.

Nacho maintains an active role in political advocacy as well. Addressing the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2016, he condemned the Madura administration for widespread graft involving both political and military figures while citizens endured the country’s most severe economic collapse. Authorities with the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Aliens subsequently revoked his passport, blocking a planned flight from Miami to Maiquetía.

Following a ten-year partnership, Chino & Nacho confirmed their mutual decision to disband in 2017. Nacho promptly appeared alongside Wisin as a guest on Sebastián Yatra’s platinum-certified single and video “Alguien Robó.” That April he unveiled “Bailame,” his first solo outing, which accumulated a million streams within twenty-four hours and ultimately surpassed 86 million views while climbing into the Top 20 of the Hot Latin Songs chart. He delivered the track live at the Premios Juventud ceremony. “Valiente” arrived the next month. He also joined Spain’s Dasoul for the charting single “Kung Fu” and guested on 911’s “Feid.” In 2018 he teamed once more with Manuel Turizo for the release of “Déjalo.”