Ok, so this is definitely the cutest thing we’ve ever seen.
Grammy-nominated Colombian electro-cumbia band Bomba Estéreo recently released the music video for their song “Soy Yo,” and in less than a week it’s already amassed 2 million views thanks to their amazing star, eleven-year-old Sarai Isaura Gonzalez, a New Jersey native who was cast for her self-assurance and energy.
With moves inspired by The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Gonzalez dances her way around her neighborhood with such pluck and determination. All smiles and with a fresh haircut, she takes on mean girls, basketball players, and break dancers with her ring pop and dorky overalls.
There’s nothing she can’t do. She whips out a recorder and struts down the street in her Crocs. She’s never fazed by the side-eye or intimidated by the big kids on the block.
Director Torben Kjelstrup told Remezcla that when he first met Sarai, “it’s hard to describe but the way she was standing even while we were prepping the audition felt so relaxed and self-confident that it was hard to ignore.”
Liliana Saumet, Bomba Estéreo’s frontwoman, in a recent interview talked about the importance of self-confidence, especially for young girls growing up today. “Really, there is a lot of bullying and lots of discrimination — both racial and social — so the message was a good one: To encourage people to be who they are and to be happy with themselves without being exactly what society tells you to be.”
Girls, from a young age, are policed all the time for the way they look. Whether it’s your mom telling you that you need to dress “like a lady,” endless jokes about glasses or braces, being shamed for your hair or having to see only photoshopped (predominantly white) models in magazines, all of these moments take a toll on female confidence.
As the catchy chorus goes: “y no te preocupes si no te aprueban cuando te critiquen tu solo di / soy yo / soy yo soy soy soy / soy yo.” Who better to spread Latinx positivity than this tiny queen of confidence?
Photos via Youtube
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