How Christian Alicea Went From a Firefighter to a Blazing Salsa Star

The 2024 Latin Grammys brought together a memorable performance that meshed traditional salsa with the new generation’s style — among the star-studded lineup that included a Marc Anthony and La India reunion was Christian Alicea. The lattermost was also a first-time nominee for best salsa album.   

“When you make music you don’t think about winning an award. For my first album, I focused on finding my sound and who Christian Alicea was,” he tells Billboard of his Yo Deluxe set. “A Grammy is a goal for any artist. Being nominated fills me with pride because this road is a roller coaster and you always want to give your best.”

Alicea kicked off his music career in 2019, first testing the waters in urban music and later going full-blown into salsa music. 

“My father and two brothers are musicians,” he explains. “My first musical inspirations have always been very tropical: Elvis Crespo, Hector Lavoe, Toño Rosario, Marc Anthony, La India, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Vives, Romeo Santos. I grew up with that hybrid of tropical music.”

After going viral on social media with his own version of Pedro Capó’s “Calma,” the Puerto Rican artist debuted on the Billboard charts in 2022 with “Cobarde” entering the Tropical Airplay chart in March. He’s since placed seven titles including “Es Un Secreto” with DJ Buddha, which peaked at No. 6 and also landed on the Latin Airplay chart in September.

But prior to becoming a breakthrough artist, Alicea dedicated himself to saving lives as a firefighter on the island. 

“It was a public service,” he notes. “In music, we also owe it to the public and work for them every day. As a firefighter I was part of a musical band, and I always try to give the best show, the best work in music. The sacrifices. Firefighters don’t have a fixed schedule. Many times I missed my mother’s birthday, I couldn’t share with my family on important dates, and music is the same. I have to do my part for my people.” 

As he welcomes 2025 packed with new goals and projects, Alicea is excited for the future of salsa music. 

“Being Boricua influences many things: how we were raised, how we communicate, the music we listen to — thanks to music, our Boricua color has been recognized as a very cultural thing. Meanwhile, salsa will always represent us as Latinos, and I am contributing to making beautiful things happen with the genre.”

Below, learn more about this month’s Latin Artist on the Rise:

Name: Christian Alicea

Age: 28

Recommended Song: “‘En PR’ — It’s the first song that I dare to create. It talks about my beloved island, the culture, my friends, the bad situations but we keep moving forward.”

 

Major Accomplishment: “Trust 100% that I can do it. Many of us have insecurities, but thank God for giving me the power to dare. I have a team that took risks with me and I think that has been the greatest achievement, having confidence in myself.”

What’s Next: “Hit the stage! What I most want is to be able to continue performing in different countries. More collaborations and more music. The Latin Grammy nomination made me even hungrier to continue growing and learning.”