Omar Banos, known professionally as Cuco, first made waves in 2016 with is self-released EP, Wannabewithu in 2016, which featured his viral hits “Lover is a Day” and “Amor de Siempre”. His breakthrough came with the 2017 single “Lo Que Siento,” allowing him to leave college to pursue music full-time.
Born and raised in Hawthorne, CA, Cuco‘s sound draws heavily from Southern California’s Chicano Soul scene. That influence can be heard heavily on his latest single, “Dreamin'”. The song drifts along on Cuco‘s lilting vocals, smooth horns and plinking piano keys. While one might imagine a video for the song featuring a relaxed cast of characters basking in sunshine, the clip for the song actually takes a more serious and topical tone.
Directed by A.G. Rojas and set in a Latino neighborhood in L.A., the video follows a young boy who dreams of rescuing a chained dog, only to discover the owner is an ICE agent. What happens next acts as a metaphor for the very real battles happening today in L.A., but also a larger allegory for the fear being escalated in our country, and the fight for freedom from oppression. As the boy grows into Cuco, the video ends with a touching tribute to his late companion, creating an intimate yet culturally grounded story.
Watch the soulful video for this Neo-soul gem above, and stream the track here.
The Indy Review 