ALOHA, Ore — A recent Aloha High School graduate is hitting all the right notes after signing a record deal. The 18-year-old Emanuel Garcia is now living out his dreams while pursing a career in aviation mechanics.
Emanuel was inspired by his two older brothers, 28-year-old Alex and 23-year-old Pedro Garcia, both musicians. He first picked up the guitar three years ago, when he was 15 years old.
Alex played in a local band which was signed by a record label. This inspired Emanuel to further dabble in song writing — and eventually, singing with the full support of his brothers.
“All my brothers had their own band before. You know, I was the youngest one, so I’m the one that picked up everything,” said Emanuel.
Emanuel and his brothers started making and releasing music similar to other Regional Mexican artists. Emanuel officially released his music online two years ago with his EP "Apoco Fue Facil," translating to "It Wasn't Easy," ranking on Apple Music's Latin music charts. The Garcia brothers were also featured on Spotify's Música Mexicana Rising music playlist.
The Garcia brothers emphasize the value of not only singing in Spanish, but how the Regional Mexican music genre has changed.
“It is Regional Mexican, but I don't think they're kind of calling that no more because it's like ... it's progressing, and it's being a little bit different, using even beats," said oldest Garcia brother Alex passionately.
Emanuel is the lead vocalist, Alex plays lead guitar and second vocalist, while Pedro is on the bass.
“We mix it all together and make it work," said Pedro, middle child of the Garcia family. "And so far, it's been ... it's been pretty cool.”
In 2023, Emanuel signed with independent California-based Latin label Del Records right before graduating from Aloha High School in June.
“Kind of like a good pay for all the hard work that we've been doing. A lot of dedication to this. It didn't happen overnight,” said Alex, beaming proudly.
Emanuel and his brothers got a taste of fame earlier this year with the success of their hit single "Pero Yo" amassing over one million views on YouTube.
In the song, Emanuel croons about focusing on the positive aspects of life, pushing out anything not contributing to enjoying life with his brothers.
"That's already a super big accomplishment and we're super proud of him for doing all that," said Alex. "But being able to, like, make a viral hit song would be amazing.”
In September, the Garcia brothers were invited to performed at an official Portland Timbers tailgating event in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“It was just an incredible experience to be able to do that for the city of Portland, which is where we come from and proudly represent,” Alex said, grinning from ear to ear with pride.
While living this American dream, Emanuel is also chasing another goal — becoming an aviation mechanic. He's currently taking classes at Portland Community College.
"Focusing on both paths, you know. I'm hoping I'm able to do it, and I've so far been achieving it. I just recently got accepted into my aviation introduction class, so I'm pretty happy about that,” Emanuel said.
The parents of the Garcia brothers have constantly stressed the value of education. The Garcia brothers take that seriously — along with their music.
“I feel super excited because it's the first generation to start doing this and plus they are keeping up with school,” said Maria Pantoja, matriarch of the Garcia family. “I'm super proud of them because that's what I'm trying to teach them.”
Emanuel and his family are simply grateful for all of it, with hopes that others will be inspired to pursue their talents with their families.
“It's just something that's going to be just super memorable and I hope it really inspires other people to kind of pursue similar thing with their siblings, whether it's music, sports, whatever it can be,” said Pedro.
Emanuel recently released his first studio album, titled "Mi Capitulo Favorito," which translates to "My Favorite Chapter." Anyone looking to keep up with Emanuel and his brothers can follow them here. Their music is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and all major music streaming services.
KGW's Breaking Barriers series features Oregonians making a difference in the world of sports, arts, government, business and more. You'll see stories for Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15.
