"Now or Never": How Caii Found His Sound

Interview takes place on January 30, 2026 at Bad Astronaut Brewery in Houston, TX.

It is a lively night as we sit inside Bad Astronaut Brewery. Caii leans forward in his seat, eager to share how he found his place in the local music community. Caii is a Houston artist who performs, writes, and produces his own music. 

Caii focuses on genres like Latin, Urban Latin, and Spanish Rock, but is always striving to expand his horizons. He isn’t stuck in one box when it comes to what he creates. “Right now is the time for creative Latin people to really get out there and connect,” Caii says. 

He explains how he used to be an introvert but pushed himself to perform live. “The first time that I performed was at a club here in Houston, called Fabian's Latin Club. I was shaking, I never felt my mouth so dry,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘If you don’t do it right now, you’re never going to do it. When I started to see that many people dancing, that’s when I knew this is what I wanted to do. I love seeing that.”

When reflecting on his journey to finding his sound, Caii recalls performing at a bar that hosted wrestling events at 18. “I started [making the kind of music] that Latin [musicians] did at that time, like reggaeton, because I wanted to fit,” Caii explains. The DJ told him that if he wanted to continue performing at the bar, he needed to stick to the same style of music. Instead, Caii chose to follow his artistic intuition and create what felt true to himself, rather than conforming to mainstream trends.

Caii was offered an opportunity to get signed, but he turned it down. The style of music the producers wanted him to make would limit his creativity. “I was like, ‘I’m going to experiment, I want to learn how to play the saxophone and piano,’ and I want to start making my own beats,” he shares. “I don’t want to follow a trend.” 

Determined to take his dream full force, he taught himself the tools and experience he needed to follow his own path. “Everything I know, I taught myself from YouTube videos and books,” he explains. “I learned how to produce, I learned how to play piano, I learned how to do everything.”

He took a break from shows to dive into his music. When he was about 24, he finally found his sound. “I try to do unique [music], it’s a fusion of [influences],” he says. “I can mix some dark piano, some dark jazz saxophone, I might put a hip-hop bass with a funky bass.” 

To Caii, making music is about the storytelling aspect that resonates with his listeners. “I’m really into creative stories; I don’t just write music for writing,” he explains. “I like to [tell] a story.” He is open to writing about anything, but he feels most aligned with writing songs about real-life scenarios. 

Caii draws writing inspiration from bands like Cigarettes After Sex, The Weeknd, and Enrique Iglesias for their double entendre, as well as Romeo Santos for his storytelling.

Currently, Caii is working on an EP of around 12 songs. “I want to get out there, I want to get back to doing some events,” he says, “I’m trying to cover Texas first, then I’d like to go to Mexico and Central America.”

“I was never the number one in my class, I was never congratulated for doing [anything],” he admits. “When I started doing music, the person who made me really believe it was my mom when she told me for the first time that she was proud of me.”

What motivates Caii to make music is the inspiration he gives to shy, introverted people with dreams, like he was. He wants to show people that by starting their goals, they can achieve what they set their minds to. “Even when destiny or life is going against you, you can do it. Even though it’s hard, and though you might not see it, you can do it.”

In times of darkness and struggle, Caii got the motivation to take the leap and follow his dreams. He wants to inspire others to do the same. “When there’s a crisis, that’s the best time. That’s when you’re hungrier, and when you’re hungry, you’re not going to starve to death; you’re going to find a way to create and do something,” he adds. “It’s like if [you’re] thrown into the ocean, are you going to chill there or are you going to swim?”

“I’m trying to do it for the kids and for the people who were left behind,” he says. “I learned that whenever it’s time to act, go all the way. When it’s time to be quiet and be me, I chill. I’m shy, but I always have it in my head, ‘It’s now or never.’”

To follow Caii’s music journey, follow him on Instagram and TikTok @_caii_official to stay updated.

Story and Photos by Megan Eppolito