For years, Chicago has birthed countless vibrant and visionary artists. Among the best of up-and-coming artists from Chicago is Kaina Castillo, also known as KAINA. 

The first-generation Latina artist has maintained a soothing and soulful vibe from her debut EP “Sweet Asl.” to her first album “Next to the Sun.” Her confident sound has not gone unnoticed, allowing her to dive into the lively local music scene, collaborating with Chicago-based artists like Saba, The O’My’s, Sen Morimoto and Burns Twins, among others.

KAINA discusses immigration in the United States on the song “House.” Immigration has always been a controversial topic in the United States, but it has especially grown in importance due to President Donald Trump’s threats and actions towards immigrant and refugee rights, specifically targeting the Latino community. As a daughter of immigrants coming from Venezuelan and Guatemalan heritage, the topic is sensitive to her. 

“I didn’t feel comfortable talking about the world and immigration, especially because it felt so close to my heart and close to a lot of families that I see around me,” KAINA states in an interview with the Chicago Reader. Although the song was written before Trump was elected, the lyrics are still relevant today. 

Sen Morimoto joins KAINA on “Could Be a Curse” on the seventh song of her debut album. The song fuses soul and rock to create a multilingual track. In an interview with Circuit Sweet, KAINA explained the meaning behind the track.

“This song is about feeling down and not knowing whether that feeling will last forever or if it’s temporary,” KAINA said. “There are the moments you lay in bed wondering if a terrible feeling will last forever. Some of my verse has to do with what some of those thoughts are in that moment, like generational traumas and habits. Once Sen and I wrote the chorus together, we decided to write our verses in Spanish and Japanese based off a dream I had.” 

The album comes to an end with a Latin soul-inspired track “Green,” which commemorates the people KAINA loves most: her family. Besides her immediate family, KAINA did not grow up with any blood relatives near her. There also were not many Venezuelan or Guatemalan people surrounding her. This caused a convicting disconnection within her cultural identity.

“I feel alone a lot, but I also know that it took so many people for me to exist, and collectively, us as generations have seen many days and times and ‘moons,’” KAINA said in an interview with Circuit Sweet.  “I am always connected, even when I’m literally far away or even lineages away — or my history has been taken from me, or I didn’t get to learn it.” 

The music video for the song is very vibrant and joyful. It displays her family cooking, eating, dancing and just enjoying each other’s company. Her family’s presence brings an intimate and positive feeling to the video and displays her love for them. 

Students can expect a soulful performance from KAINA. Doors for the show will open at 7:30 p.m. with the performance to start at 8 p.m. at the M-Shop this Saturday. Tickets are $15 for the public and $10 for Iowa State students.