ElioVeliz: voice, technique and why the Havana native who revives José José on YouTube conquered Mexico and Cuba with ballads that seem straight out of another era

ElioVeliz —Elioveliz Pérez Romero— was born in Havana with his mother's voice sounding like José José throughout the house. At five or six years old he was already imitating the Prince of Song; At twelve he asked for a microphone in a store "without permission" and they gave it to him; and in 2024, at the age of 22—the same age as José José when he sang El Triste—he became the phenomenon that the internet baptized as the «Cuban José José». Her cover of Preso exceeds 2 million views on YouTube, her original ballad Sufrí por amor accumulates more than half a million according to the Cuban and Mexican press, and her voice has been celebrated by Sarita Sosa and vocal coaches such as Ceci Dover. This profile, the twentieth of Voices that make magic, analyzes a ballad tenor who did not study opera but masters the most difficult repertoire of 80s Latin pop.

Voice: ballad tenor with the DNA of José José

Cubalite remembers that Elioveliz started singing to get the attention of his mother, a fan of José José, and that his friends were the ones who noticed the vocal similarity before any contest jury. At the age of 17 he tried a music school, but the lyrical genre did not fit: he wanted ballads, the same territory that the Mexican dominated in the seventies and eighties.

Its functional register is of romantic tenor: stable center in spoken verses, clean transition to the medium-high register in choruses and vibrato that imitates without caricaturing the Prince. Dix FM underlines its commitment to reviving ballads in the middle of 2024, when reggaeton dominates the charts: «powerful voice» and «ability to transmit emotions "deep" in themes that require air and control of dynamics.

In the geography of the series, his case is different from that of Mario Girón —winner of La Academia 2024 with El Triste— or that of Cristian Castro, professional heir to the Mexican ballad: ElioVeliz arrived through YouTube and Facebook, without reality or a major label, but with an equally demanding repertoire. He himself tells Los Lucas that El Triste is his favorite song —“very difficult to interpret; There are very few covers because of the vibratos and the air that is needed”—and that he shares the same age as José José when he recorded it.

From Almohada to Sufrí por amor: non-profit tribute and own label

On March 25, 2024, he published Almohada, the first piece of a twelve-song tribute that includes Mi vida, Gavilán o paloma, Lo paso, paso, El amar y el Quiero and Preso. Los Lucas describes the project as a “reissue of an era”: monochromatic photography, gestures in front of the camera and golden atmosphere that evoke the José José of the seventies without copying the assembly to the letter.

The unique thing is the ethical decision: he does not monetize the Mexican's covers—only interviews and his own songs—because, according to his interview in Los Lucas, he recorded them "with the sole objective of honoring" his idol. In parallel, Lenier Mesa composed I suffered for love, You are here and When I saw you: new ballads with "very similar melodic lines" to the Prince, but with their own copyright.

TVNotas México reported exclusively that ElioVeliz spoke with José Joel, who thanked him "for not forgetting his father", and that the young man insists that he never wanted conscious imitation: "I surprised myself by singing the greatest hits." The Cuban press —Radio Cadena Habana— presents him as an artist who "searches for his musical stamp" without stopping singing José José.

Repertoire that best shows your voice

• Almohada — first cover of the tribute (March 2024); origin of the viral phenomenon.
• Preso — most viewed cover (~2 M); video clip above.
• My life and Gavilán or paloma — core of the tribute on YouTube.
• El Triste — his favorite song; cover on channel (official video).
• I suffered for love — original ballad Lenier Mesa; video clip above.
• You are here and When I saw you — other singles from the same cycle.

Why it fits into Voices That Make Magic

ElioVeliz is proof that the romantic ballad still has an audience when the voice is authentic: without conservatory training, without prior platinum, it reached millions because the timbre evokes an icon without being a parody. His career links with Mario Girón and the new generation that rediscovers José José in reality shows and on networks, and with the premise of this series: listening to someone sing is a privilege that does not last forever. In Preso, in Sufrí por amor or in an acoustic live show, ElioVeliz makes magic with a throat that Cuba exported to Latin America when no one expected it.

In summary

Voice? Ballad tenor with a José José timbre. Technique? Vibrato, air and phrasing in highly difficult songs. YouTube? Preso (~2 M) and Suffered for love (~570 k+). Why does it matter? Organic virality, non-profit tribute and new ballads with Lenier Mesa. Next step? More profiles in Voices that make magic.