Rawayana is a Venezuelan band formed in Caracas in 2007. The group's music combines a variety of musical genres including reggae, psychedelic, electronic, funk and salsa, and the members describe their style as "trippy pop". The band consists of Alberto "Beto" Montenegro, Antonio "Tony" Casas, Andrés "Fofo" Story and Alejandro "Abeja" Abeijón.
The band has released 5 studio albums and has collaborated with artists such as Parcels, Danny Ocean, Natalia Lafourcade, Bomba Estéreo, Monsieur Periné and Los Amigos Invisibles. They have performed in festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza and are the recipients of two Latin Grammys and a Grammy.
History After the release of the album Trippy Caribbean in 2016, the band was nominated for Best New Artist at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, losing to Dominican musician Vicente García. To promote the album, the band embarked on a tour of major cities in Latin America and the United States, and released a music video for the song "Funky Fiesta" featuring Jose Luis Pardo of Los Amigos Invisibles.
Rawayana's 2021 album Cuando los Acéfalos Predominan discusses the crisis in Venezuela in both its lyrical content as well as the album's accompanying music videos. The album featured Los Amigos Invisibles, Cheo Pardo, and Akapellah, and was released in conjunction with an art installation in Mexico City. In the words of lead singer Montenegro, the satirical music video for the song "Into You", which parodies Latin American talk shows, served as a way to "[call] forth major 'entertainers' in the industry not to stay silent about the world’s problems".
On September 19, 2023, the band performed a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR to promote their album ¿Quién trae las cornetas?, which was officially released two days later on September 21. The Tiny Desk performance further propelled the band's international popularity, accumulating over 11 million views. In 2024, the band embarked on the ¿Quién trae las cornetas? World Tour, performing across Europe, North America and Latin America.
In 2024, Rawayana's song "Feriado" won Best Pop Song at the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. In early 2025, their album ¿Quién Trae las Cornetas? won the 2025 Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
In early 2024, Bomba Estereo frontman Li Saumet sent a track to the band with the intention of collaborating; what was originally supposed to be an EP ended up becoming a full album under the name Astropical, released on March 7, 2025. The supergroup has multiple US dates planned for mid 2025, their first live show being in Vive Latino 2025 in Mexico City.
In June 2025, member Beto featured on Maye's debut album Música Para Abrir El Cielo for its single "Lento".. “In November, Rawayana — together with Venezuelan rapper Akapellah — won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Electronic Music Performance for their song ‘Veneka’.
In October 2025, Nathy Peluso composed the song "Malportada", featuring Rawayana.
On 1 January 2026, Rawayana released their new album ¿Dónde Es El After? which features Venezuelan artists like Elena Rose, Servando & Florentino and Joaquina. The cover includes an easter egg leading to a speech of Venezuelan writer Arturo Uslar Pietri. In their opening track "Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres Tú", they open with the lyrics “Un feliz año te desea Rawa, y que por fin los hijueputas ya se vayan,” (Rawa wishes you a happy New Year, and may those sons of bitches finally leave"), in reference to the Nicolás Maduro government. Two days later, the United States intervened in Venezuela and captured Maduro which produced a popular response to Rawayana in YouTube. Users drew parallels between the lyrics and the events in Venezuela.
Cancelled tour The song "Veneka" was criticized by the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, which forced Rawayana to cancel their tour through Venezuela in 2024/2025.
Members Official members Alberto "Beto" Montenegro (vocals, guitar) (2007-present) Antonio "Tony" Casas (bass, synth) (2007-present) Andrés "Fofo" Story (drums, percussion, guitar) (2011-present) Alejandro "Abeja" Abeijón (guitar, synth) (2007-present) Current touring members Orestes Gómez (percussion, synths, samples) (2023-present)
Discography Studio albums Title Details Licencia Para Ser Libre Released: March 30, 2011 Label: Digital Pressure, Peermusic Venezuela Rawayanaland Released: May 19, 2013 Label: Brocoli Records Trippy Caribbean Released: October 7, 2016 Label: Brocoli Records Cuando los Acéfalos Predominan Released: February 5, 2021 Label: Brocoli Records ¿Quién Trae las Cornetas? Released: September 21, 2023 Label: Brocoli Records ¿Dónde es el after? Released: January 1, 2026 Label: Brocoli Records
Collaborative albums Title Details Astropical Released: March 7, 2025 Label: Sony Music Latin, Brocoli Records, Elegancia Tropical
Singles As lead artist Title Year Certifications Album "Me Pasa (Piscis)" 2025 RIAA: Gold(Latin) Astropical "Inglés en Miami" 2026
Awards and nominations Award Year Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Category Result Grammy Awards 2025 ¿Quién Trae las Cornetas? Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album Latin Grammy Awards 2024 "Feriado" Best Pop Song 2025"Veneka"Best Latin Electronic Music Performance"Venga Lo Que Venga" Best Tropical Song 2026 ¿Dónde es el after?Album of the Year Premios Juventud 2025 Themselves Favorite Group or Duo of The Year rowspan="3" "La Culpa" Tropical Mix Astropical Best Tropical Album
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