Emil Rusev blends his Bulgarian and Colombian worlds in music

At 22, Emil Rusev already has a rather unusual musical résumé – Colombian rhythms, Bulgarian roots, a TikTok hit and a spot at an Ed Sheeran concert. Born in Medellín, the singer describes himself as a “Euro-paisa”, a nod to his life between Colombia and Bulgaria. BTA tells his story in a recent article.

Emil’s connection with music actually began before he was born. His mother is Colombian and sang in a choir, while his Bulgarian father plays the double bass. The two met in a lift while on tour in Cali and, according to Rusev, fell in love on the spot – even though she spoke no Bulgarian and he understood no Spanish.

“The power of music ultimately brought them together. Literally, my entire existence in this world is because of music,” Rusev told Remezcla.

As a child, he took singing lessons from his mother, while his father introduced him to music theory. Justin Bieber and Post Malone are among his biggest influences, and Rusev jokingly describes himself as “the Latin American Justin Bieber”.

His breakthrough came in 2026, when “Va Uno a Ver y Ve” took off on TikTok. Around the same time, Ed Sheeran chose him as an opening act for his concert in Bogotá. It was then that Rusev began weaving his Bulgarian roots more noticeably into his music. His latest single, “Ando (Bye, Ya Me Voy…)”, even includes words in Bulgarian.

“I’m trying to start incorporating my Bulgarian culture into my music,” he says.

Rusev sees belonging to two very different cultures as an advantage. 

“I’ve always been proud to be Colombian and Bulgarian. I’ve always tried to show both sides how much respect I have for them,” he says.

His next big goal is a debut album, which is already in the works. His list of dream collaborators also bridges his two worlds: among the names he mentions are DARA and Maluma, Remezcla writes.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova