Fit Check, Food Check: Letón Pé on Bori-Domi Food and Tour Fashion
Letón Pé has layers. In the early days of her career, the Dominican singer served as a performer-in-residence at a New York casino, played wedding gigs across the DR, and released a catalog of genre-bending singles and EPs. In February, she dropped her debut album, Golosa. On the project, Pé melds synth-forward house beats and ballad-worthy vocals with the rhythmic drums of dembow, the sound her country is perhaps best known for in 2026. Golosa landed her on Rolling Stone En Español’s list of Artistas Que Debes Conocer (Artists You Should Know) — and it put her on the road for a 6-stop tour, which wrapped on April 25 in Santo Domingo.
Pé joined us for cortaditos and sandwiches at Cafe Colmado, a bustling Manhattan spot with Dominican and Puerto Rican roots. She unpacked her personal style philosophy, sonic influences, and the true meaning of “golosa.” Naturally, she took a few pauses to rave about her sandwichito de bistec.
Read on to learn about Pé’s musical journey, the obstacles she’s faced, and the best Dominican food she’s found outside the DR.
Fit check: How has your style evolved with the release of Golosa?
A fan asked me, what’s the dress code for the Golosa Tour? I gave her some inspiration with photos and stuff, but I said that the most important thing is that you don’t go out and buy anything. When people buy stuff constantly, it’s not as much about expressing yourself through the clothes. You lose the chance to explore your personal style when you’re just paying attention to what looks best on social media, instead of thinking, how would this piece serve me and how could I adapt it for my lifestyle? When you work with what you have, you stimulate that creativity and you learn how to make do with what you have. That’s what really helps you find your personal style.
My tour looks are pretty simple, because in the end, tour life is not for the weak. More than anything, I wanted to feel comfortable, like I could move however I needed to during performances. The most important part of looking great is feeling great.
Food check: Outside of the Dominican Republic, where have you had the best Dominican food?
In Puerto Rico. There are lots of Dominican restaurants over there, a lot of Dominicans who live there and own little spots. The times I’ve visited, I’ve only eaten comida boricua-dominicana. It’s so delicious.
Can you talk about the challenges you’ve faced as a Dominican woman entering the global music market?
That’s been a part of this journey that’s frustrated me, and I’m not the only one. I think it’s happening in so many artistic fields, and a lot of people will be able to resonate with what I’m saying. There’s this stereotype that almost feels like a caricature of our culture, a way to restrain it and limit it. It forces us to stay in the box of what people think they know about our culture, what they’ve seen in pop culture. People are kind of like, “Well, you’re Caribbean, so you have to walk around with a pineapple on your head. You have to do merengue, bachata, and dembow.” But in reality, all of us are informed by a super complex mix of influences. So why would I feel the need to limit myself?
Golosa was a project in which I allowed myself to experiment without wondering what people were expecting from me. A lot of the time, being Dominican, there’s an expectation that I need to take the route of the genres that are most popular there right now. But I’m a person who’s built my sound through a wide range of genres. For me, a crucial part of this process was to enjoy it. What sounds do I want to play with right now, and what do I want to learn at this moment? I don’t always want to feel comfortable. When you’re too comfortable, things don’t have as much depth. There are definitely Caribbean rhythms on the album, but I played around with some distortion and a bit more of a house, electronic vibe. For example, the song “¿Cuándo Se Va’ ir El Calor?” is principally inspired by dembow, but I was like, how can I contort it into my own musical language?
What’s next for Letón Pé?
I have some remixes coming out that are perfect for summer, for having a good time. I’ll keep making my electropical music. I was just talking to my band, because sometimes people ask what genre my music is, and I wanted their ideas for what to call it. We came up with “electropical” — electronic, tropical, and with some pop touches, because I’m a pop girly. I also really want to tour in Europe, so I’m crossing my fingers. Spain, my people, you have to have me over!