Baseball Player Turned Pop Star Candelita Steps Into Broadway History

José Iglesias is living in two worlds right now, and he's not apologizing for either one. The ballplayer who moonlights as the Billboard chart-topping Latin pop artist Candelita just made his Broadway debut in the Tony- and Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club — and he's treating it like the next level in his artistic journey, not some celebrity stunt.

Iglesias didn't just show up for the paycheck. He's carrying weight for him on this one: the responsibility of representing something bigger than himself. Cuban heritage, the millions of people who came before, the music that built a bridge between worlds. That's the energy he brought to the role.

This move makes sense when you piece it together. The man's already proven he can do music at a serious level — charting on Billboard isn't luck. Broadway's just another stage, another audience, another way to reach people. And in Buena Vista, he's not some guest star either. He's part of a legacy project that's already won at the highest level.

It's the kind of crossover that actually means something because Iglesias came correct. He didn't dilute anything to get here.

Read the full story at Billboard → https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/jose-iglesias-broadway-buena-vista-social-club-interview-1236331353/