When an artist says “everything happened very organically,” there’s usually more behind that phrase. But in the case of Alleh and Yorghaki, their success story truly was organic. It began as a casual encounter between two acquaintances who connected through music, both from the same city — Valencia, Venezuela — and who attended the same school, albeit in different years.
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“I met Yorghaki in Valencia one night, just casually. He was leaving a party, and I was arriving,” Alleh tells Billboard. “We ran into each other on the street. ‘Hey, let’s make music.’ Yorghaki was the only person I knew who was a producer and made good music, music I was already listening to. I wanted someone to record me and understand me, even down to how to do the vocals.”
“Even though there was an age difference, we understood each other. Expressing ourselves felt like we were family, like a friend I had known my whole life,” adds Yorghaki. “Twelve hours from when we met to when we made music! And then the first song we released came out about eight months later. I don’t remember the exact date, but it was in February 2024.”
Yorghaki started playing guitar inspired by pop bands and artists like John Mayer and Phil Collins. “My dad always listened to a lot of Soda Stereo and a lot of Arabic music,” he says, adding that by the time he was 17, it was no longer just a hobby for him. “My friend Gus (Gustavo Ortega, a talented producer, songwriter, and vocalist) taught me how to make music, and it became a way to express what I was feeling. And since I never sang and never dared to sing, I would always turn to my best friends, who were super talented and incredible performers and songwriters.”
In Alleh’s case, he had an interest and talent for rapping from a very early age. “I always knew I didn’t want to do something normal, and as a kid, I kind of rapped a lot. Then quarantine [due to the COVID pandemic] happened, and I talked to a friend and said, ‘Look, let’s make music.’” He never imagined that just a few years later, with that same sweet-yet-raspy voice, calm and full of sensitivity, he would be nominated for the 2025 Latin Grammy for best new artist.
One of his first songs was “Déjà vu,” followed by “Ultravioleta,” which started gaining traction on TikTok. “At least for me, with my account that had zero followers, I suddenly started seeing people giving 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 12,000, 15,000 likes,” says Alleh. He also recalls that the first artist who supported them by uploading a video on the platform was Beto Montenegro from Rawayana.
The song was written by Alleh, Yorghaki and the Venezuelan producer Manuel Lara, who is also from Valencia, and it was co-produced by Yorghaki and Lara. “Manuel listened to it and said, ‘OK, this could be a merenguetón.’ It’s a song we had tucked away in the vault. We told him, ‘Take it, see if you can bring it to life.’ He sent it back to us the next day, and it was ‘Capaz.’ It was crazy,” Alleh says excitedly. “The three of us went into the studio to throw around melodies, finish writing that part of the song, and it came out: ‘Aventurándome por tu piel.’ In fact, we have videos of how it all came together.”
Their most recent release is La Fórmula, a five-song EP that arrived as a surprise for their fans this past December 24. Alleh says his dream collaboration would be with Bad Bunny or Karol G.
The partnership between Alleh and Yorghaki has elevated both of their careers, both together and individually. At the 2025 Latin Grammys, in addition to Alleh’s nomination for Best New Artist, they competed together in the category of Best Urban Performance/Urban Fusion for “Capaz (Merenguetón).” At the 2026 Premio Lo Nuestro, they are competing for the album of the year trophy with La Ciudad, while competing separately in the category of male breakthrough artist of the year. Additionally, Yorghaki is featured in the Collaboration of the Year – Pop/Urban category for “Samaná,” alongside his fellow Venezuelan artists Mau y Ricky and Danny Ocean.
Learn more about Billboard‘s first Latin Artist on the Rise of the year, in this case, a duo-like combination due to the success they’ve achieved with their first joint project. (Both were also included together on Billboard’s list of 26 Latin Artists to Watch in 2026).
Name: Alleh Mezher and Yorghaki Yacoub
Age: 23 and 27
Recommended Song: “EN TU MIRADAaaaa”
Major Accomplishment: “I think what I’m most proud of and can say I experienced was performing shows in my city, in Valencia. In the arena you’d always walk past and see, and then having the opportunity to fill it yourself,” says Alleh. Yorghaki also speaks about creating music that connects with people: “In the city, it’s like this experiment of healing, discovering this person, getting to know someone, and the stumbles that come with it. It’s very beautiful because people connect very deeply with projects that are more well thought out, because they’re about the feeling, not about us.”
What’s Next: “I think La Ciudad is music that I enjoy making; I don’t want to tell you that I’m going to stick to just one style. I don’t know, I like to explore… and do so many things. So, what I would really focus on is making music that fulfills me above all else and expressing it as beautifully as possible. Something will come!” says Alleh.
“I think from the beginning, the idea was to make an album as friends. And to be able to say that if it did really well, it would help our careers, and if it didn’t do as well, it would still contribute to our growth as artists. And the best thing happened. It was amazing, incredible, people loved it, and they thought we were a duo. In the end, we are two great friends who came together to make this,” adds Yorghaki. “I mean, we can’t stop working together because we’re such good friends, you know? Alleh has his vision of how he wants to be as an artist, and I have mine, and that’s the beauty of it. I think we gave people different versions of ourselves. The version where we’re together, the version where we’re separate, and the version where we’re not.”