Peruvian Artist PES Brings Latin Rock to SXSW

*PES joins 2025 SXSW Music Showcase. Photo by Nicole Williams-Quezada/Austin Vida*

Salvatore Sissa, known as PES and who moved to Austin recently, will be one of the featured Peruvian artists at this year’s SXSW, bringing his unique blend of psychedelic rock at 9 p.m. Saturday at Lamberts.

The 23-year-old multi-instrumentalist and producer from Lima, Peru, who has already released two EPs, represents a new wave of Latin American musicians expanding the definition of Latin music beyond traditional genres and building bridges between musical worlds. His performance at the showcase marks a milestone in his mission to bridge the gap between the North American and Latin American music industries.

“No lo veo como una elección, no es como que yo me paré un día y dije, ‘Quiero ser músico y tal.’ Como que nací y descubrí que así soy y tengo la suerte de haberme dado cuenta relativamente joven”, Sissa dijo.

PES’ musical journey began with his grandfather, who taught him to play classical guitar and traditional Peruvian waltzes (Vals Criollo) and festejos. His Panamanian mother and Peruvian father created a rich cultural environment that shaped his early musical sensibilities. While his grandfather introduced him to Peruvian folk traditions, his father’s passion for rock and metal opened another sonic dimension.

“Mi viejo es fanático de la música de rock, metal, más que nada. Entonces así empieza, digamos, mi conexión como como de admirar la música”, Sissa dijo.

The neighborhood where he grew up in Lima proved pivotal to his development. Sissa recalls playing music every day with his friend and fellow musician, Jean Paul Medroa, learning songs they loved.

“Tocábamos mucho Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Los Enanitos Verdes, Soda Stereo, Guns and Roses, una variedad de todo”, Sissa said revealing the diverse influences that would later inform his sound.

Jean Paul Medroa, who began his musical journey alongside Sissa in Lima, will also be performing this Saturday at SXSW, playing at Perlas at midnight. Medroa has established himself as a promising Indie Rock artist in Lima over the past five years, with several EPs and a full album to his name.

For PES it wasn’t until a devastating knee injury at age 16 that music transformed from passion to purpose.

“Me rompí la rodilla en varios pedazos y ya no podía jugar fútbol”, Sissa dijo. “No quería salir a ningún lado y la música se volvió mi mejor amigo, siempre fue mi mejor amigo, pero se volvió en ese momento mi único amigo, mi única compañía”.

His affinity for music would eventually lead him to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied performance, sound engineering and production. Now based in Texas, PES sees himself as part of a movement challenging narrow perceptions of Latin music in the United States.

“Lo que yo estoy buscando hacer es hacer un puente entre la industria de la música norteamericana con la latinoamericana, así como ha hecho el reggaetón, pero para otros géneros”, Sissa dijo. “Me encanta la salsa, los valses, el festejo, el merengue, pero eso no es lo único que sale de Latinoamérica”.

PES in Austin. *Photo by Nicole Williams-Quezada/Austin Vida*

In one of PES’ released two EPs, he delved into existential themes like the passage of time.

“Creo que todas mis canciones tienen algo de eso”, PES dijo. “Estoy obsesionado con eso”, he admited—while also examining societal structures, politics and questions about the world we inhabit.

For his performance this Saturday at Lamberts, PES promises a set featuring songs from his latest EP, a new unreleased track and plenty of on-stage improvisation with his band of talented musicians. He describes the show’s vibe as “un poco psicodélico”, explicando que para él, psicodélico significa “sonidos instrumentales e con efectos con delay, reverb, sintetizadores, e en términos líricos, temas que te hacen pensar capaz más de lo que quieres pensar a veces.”

Beyond SXSW, PES’ ambitions include releasing an album, performing in Mexico and Peru, creating music videos, and collaborating with other artists. Long-term, he dreams of opening his own studio and establishing a music school in Peru, along with a musician exchange program between Peruvian and American artists.

As the Latino music scene continues to evolve and expand beyond the stereotypical genres that dominate mainstream perception, artists like PES and Medroa represent the rich diversity of sounds, stories, and perspectives emerging from Latin America.

Catch PES this Saturday at Lambert’s during SXSW at 9 p.m., and Jean Paul Medroa at Perlas at midnight.

Peruvian Artist PES Brings Latin Rock to SXSW

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