J Balvin, the world famous popular reggaetonero, whose real name is José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, recently announced the launch of his bilingual mental health app “Oye,” in which he assumes the role of “dream director.”

J Balvin underlines:

With Oye, we have created a community-focused platform that will provide engaging and accessible emotional wellness practices for all.

The singer, who has personally suffered various emotional problems, pointed out that “everyone’s health journey is different and deeply personal,” so from the beginning of this project, he and his team wanted people to put emotional and mental health first.

This app, which was developed with the purpose of destigmatizing mental illness in Latino communities, has the support of happiness activist and edtech executive Mario Chamorro, global creative and social impact executive Patrick Dowd, journalist and executive media outlet Isaac Lee, as well as Mexican wellness leader Mari Sierra.

Sierra, founder of Sierra y Mar, a creative laboratory that develops mind/body healing retreats and workshops, who serves as the wellness director of “Oye” and has more than 15 years of experience organizing meditation experiences around the world, was chosen precisely because of her global approach, which allows her to address people from all over the world in English and Spanish.

“I am passionate about the mind-body connection, because of the remarkable effects it has on people of all backgrounds and ages. If you move with intention, it can affect self-esteem, clarity, presence, and general well-being. So to have the opportunity to now share these practical tools of realization through design and technology is like a dream for me,” Sierra highlights while assuring that in "Oye" everyone works to “reshape the conversation about wellness in the Latinx community and eliminate cultural stigmas.”

Few Apps of its Kind

Undoubtedly, one of the requirements of the creators of this application is to offer its content in both English and Spanish.

“Sanvello” and “Stop Breathe Think” are the only two applications that offer Spanish translations by the time “Oye” makes its appearance, with which the app sets out not only to provide resources in Spanish, but also to raise awareness and cultural knowledge to that content.

Sierra noted: “Our goal is to elevate the voices of Latinx Guias and provide a broader range of relatable inspirational figures for Latinx youth and the world at large.”

What does “Oye” offer?

Seeking emotional well-being, "Oye" offers resources (called guides) to combat mental health problems, such as stress, grief and anxiety, in both languages. Among the different practical activities it has, the following stand out:

• Mind and body practices
• Tips for keeping a diary
• Sound journeys and guided meditation

Although this is Balvin's greatest contribution to mental health, it is important to highlight his participation with the guru of new age medicine, Deepak Chopra, in a 21-day meditation series in Spanish and English.

Likewise, the reggaetonero presented this year the Peacock docuseries “Healthy People,” in which celebrities will share their own mental health challenges and coping strategies.

“Oye is designed for anyone who wants to feel better emotionally, physically, and socially with a special emphasis on bilingual young adults. Feeling better starts with exploring how you feel, so we want to give members a safe space to open up and connect with their full range of feelings. With this app, people can begin to normalize control of themselves every day through emotional wellness check-ins and guided wellness practices that help people work through emotions in the safety of their own home,” highlighted Mario Chamorro.

“We hope that the classes we provide in our app will be the starting point for everyone who wants to feel better and start a journey of transformation. We also hope it will become a companion that they constantly return to for an emotional check-up and share their progress with their friends and family,” said Sierra.

You can now sign up for a year of free membership. The official release of “Oye” is expected to take place in September 2022.