Adelaido Solis’s story of talent, ambition, and the passion behind his musical rise
Adelaido "Payo" Solis III is Mexican-American, Rio Grande Valley-raised, and the lead singer of one of regional Mexican music's most unexpected success stories. He fronts Grupo Frontera, a band that went from playing quinceañeras to topping the Billboard charts in under a year. Adelaido's music success stems from his family heritage, deep cultural roots, and his ability to connect with the crowd. Speaking at Billboard Latin Music Week 2023, he said.
Our family inspired us a lot to get into this whole music thing. My dad, all my uncles, my whole family, you know, they sing. They aren't famous or well-known singers, but at every family gathering and town party, they would play the accordion, the bajo [quinto], and sing.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Solis taught himself the bajo quinto and accordion before he was ever part of a band.
- By 2019, he was building an audience independently, posting covers on YouTube with no label support.
- A chance meeting with Grupo Frontera in January 2022 changed everything. He joined straight out of high school.
- Within months, the band's cover of No Se Va went viral and landed on the Billboard Hot 100, announcing Grupo Frontera to the world.
Profile summary
Full name | Adelaido “Payo” Solis III |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 23 March 2003 |
Age | 23 years (as of 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Aries |
Place of birth | Rio Grande Valley, Texas, United States |
Current residence | McAllen, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Hispanic |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in feet | 5’10” |
Height in centimetres | 178 |
Weight in pounds | 165 |
Weight in kilograms | 75 |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Brown |
Mother | Norma Solis |
Father | Payo Solis II |
Siblings | 2 |
Relationship status | Married |
Profession | Singer |
Who is Adelaido Solis?
The singer was born to Norma Solis and Payo Solis II. He is the eldest child and has two younger sisters. Adelaido hails from a musical family, where his dad and all his uncles sing.
He recalled singing in the car with his father and his uncles playing banjos at family gatherings. Since his nickname is Payo, the singer has been commonly referred to as Payo Frontera since joining the band. In a panel interview at Billboard Latin Music Week 2023, he recalled his father's influence.
From a very young age, especially in the car or the truck with my dad, those are the oldest memories I have. With my dad in the truck, he would always play songs, and I would learn them after listening to them for a long time, you know? And then, just like that, out of nowhere, I started singing.
How old is Adelaido Payo Solis from Grupo Frontera?
Adelaido "Payo" Solis III's age is 23 as of 2026. The American singer was born on 23 March 2003 in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. His zodiac sign is Aries.
Source: Original
Career
Music was never a distant dream for Adelaido "Payo" Solis III. His father, Payo Solís II, and his uncles were accomplished musicians who frequently entertained within the family circle with songs and instruments. Before he ever thought about a career, he was already absorbing the rhythms of regional Mexican music at family gatherings and in the car. That environment trained him early.
By his teenage years, Solis had mastered the bajo quinto and taken up the accordion. Both instruments are deeply rooted in the norteño tradition he grew up hearing. In 2019, he began posting singing videos on YouTube. No label. No backing. Just talent and consistency. In May of that year, he posted a video covering Jennifer Lopez's Me Haces Falta on accordion. It was an early sign that he was comfortable moving across genres.
The break came in January 2022, shortly after his high school graduation. Grupo Frontera, a regional Mexican group that played locally as a hobby, wanted Adelaido to be the voice and play the bajo quinto on their first EP. He joined. He immediately became the lead singer and bajo quinto player.
The band had started out playing quinceañeras and weddings. Its members held day jobs as a wedding photographer, a car dealership manager, and a gate repairer. Nobody predicted what came next. Grupo Frontera began posting covers on their YouTube channel.
Source: Getty Images
One of them was a rendition of No Se Va, originally by Colombian band Morat. They had rehearsed it for just 16 hours before recording. A TikTok of a couple dancing to the cover went viral. The song debuted at No. 50 on Hot Latin Songs and climbed to the top 10. By October 2022, it had crossed onto Billboard's Hot 100.
The crowd numbers told the story plainly. In May 2022, Grupo Frontera performed at a Houston nightclub to around 300 people. Three months later, the crowd had grown to 3,000.
Solis recalled the moment:
I had to take off my in-ear to listen to everyone sing with us. This was a dream come true.
Their debut album, El Comienzo ("The Beginning"), was produced by Grammy-winning producer Édgar Barrera and released on August 3, 2023. It included Un x100to with Bad Bunny and reached No. 2 on the Regional Mexican Albums Billboard chart and No. 4 on the Top Latin Albums chart. In February 2023, Morat invited Grupo Frontera to perform No Se Va together at their San Antonio concert.
In November 2023, the group signed with Noah Assad's Habibi management firm. Through all of it, they chose to stay independent.
Bandmate Juan Cantú explained:
I'm not saying that we won't ever sign with a label but for now, we're very happy this way. We want to see how far we can get as indie artists.
As bandmate Julian Peña Jr. put it, "It stopped being regional Mexican music to just Mexican music. Not just for us but for everybody that we have done collaborations with." That shift matters. Grupo Frontera did not just find success within a genre. They helped expand what that genre could reach.
Following encouragement from former manager Victor Ruiz, the band members began vlogging individually to connect directly with fans. Payo took to it quickly. As of writing, he has over 793,000 followers on TikTok. At concerts, he throws pouches of Capri Sun into the crowd. The music grew. The person behind it stayed the same.
Is Adelaido Solis married?
Adelaido Solís III, "Payo," married Mariana on July 11, 2025, in a religious ceremony in a church south of Monterrey. The wedding was held under tight security with a very exclusive guest list.
News of the wedding emerged weeks later through journalist Ramiro Cantú, who shared previously unseen images on social media. The couple then moved to a venue in the Valle Alto area for the reception, where guests were asked not to record or take photos.
FAQs
- What is Adelaido Solis’ height? He is approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 centimetres) tall.
- Who are the Grupo Frontera members? The band comprises Adelaido “Payo” Solis III, Juan Javier Cantú, Julian Peña Jr., Alberto Acosta, Carlos Guerrero, and Brian Ortega.
- What ethnicity is Grupo Frontera? It is a Mexican-American band from Edinburg, Texas, whose members have Mexican heritage and are proud to represent their heritage.
- Who is the lead singer for Grupo Frontera? Adelaido "Payo" Solís III holds that role. He is the voice and the bajo quinto player behind one of the fastest rising bands in regional Mexican music.
Adelaido "Payo" Solis III, despite his young age, already has a Billboard Hot 100 entry, a Bad Bunny collaboration, and a sold-out arena run to his name. None of it was planned. A viral TikTok, a chance meeting after high school, and a 16-hour rehearsal set everything in motion. What kept it going was his relentless efforts and talent backed by a lifetime of preparation.
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