INTERVIEW: Msb Mario el Niño de la Pili

Spanish artist Msb Mario El Niño de la Pili has built his creative world in the spaces between disciplines. Hailing from Barcelona’s underground scene as a writer and spoken word artist, his work combines poetry with an expansive range of musical styles that includes rock, pop, techno, reggaeton and hip hop. The thing that connects these seemingly disparate influences is a steadfast mission of storytelling and candid writing, creating performances where words remain at the centre while music provides the momentum that carries them forward.

Over recent years, Mario has become an increasingly visible presence across Barcelona’s live circuit; during the summer alone, he delivered twenty-five performances throughout the region, appearing at venues including Pacha Barcelona, City Hall, Apolo Bar and Hotel Ocean Drive Barcelona. Those appearances have helped establish him as a unique figure within the country’s underground cultural sphere, while his reach extends far beyond the stage. With five million views on his YouTube channel, Mario has become the most viewed spoken word artist and writer in history, a remarkable achievement for a project based so firmly in poetry.

Yet statistics only tell part of the story and the way he approaches spoken word not as a static literary form, but as something alive and kinetic. His performances flicker between recital and concert, bringing together poetry, live instrumentation and performance flair into an engaging experience. The project exists somewhere between spoken word, flamenco, Latin rhythms and alternative rock, with an intensely lyric-driven style shaped by expressive delivery and a knack for exposing emotion. Accompanied by both electric and Spanish guitars, Mario creates a sound that draws on Iberian cultural traditions while channelling the energy of modern live music.

The live show, titled “El Niño de la Pili,” revolves around the fusion of poetry and music, with each rhythmic poem exploring themes such as loneliness, depression and love. These are subjects approached not as abstract concepts but as real experiences, presented with a directness that encourages genuine engagement from listeners. Combined with Mario’s visual presentation, stage presence and magnetic dynamism, the performances become more than a sequence of songs or poems, they become shared emotional spaces where artist and audience meet on common ground.

Part of the appeal lies in the unpredictability of the experience itself and while speaking before a performance at The Cluny in Newcastle, Mario reflected on the instinctive nature of his live work, describing a process where structure often takes a back seat and every show plays out differently. That flexibility allows each performance to develop its own identity, ensuring that no two nights take shape in exactly the same way.

This conversation also revealed the broader influences shaping his work where Mario speaks openly about his origins, the importance of poetry as a creative pillar and the influence of his family on his artistic outlook. At the same time, he acknowledges the ways his sound continues to develop, particularly through the increasing presence of reggaeton rhythms within more recent material.

Beyond music, Mario has also addressed more personal topics, including his sexuality and the media attention surrounding controversies reported in the press over recent months. His willingness to engage with these subjects reflects an understanding of the unpredictable nature of public perception and the complexities that come with artistic visibility.

As his profile continues to grow, so too does the scale of his ambitions and with an expanding schedule of UK performances and further international opportunities on the horizon, Mario appears to be entering an exciting chapter defined by reinvention and creative momentum. Through “El Niño de la Pili,” he continues to prove that spoken word can be as powerful, immersive and emotionally charged as any full-band performance, creating work that leaves a lasting impression with everyone who sees this pioneering artist live.