This story first appeared in CityView magazine’s September 2026 edition.
September has a unique way of inviting us to look backward and forward at the same time. As communities across the country celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are reminded not only of where we come from, but also of the stories we continue to create every day.
Cultural heritage does not live solely in history books, official proclamations, or annual celebrations. It lives in the traditions we preserve, the meals we share around the table, the memories passed from one generation to the next and, perhaps most powerfully, in music.
Some songs are simply heard. Others seem to carry pieces of our lives within them. A familiar melody can awaken memories we thought had faded long ago. A family gathering. A childhood street. The voice of someone we love. A moment suspended in time, waiting patiently to be remembered.
Jimmy Román understands this deeply.
Originally from Puerto Rico and a longtime resident of Fayetteville, Román has emerged as a distinctive voice in tropical Latin music. An independent singer-songwriter, he blends the soulful traditions of salsa, bachata, and merengue with the contemporary sounds shaping today’s global Latin movement. His artistry stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation, honoring the rhythms that shaped him while embracing the possibilities of a new generation.
Yet for Román, music has always been about much more than entertainment.
“Music has been with me my entire life,” he shares. “It’s a way of remembering who I am and where I come from. Even when you’re far from your homeland, your roots never leave you. There are songs that can instantly take you back to moments that shaped your life. You hear a melody and suddenly you remember your family, the smell of a meal prepared at home, or the joy of a celebration from years ago. Music has this incredible ability to keep those memories alive.”
That connection to memory and identity runs through every aspect of his work.
On June 11, Román released Acaricio, an album that marks an important milestone in his artistic journey. More than a collection of songs, the project reflects years of experiences, emotions, and personal growth. Through its melodies and lyrics, Acaricio explores themes of love, longing, connection, and resilience—feelings that resonate across cultures and generations.
“Acaricio is a very personal project for me,” Román explained. “Every song carries a story. Some come from experiences I’ve lived, others from conversations, people I’ve met, or moments that left an impression on me. When I write, I try to do it honestly. My hope is that listeners find something of themselves in the music. Maybe a memory, an emotion, or a piece of their own story.”
Speaking with Román quickly reveals his relationship with music is deeply rooted in human connection.
Over the years, he witnessed how a single song can transform an entire room. He witnessed it at community festivals, family celebrations, cultural events, and local performances where people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences suddenly found themselves sharing the same energy.
When he describes those moments, there is still a sense of wonder in his voice.
“The most beautiful part doesn’t happen on the stage,” he said with a smile. “It happens among the people. I’ve seen individuals arrive carrying stress, worries, and the weight of everyday life. Then, a few songs later, they’re laughing, dancing, and connecting with people around them. I’ve seen young people discover the music their grandparents loved. I’ve watched complete strangers become friends in the space of a single evening. When the music begins, many of the barriers we carry simply disappear. For a little while, everyone speaks the same language.”
Perhaps that ability to create connection explains why music plays such an important role in the immigrant experience.
For those who have left behind a country, a city, or a chapter of their lives, certain songs become a portable form of home. They travel with us when everything else changes. They comfort us during moments of nostalgia. They remind us who we are when we find ourselves living between different worlds.
Román understands that experience both personally and through the stories he encounters within the Latino community.
“I’ve seen people moved to tears by a song that reminded them of their family,” he said. “It’s incredibly powerful. Music reaches places where words sometimes cannot. It helps us feel close to the people we love, even when they’re far away. It reminds us that we’re part of something larger than ourselves.”
In a world that often moves too fast, art continues to offer something essential: the opportunity to pause, feel, and reconnect.
That is why spaces like ArtsXL in downtown Fayetteville represent such an important contribution to our community. By opening their doors to local artists, creators, and emerging voices, they help strengthen a cultural ecosystem where stories can be shared, celebrated, and preserved. They recognize that art is not a luxury. It is a human necessity that helps us understand one another and build stronger communities.
Román sees that same purpose in every performance he gives.
“I don’t think of music as something I do only for myself,” he said. “I think of it as something meant to be shared. When someone tells me a song reminded them of their family, helped them through a difficult moment, or simply made them smile, that’s when everything makes sense. That’s where the real connection happens.”
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, stories like Román’s remind us that culture is never static and never confined to the past. It evolves with every generation, adapts through every experience, and continues to find new ways to express itself without losing its essence.
It reveals itself in a song passed from one generation to the next, in an artist who transforms memories into melodies, and in a community that finds reasons to gather, dance, and celebrate its shared story.
And it lives in people like Jimmy Román, whose music was born in Puerto Rico, flourishes in Fayetteville, and continues to build bridges between memories, emotions, and generations.
Some songs accompany a moment, and others stay with us for a lifetime.
They remind us where we come from, who we are, and why our stories deserve to be remembered and shared. And perhaps that is the greatest gift music can offer, not simply entertainment, but the feeling of belonging.
