El Paso singer welcomed home after making it to finals of ‘La Voz’

El Paso singer Ryan Gonzalez’s journey on “La Voz”, Mexico’s version of the television show “The Voice”, came to an end on Sunday.

Gonzalez was a finalist on the show, and on Monday he was welcomed home by family and friends at El Paso International Airport.

“El Paso, I love you so much, and I didn’t realize it until I had left you for awhile,” the 25-year-old said. “I gained a lot of fans and a lot of following in Mexico — people from all over Mexico and South America. But, there was always a lot of people from here, from home.”

Gonzalez is a graduate of Del Valle High School. He said he began singing when he was a young boy at church. At first, he said he didn’t like it.

“[It was] against my will. It was my parents’ doing. They used to make me sing at church for presentations,” Gonzalez said. “It paid off a lot. a hobby might turn into something like a career so that’s something to look forward to.”

Gonzalez first sent his audition tape to the show in July.

“I submitted a video. I didn’t go physically anywhere, just submitted a video online,” Gonzalez said. “A couple of weeks later they called me. I went to go do my blind audition, and I kept on going on and on to the next stages of the competition.”

Reggaeton artist Maluma, who was a judge/coach on the show, ended up choosing Gonzalez to be on his team.

“His biggest suggestion to me was to take advantage of the fact that you have a platform where millions of people will be watching you. With the kind of exposure you’ll get — the last thing you’ll want to do is be stiff on camera,” Gonzalez said. “You have to take advantage of the moment.”

Gonzalez’s mother, Debbie Madrid, said she was ecstatic to see her son succeed in what he’s passionate about.

“It’s a feeling, I can’t explain it. I can’t describe it. It doesn’t seem real,” Madrid said. “It’s overwhelming and I’m so very proud of him.”

Gonzalez’s older brother Michael said Ryan has gone a long way.

“I watched him do a lot of coffee shops for just our family. I watched him do a lot of shows where four people, or five people showed up. He still sang his heart our for two hours. It was fun to see him get a break,” Michael said.

Gonzalez said he’s got a couple of gigs lined up in Mexico, and has made a lot of contacts during his time on the show. His message to those who are looking to follow in his footsteps his simple.

“Keep on doing what it is that you want to do, what you have a passion for, what you love — regardless of what everybody says,” Gonzalez said.