Kali Uchis Ethnicity, Race & Heritage: Is She Mixed Race? Full Background Explained

Quick answer: Kali Uchis is biracial — her father is Colombian (of Spanish Castilian and Basque descent) and her mother is American of English, German, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. She was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and spent part of her childhood in Pereira, Colombia.

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Is Kali Uchis Mixed Race? Is She Biracial?

Yes — Kali Uchis is mixed race. Her father, Kiolkuin Loaiza, is Colombian, and her mother is American of northern European descent (English, German, Welsh, Scottish, Irish). This Colombian-American mix is central to her public identity and her music, which moves fluidly between English and Spanish.

Her biracial background is reflected throughout her discography. She has described growing up between two countries and two cultures as formative — spending summers in Pereira, Colombia with her father while living in Virginia during the school year.

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What Is Kali Uchis's Ethnicity?

Kali Uchis is of Colombian and Northern European ethnicity. On her father's side she draws from Colombian heritage that traces back to Spanish Castilian and Basque roots. On her mother's side, her ancestry is English, German, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish — all originating from families long-settled in northern Virginia. EthniCelebs notes that the surname Loaiza is Basque in origin.

She is not Mexican. Her Colombian father moved from Pereira, Colombia to the United States, where Kali was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1994.

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Father's Side: Colombian Roots

Kali's father, Kiolkuin Loaiza, was born in Pereira, Colombia. He relocated to the United States and later returned to Colombia when Kali was in high school. The surname Loaiza is of Basque origin, evidence of the Spanish colonial heritage woven into Colombian families.

Kali's paternal grandfather was Bernardo Loaiza Rincón, son of Jesús María Loaiza Parra and Hermilda Rincón. Her paternal grandmother was Luz Marina Gomez Ocampo, daughter of Moisés Gómez Arias and Belarmina Ocampo — both families from the Andean coffee-growing region of Colombia.

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Mother's Side: Northern European Heritage

Kali's mother is American, of English, German, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish descent — families rooted in northern Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region for generations.

Her maternal grandfather was Allan Lee Boteler, born in Alexandria, Virginia, whose own father George Zackary Boteler was born in Washington, D.C. (with a German grandfather). Her maternal grandmother is Joyce Anne Burroughs, also born in Alexandria, Virginia, daughter of John Mitchell Burroughs and Helen Louise Butler.

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Grandparents: A Complete Picture

Bernardo Loaiza Rincón (paternal grandfather) — Colombian, from the Antioquia/Risaralda region. Luz Marina Gomez Ocampo (paternal grandmother) — Colombian, from the Pereira area. Allan Lee Boteler (maternal grandfather) — American (English, German, Welsh/Scottish/Irish), born Alexandria, Virginia. Joyce Anne Burroughs (maternal grandmother) — American (English, Irish, Scottish), born Alexandria, Virginia.

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Spouse's Ethnicity & Children's Heritage

Kali Uchis has been in a relationship with rapper and singer Don Toliver (born Caleb Zackary Toliver) since 2020. Toliver is African-American, from Houston, Texas. Together they welcomed a son on March 16, 2024 — their child carries Colombian, Northern European, and African-American heritage.

Kali Uchis with partner Don Toliver.

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Kali Uchis in Her Own Words

"I've always gone back and forth between Colombia and here. Everything about Colombia — the people, the food, the music — it's in me." — Kali Uchis, Rolling Stone, 2018

She has spoken extensively about the dual-culture upbringing that defines her artistry — making albums in both English and Spanish as a deliberate refusal to choose between her two identities. Her 2020 Spanish-language album Sin Miedo and 2024's Orquídeas are direct expressions of her Colombian side.

▶ Watch on YouTube →

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Is Kali Uchis Alive?

Yes. Kali Uchis is alive and active as of 2026. She is 31 years old. She completed her Sincerely, Tour in 2025 in support of her fifth studio album Sincerely and continues to release music in both English and Spanish.

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Nationality vs. Ethnicity

Kali Uchis is an American national — she was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and holds U.S. citizenship. Her ethnicity is a mix of Colombian (paternal) and Northern European/American (maternal). Nationality refers to citizenship; ethnicity refers to cultural and ancestral heritage. She is not Mexican, despite the question appearing frequently in search results.

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Visual Family Tree

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Sources

Interviews & Direct Quotes

• Rolling Stone — "Pop Loner Kali Uchis on Growing Up Punk in Colombia and the Struggle to Stay Bilingual" — https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/kali-uchis-isolation-colombia-interview-2018-700772/ — 2018
• Loud and Quiet — "Without a Humble Childhood in a Small City in Colombia…" — https://www.loudandquiet.com/interview/without-a-humble-childhood-in-a-small-city-in-colombia-kali-uchis-wouldn't-be-questioning-just-how-big-she-wants-to-be/ — 2015
• Billboard — "Kali Uchis Talks Motherhood, Latinidad Ahead of The Sincerely, Tour" — https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/kali-uchis-sincerely-tour-interview-1236044143/ — 2025
• Grammy.com — "Kali Uchis on Her Road to Orquídeas: A Bicultural Mindset" — https://www.grammy.com/news/kali-uchis-interview-orquideas-new-album-videos — 2024

TV Segments & Video

• Jazzys World TV — "Kali Uchis talks living in Colombia, cultural identity, new music, and motherhood" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP0vG3QRffY

Books & Biography

• N/A — No autobiography or biography confirmed.

Genealogy & Ethnicity Research

• EthniCelebs — https://et