Tony Succar's Biography: the Peruvian who won a Grammy

There are few cases in Latin music like Tony Succar's: a Peruvian who learned to play the cajón at three, trained in jazz in the United States and ended up sharing a Grammy with his own mother. In 2026, with two Latin Grammys and a Grammy in his cabinet, he remains one of the Peruvian musicians with the greatest international reach. This is his story.

Who is Tony Succar?

Tony Succar, whose full name is Antonio Guillermo Succar Sakaguchi, is a Peruvian percussionist, composer, arranger and producer born on May 18, 1986 in Lima. He is known for winning two Latin Grammys in 2019 and a Grammy in 2025, the latter with his mother, the singer Mimy Succar. In 2026 he remains active with new musical projects.

Tony Succar at a glance

Tony Succar's childhood and early years

Antonio Guillermo Succar was born in Lima into a family of musicians: his father, Antonio F. Succar, is a pianist, and his mother, Miriam Tayrako Sakaguchi, known artistically as Mimy Succar, is a renowned Peruvian singer of Japanese descent. He has an older sister, Claudia, and a younger brother, Brian Kenyi, also devoted to music as an artist and producer.

When he was barely two, his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Miami, Florida, a city where he grew up surrounded by the Latin music scene and the Peruvian cajón, an instrument he began playing at three, following his home's musical tradition. At 13 he was already part of his parents' band, an early experience that gave him stage practice even before finishing school.

His academic training reinforced that family base: he obtained a bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance (2008) and a master's degree (2010), both at the School of Music of Florida International University (FIU), which gave him theoretical tools to combine the salsa tradition with more sophisticated jazz arrangements.

Tony Succar's professional career

Tony Succar's career has been built on fusion: salsa, Latin jazz and tropical music, with arrangements that seek to build bridges between tradition and innovation. In 2015 he founded the project "Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson", a tribute to Michael Jackson reinterpreted in a salsa key that became one of his most internationally recognised works.

His breakthrough came at the Latin Grammy of 2019, where he took two awards: Best Salsa Album and Producer of the Year, a double that confirmed his place among the most respected producers of the tropical genre in the United States and Latin America. Years later, in 2025, he reached another historic milestone by winning the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album with his mother, Mimy Succar, for the live album Alma, Corazón, y Salsa, recorded at the Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima.

Main milestones of his career:

• 2007: he takes his first steps as a professional producer and arranger.
• 2008 and 2010: he obtains his bachelor's and master's degrees in Jazz Performance at FIU.
• 2015: he releases "Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson".
• 2019: he wins two Latin Grammys (Best Salsa Album and Producer of the Year).
• 2020: he releases the album Mestizo.
• 2023: he releases the collaborative album Mimy & Tony with his mother.
• 2025: he wins the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album with Alma, Corazón, y Salsa.
• 2026: he prepares the release of his new album Asuccar.

Tony Succar's notable discography

Tony Succar's personal life

Tony Succar is in a relationship with the American Lauren Christine, with whom he became a father; the arrival of his daughter was announced by the musician himself through Instagram in January 2022. The Succar family is, in itself, a musical clan: his mother Mimy Succar is one of the most respected Peruvian singers of the tropical genre, and his brother Brian Kenyi is also devoted to music production, so music runs through several generations of the family.

His professional bond with his mother has also been one of the most celebrated threads of his recent career: the album Mimy & Tony (2023) and the later shared Grammy in 2025 turned them both into a reference point for family collaboration within Latin music.

Fun facts about Tony Succar

• He started playing the Peruvian cajón at three, following his family's musical tradition.
• At 13 he was already part of his parents' band, before moving fully into professional life.
• He is the son of the singer Mimy Succar, with whom he won his first Grammy in 2025, not her brother as some assume because of their artistic closeness.
• His tribute to Michael Jackson in a salsa key, "Unity", became one of his most listened-to projects outside Peru.
• He has formal academic training in jazz, master's degree included, something uncommon among salsa producers.
• His younger brother, Brian Kenyi, is also devoted to music, which makes the Succars a family of several generations of artists.

Tony Succar in 2026

In 2026, Tony Succar arrives as a current Grammy winner after the triumph shared with his mother in 2025, and he is preparing for the release of his new album Asuccar, which continues his exploration of salsa and tropical music from a modern perspective. His presence on social media, especially on Instagram, remains the channel where he shares previews of his music and moments with his family.

As part of one of the most recognised Peruvian musical dynasties in the United States, Succar keeps his double role as producer and performer, two sides he has known how to balance over almost two decades of career.

Conclusion

From learning the cajón at three to winning a Grammy with his mother: Tony Succar's career sums up the strength of Peruvian music when it crosses borders. With two Latin Grammys, a Grammy and a new album on the way, he remains one of the most influential Peruvian musicians on the international salsa scene. At Famosix we follow closely the Peruvian artists who succeed outside the country.

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia (English): Tony Succar
• ¡HOLA!: Tony y Mimy Succar, los primeros peruanos en obtener un Grammy
• Grammy.com: Tony Succar, Grammy Awards and Nominations, Song & Bio
• Cosas: Tony Succar, el sueño del Grammy
• RPP: Tony Succar y su esposa se convirtieron en padres