Latin music has always been a global force. The catch-all term is inclusive of a vast and vibrant collection of sounds and styles emerging from the Caribbean, Central and South America, with roots in Southern Europe, Africa and the indigenous cultures of the Americas. With experimentation, freedom and diversity at its core, Latin music is celebrated for its synthesis of tradition and creativity, as well as for cultivating self-expression through movement and music alike.
In recent years, Latin music’s explosion has been propelled by the next-generation of superstars including Bad Bunny, Rosalía, Peso Pluma, Anitta, Karol G and Maluma, to name a few. However, before Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny made history as the first Spanish-language artist and first Latino solo artist to headline Coachella, artists such as Daddy Yankee, JUANES, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Maná, among others, paved the way by breaking through to the mainstream across the world.
The various styles of Latin artists have been present throughout all genres for decades, cultivating a rich cultural heritage shaped by a multitude of sub-genres and regional styles including merengue, mariachi, salsa, cumbia, samba, reggaetón, baile funk, bachata, banda, bolero, bossa nova, tango, flamenco, Latin pop, Latin jazz and more. Back in the ‘80s, we saw the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Chicano rock band Los Lobos light up the mainstream with their take on “La Bamba,” a traditional Mexican folk song. The Latin pop star Gloria Estefan ignited international charts with hits, including “Turn the Beat Around” and “Get On Your Feet.” And Celia Cruz, the late Queen of Salsa, took that genre global, selling more than 10 million records.
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, we’re highlighting the wide-ranging sounds of the Latin diaspora today, including from Isabella Lovestory, the Honduran-born pop and reggaetón singer based in Montreal, Peruvian electronic DJ and producer Sofia Kourtesis (who now calls Berlin home), Argentina’s DILLOM, who fuses his punk roots with hip-hop. From Puerto Rican rapper and singer Young Miko and Camila Guevara, who hails from Cuba’s capital, to Mexican innovator Sabino and French-born Chilean artist Ana Tijoux, we’ve put together a collection of songs celebrating the modern Latin artists who are pushing the spectrum of genres forward.
LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF THE LATIN DIASPORA PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
Young Miko - arcoíris
The hot new Puerto Rican rapper and singer just released her debut album earlier this year.
Camila Guevara - Cómo Arde
Brand new track, a teaser for their forthcoming debut album, from this newcomer from Havana
Sabino - Charmeleon
Pokémon-themed track from the Mexican innovator behind the “Sab-hop” mashup style
Ana Tijoux - Millonaria
Born in France to Chilean parents living in exile, she began her career with the hip-hop group Makiza
DILLOM - DUDADE
This youthful native of Buenos Aires is closely associated with the so-called “second wave of Argentine trap”
Kapo - Ohnana
From Colombia, the vocalist Juan David Loaiza Supulveda launched his career in 2019.
Young Miko - ID
The Puerto Rican rapper teamed with the reggaeton duo Jowell y Randy for this 2023 track.
Sophie Castillo- Ojos Lindos
“Love me, tell me that I’m the one,” sings the “dark pop” artist before segueing into her native Spanish.
YEИDRY - Veinte Años
Now 31, Yendry Cony Fiorentinto first found success as a contestant on ‘X Factor Italy’ in 2012
DILLOM - Muñecas
Featuring a prominent sample from ‘Arrested Development,’ this recent track from the Argentine rapper has a dark theme
Isabella Lovestory - Latina
Her style of Latin pop is sometimes called perreo, which is how the Honduras-born Lovestory’s music came to be known as “perreo-pop”
Chris Lebron - Loco
Born and raised near Santo Domingo, Lebron’s interest in the arts began with a love of photography.
Monsieur Periné - Cumbia Valiente
This Bogota-based band was named Best New Artist at the Latin Grammys in 2015
Sofia Kourtesis - Si Te Portas Bonito (Edit)
Originally from Peru, she’s based in Berlin, where the producer has been taking full advantage of the robust club life
Alex Anwandter - Prediciendo la ruina
From Chile, this singer-songwriter came to prominence with the popular band Teleradio Donoso in the late 2000s
HUMBE - 17
This Mexican singer-songwriter was nominated in the Latin Grammys’ Best New Artist category in 2021
Boza - Ocean
While still in his teens, Humberto Ceballos Boza found fame in his native Panama with his hit single, “Bandolera”
GALE - La Última
Born into a family of musicians in Puerto Rico, Carolina Isabel Colon Juarbe wrote her first song at age eight
The Red Pears - Spanish Song
From east of LA, this group combines the indie rock of the early 2000s with the cumbia and corridos they grew up with in their neighborhood
Marc Seguí - MARIPOSAS
There are hints of disco and ‘80s pop in the brightly-colored music of this emerging Spanish pop star
Pol Granch - Desconexión (feat. GARABATTO)
He rose to fame as the winning contestant on the third season of the Spanish ‘X Factor’
Young Miko - wiggy
Ever since her ‘Trap Kitty’ EP put her on the map, the Puerto Rican rapper has been enjoying the attention of some of Latin music’s biggest stars, including Camila Cabello and Bad Bunny.
LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF THE LATIN DIASPORA PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
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