How to Find and Enjoy Top Latin Music in the U.S.

Listening to Spanish-language music is one of the ways I enjoy Latin America here at home in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. With my car radio tuned into the local Latin station, I can pretend to be driving down the streets of Buenos Aires.

I became interested in Latin music soon after I started taking Spanish lessons a few years ago. It was one more way to immerse myself in the language and gain a better understanding of the culture.

The Spanish radio stations here tend to have limited play lists, so I mostly rely on podcasts for my music fix. I like the Ritmo Latino podcast the best.

The podcast’s creator,  Neil Hoemann, plays a wide variety of Latin music including “salsa, bachata, cumbia, samba, merengue, electronica, alternative, y disco-funk.” While some of these styles might be an acquired taste, each podcast is an enjoyable collection. I often listen to each podcast several times.

There are so many styles of Latin music, that chances are there is something out there that resembles the English-language music style you like. I’m a big fan of alternative music and have been impressed with the number of high-quality Latin groups out there. Many times I can detect influences from some of the English bands I loved in the 80s.

With the world headed toward increasing globalization, it’s time that Americans developed a taste for music from other cultures. Spanish-speaking countries have enjoyed English-speaking groups for a long time now. Among the groups they enjoy is Radiohead, which during a few weeks in March will  perform in cities such as Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Santiago.

The good news is that you don’t need to develop this appreciation out of some sense of duty, but because the music is enjoyable.

Here are some of my favorite artists and songs from 2008:

Travelojos Music: Top Spanish language picks from 2008

• Chetes. From Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico his second album Efecto Domino, features a great song by the same name.  His voice reminds me a little bit of Belle and Sebastion. Click here for a listen (use the audio file in the upper right-hand corner and not the You-Tube video).
• Cineplexx. Living in Barcelona and born in Argentina, Sebastian Litmanovich aka Cineplexx released the album Picnic in 2008, which includes the song A Mi Lado.
• Los Aterciopelados. From Columbia, Aterciopelados is one of the top groups out of Latin America. The lead singer has a beautiful voice. In 2008 they released the album Rio. This song by the same name is typical of their style.
• Buika. This Afro-Spanish singer has a beautiful, soothing voice. She sounds a little bit like Sade. Her 2008 song La falsa moneda is worth a listen.
  
• Hello Sea Horse. This four-member band from Mexico sings many of their songs in English. In fact, if I didn’t know better I would say they were part of yet another “British invasion.”  Hoy a Las Ocho, their 2008 album, includes “Won’t Say Anything”

Here is a You Tube video of Hello Sea Horse’s “Won’t Say Anything.”