Latin Music Sees Continued Rise of Alternativa in 2009

Eugene Hütz, the frontman for Gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello was explaining  in an interview a few weeks ago why he believes the sound his band creates should be judged on its own terms.

“For me, it was always known that Gypsy music can become a very much appreciated subculture. It was always marginalized in this World Music kind of marketing and all these things I can’t stand really. It was basically locked up all these years, when in its spirit it was just basically rock ‘n’ roll.”

I think that, to some extent, the same thing happens to Latin music in the U.S. Take the album Buena Vista Social Club, por ejemplo. It was extremely popular and even made into a documentary, but once the excitement faded the Cuban music that drove it was returned to its “World music box.”

Latin Music Genre Is Expanding. But cross-over phenoms such as Shakira and Nelly Fertado along with the burgeoning Hispanic population in the U.S. suggest that this is starting to change. The Latin music genre is likely to win over even more converts in the coming years as it expands to include different sounds like hip hop and indie alternative acts.

For me, alternativa has transformed Latin music from something I used to improve my Spanish comprehension to music I enjoy.

The rise of indie alternative Latin music acts continued in 2009. The result is “the growth of a subgenre once limited to rock en español and populated solely by a few established artists,” the Dallas Music Blog observed.

Best of 2009. Below is the Dallas Music Blog’s list of the top Latin albums in 2009:

• Beastia by Hello Seahorse! My favorite song from this Mexico City-based band is Won’t Say Anything.
• Excuse Me by Da’Zoo. This foursome from Puerto Rico has  urban, pop, and electronica sounds.
• Baionarena by Manu Chao. A bit “World Music-ish,” but can produce intricate sounds with his guitar.
• Fun Machine by CuCu Diamentes. Formerly with Yerba Buena, the Latina songtress broke out on her own to rave reviews. The Washington Post described her solo effort as “sassy, classy party music, with a little less hip-hop than you’d find on a YB album, a little more trip-hop and cumbia, a touch or two of Latin balladeering, and a dose of high energy.”
• Comercial by Los Amigos Invisibles. This “Venezuelan sextet has been combining elements of funk, disco and jazz with Latin sounds to create a unique and groovy sound,” NPR says.
• Paraiso Express by Alejandro Sanz. For the title track, he teams up with Alicia Keys. A bit top 40ish.
• El Arte de la Elegancia de LFC by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. The Creative Loafing Blog describes LFC as “strum rock infused with congas and a horn section. It works.”
• Soy Sauce by Mexican Institute of Sound. This one-man band with a big name serves up an eclectic mix by blending mariachi and horns with electronica, new wave, rock, and hip hop.
• La Revolucion by Wisin y Yandel. Sounds like Calle 13. This is a good thing or bad thing depending on taste.
• The Last by Aventura. Has a main-stream pop radio sound. Seems to fit right in with Lady Gaga and the rest of the popular crowd.

Special thanks to Neil Hohmann for pointing me to the Dallas Music Blog post on his Ritmo Latino Facebook fan page.

For a couple of Latin music guilty pleasures, check out this post by Midwesterner in Mexico.  This Mexico City-based blog is full of funny pictures and quirky insights about the D.F.

Have any good Latin Music tunes to recommend?