Over the last couple of decades, Latin American music has enjoyed growing global popularity, with crossover artists such as Ricky Martin (Puerto Rican) and Shakira (Colombian) leading the way by bridging the gap in mainstream music between Latin America and the rest of the world. While “Latin American” is sometimes considered a musical genre, it includes various styles, some of which have very little in common. Further, popularity of different styles varies between countries. Argentina is famous for its Tango, while Mariachi is the dominating genre in Mexico, and the majority of Reggaeton artists come from Puerto Rico. Below are some artists from eight different countries and several genres, along with a specific song recommendation for each. Otherwise unmentioned popular genres include Cumbia, Ballads, and Latin Jazz.
Music may be one of the least tedious ways to learn some new Spanish words and phrases, so pull up the lyrics and follow along! Artist (Country) -
Song Rock en Español: Fito Paez (Argentina) - 11 y 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s-LYVK2c_s
Jorge Drexler (Uruguay) - Todo se transforma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhEKpFiepM
Soda Stereo (Argentina) - Persiana Americana http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUU_iB9iH8
Andrés Calamaro (Argentina) - Mil Horas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhB-z2SDE4
Maná (Mexico) - Corazón espinado http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJyxHrCcOWk
Reggae en Español: Los Cafres (Argentina) - Mostrame como sos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlUGNdfhtMo No te va gustar (Uruguay) - Chau http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTLNe-xpF44
Cultura Profética (Puerto Rico) - Ritmo que pesa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIAA7NAf5Yw
Salsa: Marc Anthony (Puerto Rico) - Contra la corriente http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT-7scMIrLo
Rubén Blades (Panama) - Pedro Navaja http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINSsP-8szs
Buena Vista Social Club (Cuba) - Chan chan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnFfKbxIHD0
Bachata/Tropical: Fonseca (Colombia) - Arroyito http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7IQDeBNlI
Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic) - Que me des tu cariño http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCZQaFu9pn0
