So we’ve got a little bit of Hispanic Heritage Month left and I figured it’s time to feed the people. Something that may not be apparent when you first venture into Latin music is the sheer variety. When I first started listening I thought we had mariachi and then . . . other stuff?

Now I’ve got a couple years of active listening under my belt. Turns out we have a buffet’s worth. So if you are lost or just looking for new songs I want to give some recommendations in several genres. Bon appétit!

Tex-Mex/Cumbia – Si Una Vez by Selena

Selena is a classic through and through. This is one of my favorites by her, mostly because her version of cumbia and regional Mexican mixed together was so unique. Mexicans were like “I don’t think you can mix the two.” Imagine if she had listened!

Reggaeton/Cumbia – Pinta by L-Gante

L-Gante is a new face in the Argentinian rap scene. He tends to do a lot of cumbia inspired raps, which I think is an original way of bringing back what our grandparents used to listen to. Cumbia is cool again!

Rock en Español – Bolero Falaz by Los Aterciopelados

Los Aterciopelados is one of the better known rock bands to have a woman in the crew, which is unfortunate since women know how to rock out (shout out to all of the punk pop coming out lately). However, this is more on the chill rock side.

Rap/Tango – Argentina by Trueno

Fusion music is just the best. Just like the L-Gante song, this song mixes an old genre with something rather recent to mainstream music. It’s important to represent our roots while still making music relevant to today.

Regional Mexican – Está Dañada by Ivan Cornejo

I grew up believing that the only Mexican music sounded like Vincente Fernandez or Lola Beltrán. About a year ago I started to listen to sireños like this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love mariachi, but if you’re not into bold, brassy mariachi, give this a try.

Salsa – Pa’ Bravo Yo by Justo Betancourt

This song by Betancourt is a bold declaration of pride in his African roots. Another great song of his is Delerio de Grandeza which Rosalía just sampled on her last album.

Flamenco – Soy Gitano by Camaron de la Isla

Camaron de la Isla essentially brought back flamenco in the 90s. He is the original Rosalía. His vocal runs are just crazy. In this track he is singing along to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but I also recommend listening to the original.

Bachata – Bobo by C. Tangana and Luis Segura

El Madrileño which is C.Tangana’s latest album is an experimental exploration of latin music. So many genres are mixed and revitalized. I especially like the deluxe album he just released called La Sobremesa. If you are wanting to get acquainted with latin music, this is the album for you!

I hope you enjoyed getting a taste of each of these genres. These picks are really just a drop in the bucket. There is so much out there when it comes to Latin music, and hopefully you have a new favorite to listen to!