Latin Music

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We promised you all that we would talk about several types of music genres and as you can see, we have stuck to our promise! Thus far we have covered genres such as country, hip-hop, R&B and Pop, and we are only getting started. Today we are going to talk about the music that gets the party going, the music that gets your hips swaying in directions you didn’t even know were possible, the music that ignites the “fire” from within. If you are thinking to yourself that this post is about Latin music, then you are correct! The term “Latin music” is one that originated in the United States in the 1950’s due to the rise of hispanic music at the time. Since then, Latin music has developed from a simple “term” into its own genre of music and has seen a huge rise in popularity throughout the world. There are a variety of subgenres within the Latin music genre itself such as Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaetón, Rancheras etc., and each sub genre is unique depending on which Latin American country it originates from. For the sake of this post we will not dive into each sub genre and talk about their ins and outs, instead we will talk about the Latin songs that really get the party going, from the classics to the hot songs of today!

How many times can you recall where you have attended some type of party or social gathering where music was involved and out of nowhere you hear “SUUUUAVEMENTE BEESAME”? There is something about the iconic song “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo that is guaranteed to get people out of their chairs and onto the dance floor since it came out in 1998. Almost twenty years later, “Suavemente” still delivers for DJs when they really want to get the party going. There have not been many Latin songs to have such an impact as “Suavemente” has had,  until 2010 when “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar was released. The two songs are generally played back to back to keep the party going and full of energy. “Suavemente” is definitely considered a classic and “Danza Kuduro” without a doubt will also be considered a classic in the near future.

We have talked about two iconic mainstream songs that have given the Latin music a tremendous growth throughout the world, but there are songs I feel did not gain the same level of popularity only because they were released in a time before music was so easily accessed around the world. Songs like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” by Selena Quintanilla is a classic Cumbia song that everyone in the Latin community knows about, along with “Mil Horas” by Sonora Dinamita, and “El Liston De Tu Pelo” by Los Angeles Azules. Then there are those songs that do not necessarily make you want to dance but rather make you want to sing along with passion in absolute unison with the crowd such as “El Rey” by Jose Alfredo Jimenez, “Tragos de Amargo Liquor” by Ramon Ayala or “Hermoso Carino” by Vicente Fernandez. I personally, have been to big Latin events where they have played one of those classic singing songs, and have witnessed first hand how the entire stadium sings together in unison, which is a reminder of how grand these songs have become over the years.

It does not matter what your race or background is, Latin music has a way of getting the best out of people and ignite a passion in all of us that we can all relate to. If you have not been to a quinceanera, wedding, or club in a while where they play Latin music, it may be time to revisit one of these places to let that Latin flare within you out once again! But if you do not have time here are 10 of my favorite Latin songs that you should check out :

1. Suavemente by Elvis Crespo
2. Despacito by Luis Fonsi
3. Danza Kuduro by Don Omar
4. Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena Quintanilla
5. Mil Horas by Sonora Dinamita
6. Reggaeton Lento by CNCO
7. Bailando by Enrique Iglesias
8. Ginza by J Balvin
9. El Rey by Jose Alfredo Jimenez
10. Tragos de Amargo Liquor by Ramon Ayala