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<title>Top Latin Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
<dateCreated>Wed Dec 02 05:58:49 PST 2009</dateCreated>
<dateModified>Wed Dec 02 05:58:49 PST 2009</dateModified>
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<outline type="include" text="Shakira" description="Latin pop diva Shakira has achieved phenomenal success and become a genuine pop icon. Born to humble beginnings in Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, she left for the capital city of Bogota as an aspiring model at age 13. Ironically it was her music that garnered attention. Singing and writing lyrics since she was 8, her first album for Sony was released when she was 14. Although sales were meager, the album helped launch her career as a soap opera actress. Then came &lt;i&gt;Pies Descalzados&lt;/i&gt; (1995), an album which showcased her bold, flexible voice and yielded a string of huge hits. Her mixture of rock ballads and Dance Pop (with an occasional tropical touch) is filtered through her image as a talented, beautiful and headstrong young woman. Departing from the traditional image of Latin American women, Shakira's music and persona aroused controversy when her multiplatinum records put her in the spotlight. Following in the footsteps of Selena, she represents a bold new Latina who will be neither obsequious nor silent. As Shakira has matured, so has her music, as demonstrated in songs such as the Arabic-inflected &quot;Ojos Asi&quot; as well as in her live performances.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/shakira/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Santana" description="Carlos Santana has been mixing blues, Afro-Cuban jazz, rock, fusion, and psychedelic guitar elements into his brand of Latin rock since the 1960s. Many of today's musicians hold Santana responsible for picking up where Ritchie Valens left off, bringing Latin sounds to the forefront of popular music. Shortly after Santana's start playing music halls of San Francisco in the liquid light-show heyday (mid-'60s), his eclectic band found itself at the first Woodstock festival, playing one of its most memorable performances. The band has undergone many lineup changes since, but Carlos Santana continues to radiate global soul, playing new material as well as the hits that brought him acclaim back in the day of the longhairs.
- Eric Shea" category="Classic Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/68579/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Pitbull" description="Repping for the oft-neglected city of Miami, Cuban-American rapper Pitbull hit the scene in the summer of 2004, finding big success with his Lil Jon collabo single &quot;Culo.&quot; With a potent mix of crunked-out production, sex-fiend lyrics and Hispanic pride, his debut LP &lt;I&gt;M.I.A.M.I.&lt;/I&gt; (Money Is A Major Issue) catapulted the young emcee into rap stardom, especially in the South and among Latinos. With releases like &lt;I&gt;El Mariel&lt;/I&gt; and &lt;I&gt;The Boatlift&lt;/I&gt;, he has continued making songs with insightful social commentary while proving his ability to move the masses with his club anthems.
- Brolin Winning" category="Southern Rap/Hip-Hop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/pitbull/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Enrique Iglesias" description="As the son of Julio Iglesias -- perhaps the most famous singer in the Spanish-speaking world -- Enrique was born to stardom. He recorded his demo tape under a false name, not wanting to be seen as the son of Julio, but the relationship was ultimately a factor in the blockbuster success of his first record in 1995. Possessing a strong natural voice that is well suited to both romantic and dance material, he sings confidently in Spanish and English. His first monster hit, the power ballad &quot;Experiencia Religiosa,&quot; topped the charts in every Spanish-speaking country. Teaming up with top writers and producers, he continued with eleven No. 1 hits in a row on the Billboard Latin charts. His song &quot;Bailamos&quot; began his crossover career, and soon after he was performing at the Superbowl. The ultimate marker of success is that three Spanish soap operas are named after his songs. Although his father is still revered, Enrique's popularity has now eclipsed his father's, as any Latina teenager can testify.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/enrique-iglesias/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Vicente Fernandez" description="Considered the king of the rancheros, Fernandez's romantic, nostalgic sound typifies old Mexico. He wields exquisite control over his voice, surging from intimacy to drama at the drop of a hat. Fernandez is heir to singers like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, but his story is also bound up with the rise of television. Born in Jalisco in 1940, Fernandez had his first brush with musical success when he won a Guadalajara singing contest. But it wasn't until he won a small role on a television show called &lt;I&gt;La Calandria Musical&lt;/i&gt; that his career really got moving. He began singing for many of the major mariachi groups of the 1950s, and famously gave an impassioned concert in Mexico City just after learning his father had died.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Ranchera" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/vicente-fernandez/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Stan Getz" description="So unique was Stan Getz's saxophone sound that his solo on &quot;Early Autumn&quot; catapulted him to stardom in 1948 (his tone was so unique that he was nicknamed &quot;The Sound&quot; and even Coltrane wished he could play like him). Getz was at first influenced by Lester Young (and he was deservedly famous for the way he played ballads) but he quickly fell under bop's spell and his disarming versatility that enabled him to shine in Swing, Cool, or Avant-Garde jazz contexts. Just as his popularity was beginning to wane in the early 1960s, he scored massive hits with his Bossa Nova work, introducing the sultry South American-derived rhythms to a global audience. Getz remained on top for the rest of his life.
- Nick Dedina" category="Cool/West Coast Jazz" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/stan-getz/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Aventura" description="Aventura are &lt;I&gt;bachata&lt;/I&gt;'s first boy band. This renegade group of Dominican American teenagers toured relentlessly through the 1990s, trying to gain acceptance for their unconventional mix of &lt;I&gt;bachata&lt;/I&gt;, hip-hop and R&amp;B. By the time 2002's &lt;I&gt;We Broke the Rules&lt;/I&gt; was released, it was clear that their transgressions would set new standards. &quot;Obsession&quot; became a huge hit, and the group continued to experiment with &lt;I&gt;bachata&lt;/I&gt;'s boundaries. Bilingual &lt;I&gt;Love and Hate&lt;/I&gt; (2007) found them moving into urban-music territory, incorporating elements of hip-hop and R&amp;B into a mix of tropical styles. Released in 2006 and 2007, respectively, &lt;I&gt;K.O.B. Live&lt;/I&gt; and &lt;I&gt;Kings of Bachata - Sold Out at Madison Square Garden&lt;/I&gt; showcased their growing stage prowess as well as their burgeoning Rolodex, thanks to cameos from Don Omar and Hector Acosta. Reggaeton beats and appearances by Akon, Wyclef Jean and Ludacris expanded Aventura's range on 2009's &lt;I&gt;The Last&lt;/I&gt;, but they never abandoned their &lt;I&gt;bachata&lt;/I&gt; roots.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Bachata" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/aventura/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Marc Anthony" description="If Ricky Martin is the Latin crossover star that wears tight leather and does Pepsi ads, Marc Anthony is the one wearing the black silk and smoking a cigarette. Anthony established himself in the '90s as a contemporary Salsa superstar, and more recently, his English crossover recordings have expanded his overall audience. Universally respected for his clear and emotional singing style, he's always brought integrity to his music whether singing a shamelessly revealing romantic ballad or cutting loose with some hot Salsa. He's a &quot;NuyoRican&quot; (Puerto Rican from New York City) whose English vocals display no accent. Now visible as a film actor as well, Anthony exudes a cool downtown New York persona, and his mix of contemporary dance ballads and salsa works easily in his hands.
- Robert Leaver" category="Salsa" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/marc-anthony/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Wisin &amp; Yandel" description="If Wisin y Yandel's &quot;Rakata&quot; wasn't replaying itself endlessly in your head at the end of 2005, it's probably because you weren't listening to the right radio station. For any lover of the genre, that spitfire track off Luny Tunes' &lt;I&gt;Mas Flow&lt;/I&gt; compilation helped permanently prop open the door that Daddy Yankee's &quot;Gasolina&quot; had kicked open in 2004. Reggaeton had become a mainstay on Latin pop radio and in some way Wisin and Yandel's story mimicked the genre's rise. Born and raised in Cayey, Puerto Rico, Llandel Veguilla and Juan Luis Morera took up rapping early; by 1998 they'd released their debut &lt;I&gt;No Fear&lt;/I&gt; with a string of compilations and releases to follow. After a greatest hits release, the duo called it quits. But fate intervened -- or their solo careers didn't take off as planned -- and they reunited for 2004's &lt;I&gt;La Mission IV en el ano 2004&lt;/I&gt;. Their timing was good -- Universal was launching its reggaeton imprint and the duo was quickly folded under Machete Music's wings.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Reggaeton" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/wisin-yandel/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Mana" description="Touring with Santana in support of &lt;i&gt;Supernatural&lt;/i&gt;, this Mexican rock band has arrived at the pinnacle of Latin Rock stardom. They've marched forward since the early '90s with a blend of pop hooks and hard riffs, shocking conservative Latinos while developing a dedicated following. Their song &quot;Se Me Olvido Otra Vez&quot; won a Latin Grammy in 2000 for Best Pop Performance.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/mana/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Julio Iglesias" description="You might think of Julio Iglesias as a love-ballad crooner for the old folks
- and indeed, you wouldn't be far off. But this crooner has one of music's
most interesting life stories. Beginning his professional life as a goalie
for Spanish soccer team Real Madrid, Iglesias became a lawyer after a car
accident left him unable to play soccer. This might have been the end of the
story, but Iglesias - who'd always played guitar and written songs - won a
music contest and was signed by Columbia Records. From there, it was just a
matter of time before Iglesias seduced Europe. He recorded hits in Spanish
and French before finally conquering North America. We all know the result:
his duet on &quot;To All the Girls I've Loved Before&quot; with Willie Nelson, and
hundreds of other gentle classics. Iglesias has recently teamed up with
Latin Pop hitmakers including Alejandro Sanz in an effort to return to that
market.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/julio-iglesias/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Gloria Estefan" description="Initially considered a Latin version of Madonna, Gloria Estefan developed from a dance diva into a respected songstress. With her husband on keyboards and in the producer's seat, Estefan's band Miami Sound Machine evolved from a wedding band to a veritable hit machine in the 1980s, composing accessible dance tunes that fused Disco with Salsa. &quot;Conga&quot; and &quot;Rhythm is Gonna Get You&quot; were chart-topping dance anthems rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythms that foreshadowed the tropical music explosion. In 1993 she released a Spanish language record, &quot;Mi Tierra (My Land),&quot; which was a mix of nostalgic ballads and contemporary Salsa. Singing in her mother tongue, Estefan's voice reached a new level of sophistication and highlighted her formidable range. Featuring a guest appearance by Celia Cruz on &quot;Alma Caribena (Latin Soul)&quot; (2000), Estefan wholeheartedly embraces her Cuban heritage with superb arrangements. Gloria and her husband Emilio can be credited with putting Miami on the musical map and reconnecting across a great divide back to their motherland -- Cuba.
- Robert Leaver" category="Dance Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/gloria-estefan/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Cypress Hill" description="Proud owners of one of rap music's most unique sounds, Cypress Hill first introduced themselves to the world with the 1991 neck-breaker &quot;How I Could Just Kill a Man.&quot; A wide range of fans became instantly enamored with B-Real's freaky nasal raps, Sen Dog's psychotic back-up vocals, DJ Muggs' eclectic collection of acidic loops, and, of course, the group's frequent reference to their favorite hobby. Whereas most rappers fade into the sunset after a few albums, Cypress are still going strong well into the new millenium. In 2004, they released their ninth LP, appropriately titled &lt;i&gt;Till Death Do Us Part&lt;/i&gt;.
- Alex Henning" category="Latin Rap/Hip-Hop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/cypress-hill/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Astrud Gilberto" description="Astrud's singularly pure and almost vibrato-less voice has the ability to send chills down your spine, whether she's singing in English or Portuguese. Bursting on the scene from nowhere in the mid-1960s, Gilberto won the world over (and a Grammy, as well) with her smooth rendition of &quot;The Girl From Ipanema.&quot; Having previously been Joao Gilberto's translator, wife and assistant, Astrud caught the ear of Stan Getz with her impromptu home performances of Joao's (and Antonio Carlos Jobim's) laid-back Brazilian songs. Before moving on to Disco-influenced Funk in the '70s, Astrud's luscious vocals graced the arrangements and recordings of Jobim, Getz, Don Sebesky and Gil Evans, among others. Do yourself a favor: find a loved one and a bottle of wine and relax by the fire to some of the best Bossa Nova ever recorded.
- Jessy Terry" category="Bossa Nova" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/astrud-gilberto/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="War" description="Recruited by Eric Burdon, War first hit the charts with &quot;Spill the Wine,&quot; an instantly recognizable soul/rock hit that opened the door for what was coming. After one record, Burdon left to focus on his personal fade from public view. This freed up War for more success with their hybrid of soul, rock, jazz and Latin rhythms. Distinctly Southern California, their multi-ethnic lineup served as a cross section of the Los Angeles area that they represented. The horn-spiked Chicano anthems &quot;Low-Rider&quot; and &quot;The Cisco Kid&quot; spoke to an audience poorly represented in popular music. Laced with a certain street logic, War predated Rodney King with their feelgood hit &quot;Why Can't We Be Friends?&quot; The barrier-breaking continued until the late 1970s, when they began taking themselves too seriously. Their loose grooves had the hip-hop community paying attention, which spurred a reunion in the mid-1990s.
- Jon Pruett" category="Funk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/war/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Ricardo Arjona" description="An anomaly in the world of Latin Pop, Arjona is known as protest singer associated with student culture. Born in Guatemala, he was raised in Antigua and later lived in Mexico City before relocating to Buenos Aires, where his controversial themes were more accepted.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/ricardo-arjona/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Luis Miguel" description="Mexican balladeer Luis Miguel became a major Latin Pop star in the United States by updating Julio Iglesias' continental crooning. He has sold millions of albums and won three Grammys, but the &lt;i&gt;muy dramatico&lt;/i&gt; Miguel now faces stiff competition from peppy, dance-oriented Ricky Martin for the hearts of a very large, multi-lingual female fan base.
- Nick Dedina" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/luis-miguel/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Buena Vista Social Club" description="This Cuban musicians' collective has played together for over half a century, and it shows. Stylistically, they span the entire spectrum of Afro-Cuban music. Deliciously slow bolero ballads and majestic danzones feature the swell of strings, while background vocals conveying messages of romance hide behind arrestingly beautiful melodies. Buena Vista Social Club's most influential style is the exuberant, polyrhythmic music known as son, which gave birth to both Mambo and Salsa. These upbeat numbers are full of infectious guitar licks, multilayered Afro-Cuban rhythms, soaring vocal melodies, and brash, Big Band-style horn parts.
- Noah Enelow" category="Cuban" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/buena-vista-social-club/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Bebel Gilberto" description="The daughter of innovative Bossa Nova guitarist Joao Gilberto and Brazilian singer Miucha, Bebel Gilberto definitely has strong musical genes. Graced with a clean, throaty voice that exudes a relaxed sexiness, she is equally comfortable singing in Portuguese and English. Early in her career, she worked with Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque (her uncle), David Byrne and Arto Lindsay. Lately, techno-sophisticated producer Suba has helped her develop an unpretentious modern sound based around Bossa Nova. Maintaining the primacy of the acoustic guitar in a jazz/bossa style, Gilberto and Suba add cool organ sounds, tight kit drumming, Brazilian percussion, funky basslines, and tasteful Soul horn hooks. Unobtrusive electronic treatments wander in and out, marking Gilberto's recordings with a hip, modern sensibility. Exquisitely warm sensuality well-suited for dance, romance, or ambiance.
- Robert Leaver" category="Bossa Nova" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/bebel-gilberto/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Alejandro Fernandez" description="Alejandro Fernandez is the kind of guy with whom you could hole up in a $3 million dollar home in the high desert and talk about your feelings all night. He'd do it and he'd be into it -- at least that's the impression you get from his gentle, soulful pop and occasional mariachi forays. The guy hasn't got a mean bone in his body, and he's got a discography to prove it.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/alejandro-fernandez/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Antonio Carlos Jobim" description="A gentle force of nature, Antonio Carlos Jobim loved the way that Joao Gilberto tamed the Samba into Bossa Nova. By merging this with American jazz, European classical influences and his unique melodic gifts, Jobim became one of the few songwriters to rank alongside the likes of George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Even once you get past &quot;The Girl of Ipanema&quot; and discover such bittersweet gems as &quot;Wave,&quot; &quot;How Insensitive&quot; and &quot;Corcovado,&quot; only part of his canon is truly Bossa Nova. Jobim constantly experimented with song suites and impressionistic instrumentals and he never stopped evolving as an artist. He was a master arranger, but when not recording jazzy, stripped-down albums, he most often worked with Claus Ogerman, who supplied string backings for his improvisations. With his lilting piano and guitar styles and a charming &quot;musician's&quot; voice, Jobim the performer was almost as satisfying as Jobim the composer but many of his finest albums are actually collaborations. Besides the evergreen &lt;i&gt;Getz/Gilberto&lt;/i&gt;, his recordings with Frank Sinatra and Elis Regina (entitled &lt;i&gt;Elis and Tom&lt;/i&gt;) belong in every jazz and pop music collection. Jobim lived in the United States and Europe during much of Brazil's dark period of martial law but he spent the last couple of decades of his life fighting against the destruction of his homeland's natural wonders. Long a favorite of jazz musicians and vocalists, Antonio Carlos Jobim's music remains as popular as when he first sang about that passing beauty on the beach in Ipanema.
- Nick Dedina" category="Bossa Nova" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/antonio-carlos-jobim/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Eros Ramazzotti" description="Ramazzotti is an Italian-born singer who's found success on the Latin pop circuit. In the early '90s his albums were going platinum across Europe, and they were being translated into Spanish for that market. BMG International took notice of his crossover appeal and signed Ramazzotti. Ramazzotti first appeared on the Latin Pop charts in 1994 with &lt;i&gt;Todos Historias&lt;/i&gt;, but it wasn't until 1997's &lt;i&gt;Eros&lt;/i&gt; that he really established himself. Stylistically he veers between pop-friendly balladry and a more rock-oriented style.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/eros-ramazzotti/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Laura Pausini" description="When she was just 18, this young singing sensation wowed audiences at the
Italian Song Festival. She ended up winning the audience award, and her
career was born. Like many Italian artists, Pausini records in both Italian
and Spanish so she can reach the vast Latin American market. The strategy
has paid off: Phil Collins has written songs for her, she won a Lo Nuestro
award as Most Promising Latin Artist, and she was nominated for four Latin
Grammy awards in 2001.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Euro Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/laura-pausini/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Los Lonely Boys" description="Based in Texas, this brother act garnered a strong regional following thanks in part to constant touring but mostly because of their excellent synthesis of roots music. Born into a musical family, the three Garza brothers picked up instruments around the time they learned to walk. As teenagers they often supported their father on live dates, and after a less-than-successful turn in Nashville, the group decided to proceed as a trio. The evolved sound caught the ear of Willie Nelson, who invited the band to record their first album at his studio. With strong brother harmonies and a panoply of influences that includes Tex-Mex and R&amp;B, the band's self-titled 2004 debut was a warm, extremely comfortable affair that boasts a few outstanding tracks.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/los-lonely-boys/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Daddy Yankee" description="Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico in 1977, Daddy Yankee (aka Raymond Ayala) got his start singing with DJ Playero while he was still in his teens. After a few appearances on compilations, he released his platinum-selling debut &lt;I&gt;El Cartel De Yankee I&lt;/I&gt; in 2000, which was quickly followed by &lt;I&gt;El Cartel De Yankee II&lt;/I&gt; in 2001. Now firmly established as a star in the crowded reggaeton field, Daddy Yankee began his crossover bid in 2004, when his song &quot;Gasolina&quot; (off of 2004's &lt;I&gt;Barrio Fino&lt;/I&gt;) climbed charts at home and abroad. Ayala's heart doesn't belong to reggaeton alone, however -- he's toured with Olga Tanon and sung with salsa greats Domingo Quinones and Andy Montanez.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Reggaeton" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/daddy-yankee/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Ricky Martin" description="When Ricky Martin crossed over to English language audiences in 1999, he seemed to come out of nowhere. But this former member of Menudo had been a Latin Pop star for most of the 1990s. The charismatic Martin is a throwback to a time when musicians were also entertainers. He can sing up a storm, dance, and smile, all at the same time -- a refreshing change of pace in an era when most modern pop and hip-hop stars have little to offer but seriousness. Martin may not have the substance of Marc Anthony, but he is one of the hardest-working people in show business, seemingly able to work in any musical style -- neo Salsa, romantic ballads and Jangle Pop, to name a few.
- Nick Dedina" category="Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/ricky-martin/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Calexico" description="Calexico includes members of ragged country punks Giant Sand and OP8. Their music is the desolate sound of waking up alone in a deserted border town with only a pack mule and a half-empty bottle of Mezcal to keep you company. Lonely, desert-soaked ballads filled with Flamenco guitars and flashes of the best moments of Sergio Leone's Spaghetti westerns abound in Calexico's sound, while sublime hints of a distant mariachi band and the weeping notes of a pedal steel intertwine with the squeeze of an accordion. Joey Burns' hushed vocal will bring you to a dusty, heartbroken land of caballeros and bandidos. If Lee Marvin were still with us today, he'd be a Calexico fan.
- Eric Shea" category="Indie/Alternative" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/calexico/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="CeU" description="The latest in a long line of sultry Brazilian singers, CeU enjoyed a big boost for her career when Starbucks made her the first international artist signed to their Hear Music Debut series in 2007. But don't let that put you off: her soulful delivery and command of Brazilian idioms make her a sultry addition to the stable of young Brazilian singers that includes Cibelle and Rosalia de Souza. Nominated for a Best New Artist Latin Grammy in 2006, CeU (born Maria do Ceu Whitaker Pocas) had been turning heads for years before that. Trained on the violao and in music theory in Brazil, CeU relocated to New York City for a few pivotal years after she completed her education. There she discovered everyone from Billie Holiday to Erykah Badu, and that unsanctioned education encouraged her to experiment with jazz and soul in her sound. A fortuitous connection with Antonio Pinto, who composed the score for &lt;i&gt;City of God&lt;/i&gt;, also helped gain her entree into the Brazilian music world. Her self-titled debut was remarkably mature, never straying far from her roots (hints of samba are ever-present) but continually flirting with jazz, funk and soul.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Brazilian Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/ceu/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Juanes" description="Colombia's Juanes was raised on music: he learned guitar under the tutelage of his father and brothers, and cut his teeth on everyone from Nueva Cancion singer Silvio Rodriguez to Led Zeppelin and Eminem. He's absorbed diverse influences from around Latin America, from vallenato and salsa to punk. After a stint with Latin Rock band Ekhymosis, Juanes struck out on his own in the late 1990s. The result of his musical explorations is evident: he's got a powerful sense of dynamics that keeps the sensitivity in check with swinging rhythms and expert instrumental flourishes. No two songs on his solo albums sound alike, and the personal and political comfortably rub shoulders in his work. Even his pop-oriented efforts maintain a certain subtlety, and his Latin Grammys are clearly richly deserved. One to watch for years to come.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/juanes/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Sergio Mendes" description="One of the leading lights of bossa nova's crossover into America, Sergio
Mendes came of age in an era when Tom Jobim and JoÃÂ£o Gilberto were leading
Brazil towards international acclaim, and jazz musicians from around the
world were flocking to the South American country for the &quot;new sound of
bossa nova.&quot; Heavily influenced by Jobim, Mendes was the best-selling
Brazilian artist in the United States by the mid-1960s. His music took a
turn toward light jazz, and Mendes explored numerous pop hits of the era in
that idiom, including the Beatles' &quot;Norwegian Wood&quot; and Simon and
Garfunkle's &quot;Scarborough Fair.&quot;
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Bossa Nova" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/sergio-mendes/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Los Lobos" description="The pride of East L.A., Los Lobos have been tipping their hats to their ethnic musical tradition while exploring new sonic terrain for over twenty years. They started out as a Tejano and Mexican folk outfit, but quickly implemented Roots Rock and rhythm and blues into their sound. Their breakout 1984 album, &lt;I&gt;How Will the Wolf Survive?&lt;/I&gt; was big with both the Roots-Punk crowd and general rock audiences. Three years later, their soundtrack to &lt;I&gt;La Bamba&lt;/I&gt; gave them multiplatinum record sales and mass exposure for the first time in their career. Since 1988, they have changed their musical direction, stepping off into less popular, but increasingly interesting and rewarding avenues. An album of classic Mexican folk songs has given way to adventurous forays that combine roots music, impressionist landscapes, and Avant-Garde production techniques. Their exceptional songwriting skills keep them grounded and instantly identifiable as one of America's most important bands." category="Latin Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/los-lobos/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Gotan Project" description="In the techno age, setting tango to electronic beats should have been an obvious project --but it wasn't. It took a couple of French beatmakers, Philippe Cohen-Solal and Christoph Mueller, and a handful of Argentinean expats to finally make the connection in 2001. And what an excellent connection it was. The Gotan Project -- named after the Buenos Aires slang for tango -- have quite possibly rescued the genre from those twin ghettos of musical obscurity: classical and world music. The project takes trip-hop's trademark cool and tango's visceral excitement and makes them...well...dance together. The sound is hip and slightly tense, and that's its beauty. Singer Christina Vilallonga's voice is a thrilling, guttural instrument, and the marriage of electronics and live instrumentation is a testament to the skill of the musicians involved. Overused words like &quot;seamless&quot; and &quot;organic&quot; were made for this project. Gotan are not just for 21st century hipsters; we'd wager that any Buenos Aires resident circa 1930 would hear the band and simply &lt;i&gt;get&lt;/i&gt; it.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Trip-Hop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/gotan-project/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Don Omar" description="Born William Omar Landron in Puerto Rico, Don Omar got his start in reggaeton producing tracks for Hector El Bambino, who would later become known as Hector El Father. His talent caught the ear of other artists, and before long, he was a respected songwriter and artist in his own right. &lt;I&gt;The Last Don&lt;/I&gt; released in 2003, made him a bona fide hero in the community, and VI Records released a live double album a year later. 2005's &lt;i&gt;Da Hitman Presents Reggaeton Latino&lt;/i&gt;, which rehashed Don Omar's hits, rocketed off with the hugely successful single &quot;Reggaeton Latino,&quot; an all-star posse cut, and some remix work from Swizz Beatz. On &lt;i&gt;King of Kings&lt;/i&gt; (2006), the Don adopted a post-apocalyptic warrior alter ego (onstage and on the album cover art) and departed from run of the mill reggaeton conventions by enlisting collaborators like Juelz Santana and Miri Ben-Ari, and working salsa, rock and arabesque rhythms into the mix. He also expanded on subject matter beyond love and adultery; the hit &quot;Angelito&quot; tells the tragic tale of a life cut short by AIDS while &quot;Munecas de Porcelana&quot; is a leftfield lesbian coming of age story. In March 2008, Don Omar and fellow reggaetonero Daddy Yankee squashed their epic beef at a Wisin y Yandel concert in Puerto Rico. By this time Omar gained a wider audience after friend Vin Diesel insisted his single &quot;Bandoleros&quot; be included in the film &lt;I&gt;The Fast &amp; The Furious: Tokyo Drift&lt;/I&gt;; three tracks from his 2009 release, the futuristic-themed &lt;I&gt;iDon&lt;/I&gt;, found their way onto the soundtrack of follow-up &lt;I&gt;Fast &amp; Furious&lt;/I&gt;.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Reggaeton" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/don-omar/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Eliane Elias" description="" category="Bossa Nova" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/elaineelias/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Julieta Venegas" description="Born in Long Beach but raised in Tijuana, Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas is very much a border child. Her musical influences span the gamut from norteno bands to British and American rockers, and though she plays the accordion, she uses it in a style that recalls Tom Waits more than los Tigres del Norte. Venegas's engaging but left-of-center work has gained her the support of heavyweights including producer Gustavo Santaolalla and touring partners Aterciopelados and Los Lobos.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/julieta-venegas/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Manu Chao" description="Former leader of the French Punk-Pop band Mano Negra, Manu Chao explores a wider range of musical terrain as a solo artist. Singing in Spanish, French, and English, Chao adopts the voice of the disenfranchised in his work. He's equally comfortable lamenting the &quot;desaparecidos&quot; (disappeared) in Spanish, confessing existential angst in French, or boasting he's the &quot; king of bongo&quot; in English. His main rhythmic template is reggae, and instrumentation is sparse -- guitars, bass, and keyboards with a touch of brass. Many tunes include sound montage: European news broadcasts about the Zapatistas and television and radio white noise phase in and out of the songs. Chao's home-produced work has an air of sincerity rare in the world of pop music, and his rough-hewn vocals display raw talent while he plays his guitar with a deceptive simplicity belying his talent as a songwriter. Well known and loved in Europe, Chao seems poised to conquer the Americas.
- Robert Leaver" category="World Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/manu-chao/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Alejandro Sanz" description="Spaniard Alejandro Sanz has risen to the top of Latin American charts in
recent years. Rightly lauded as a singer, songwriter and producer, Sanz has
revived sagging careers (including Julio Iglesias's) and lent his golden
touch to a slew of pop singers' hits. While ballads butter his bread, Sanz
can sing with the husky intensity of a Gipsy King when he wants to - which
isn't too often.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/alejandro-sanz/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Juan Gabriel" description="One of the most successful singers ever in the Spanish language, the flamboyant and effeminate Juan Gabriel has been a prolific force on the Mexican music scene since the 1970s. From a large family with a story of tragic dimensions, Gabriel began writing songs and performing as a teenager at a cabaret in Tijuana. Upon relocating to Mexico City in '71, he scored his first of many hits with the song &quot;No Tengo Dinero&quot; (I Don't Have Money). His naturally perfect pitch and emotional delivery are well suited to the romantic songs he sings, and his breathy whispers are the embodiment of seduction. With a repertoire that includes ballads, full-blown Mariachi songs and light Latin Pop, Gabriel has been a constant presence on the Latin charts, selling more than 60 million records. Known for spectacular shows that stretch out to several hours, he transcends the limitations of a large arena, spontaneously dancing around the stage in his white linen suit like a preacher delivering a sentimental message of love to an enraptured audience.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/juan-gabriel/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Marco Antonio Solis" description="Still in his teens when he formed the popular Mexican group Los Bukis, Marco
Antonio Solis is credited with inspiring the massive explosion in popularity
of &lt;I&gt;grupera&lt;/i&gt; music in Mexico in the 1970s. The driving creative force
behind Los Bukis, Solis's multiple talents as a singer, composer, arranger
and producer served him and the band well, and Los Bukis hit the big time
with classic tracks like &quot;Falso Amor&quot; and &quot;Navidad Sin Ti.&quot; The band's
romantic pop became embedded in Mexico's consciousness, but Solis (who had
been steadily writing and producing albums for other artists) finally
decided to strike out on his own in the mid-'90s. He has maintained a solo
career that earned him two platinum albums in the '90s and numerous awards.
A truly gifted singer, he can draw a tear with his traditional Mariachi
tunes and inspire teenyboppers to sing along with a giddy, romantic chorus.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/marco-antonio-solis/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Rodrigo Y Gabriela" description="Ex-thrash metal bandmates turned itinerant musicians, Mexican musicians Rodrigo and Gabriela met in Mexico in the band Terra Acida. Not much later, they gave up their electric guitars, wandered through Europe and settled in Dublin. Inspired by flamenco's technical virtuosity, the duo began playing a fiery (if less mournful) version of flamenco that brings bands like Led Zeppelin and Metallica into the musical fold. The group polished their chops busking in Dublin's Grafton Street and, after gaining a devoted following there, they started seducing audiences outside Ireland. Their first album &lt;i&gt;Foc&lt;/i&gt; was named for the Catalan word for fire (perhaps with some double entendres attached). In 2006, they teamed with producer John Leckie (Stone Roses, Radiohead) to record their self-titled international debut.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Flamenco/Fado" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/rodrigo-y-gabriela/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Baby Bash" description="Baby Bash's first success came as part of the Latin rap group Latino Velvet, where he was known as Baby Beesh. Latino Velvet released two albums and toured consistently, earning a loyal following in California. When the group eventually parted ways, Houston rapper South Park Mexican asked Bash to work on some songs with him. Frequent travels back and forth from California to Texas (coupled with Cali's skyrocketing rents) led Bash to relocate to Houston, where he immersed himself in the burgeoning Latin rap scene. With his heavy beats and fly rhymes constructed around solid hooks, it didn't take too long for the labels to come knocking. Bash released his major label debut, &lt;I&gt;Tha Smokin' Nephew&lt;/I&gt;, in 2003, and scored with the single, &quot;Suga Suga.&quot; In March, 2005, Baby Bash released his sophomore effort, &lt;I&gt;Super Saucy&lt;/I&gt;. The album played like an ode to women, weed and whiskey (Hennessey, of course), and gleaned the radio hit, &quot;Who Wit Me.&quot;
- Linda Ryan" category="Latin Rap/Hip-Hop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/baby-bash/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Federico Aubele" description="In the wake of the Gotan Project's global success in 2003, fusing tango with electronica became, to put it mildly, fashionable. But Argentina's Federico Aubele came by his tang-tronica credentials honestly; the guitarist and producer is a native of Buenos Aires, and he fell in love with Astor Piazzolla's innovative tango early on. (Aubele calls Piazzolla the quintessential Buenos Aires musician, as tightly bound to the city as Frank Sinatra is to New York.) When he tried his hand at sampling and mixing, the stars aligned: He sent a few demos to Eighteenth Street Lounge Music and immediately impressed them. His debut &lt;I&gt;Gran Hotel Buenos Aires&lt;/I&gt; dropped to critical acclaim in 2004, and the single &quot;Postales&quot; became an underground favorite; hipsters around the world chilled out to his aural postcard from the land of gauchos and &lt;I&gt;tangueros&lt;/I&gt;. Despite his electronica flirtation, Aubele's never abandoned his acoustic roots. He doesn't use MIDI technology and plays guitar and other live instruments on almost every track he produces. In 2007 he released the eagerly awaited follow-up, &lt;I&gt;Panamericana&lt;/I&gt;, which saw him working with singer Natalia Clavier.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Downtempo" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/federico-aubele-2/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Los Tigres del Norte" description="Formed in San Jose, Calif., at the dawn of the 1970s, Los Tigres del Norte -- comprising the Hernandez brothers of Sinaloa and drummer Oscar Lara-- had been playing music together since they were children, but it wasn't until impresario Art Walker heard them in San Jose in the late '60s that they began to take themselves seriously as a band. Walker signed them to his new label Fama Records, and the group began to have limited success, playing throughout San Jose's growing Mexican district and getting some airplay. But the group truly coalesced when bandleader and vocalist Jorge Hernandez heard a singer in Los Angeles perform &quot;Contrabando y Traicion.&quot; The dramatic narco-corrido was unlike anything he'd ever heard, and it became the group's break-out single in 1971. &quot;Contrabando y Traicion&quot; told the story of a Bonnie and Clyde-esque drug-running couple with a flair and drama not seen before in narco-corridos, and the hit spun off legions of imitators who invented further adventures for the ruthless fictional heroine, Camelia La Tejana, as well as a slew of songs in a similar vein. Early hits like &quot;La Banda del Carro Rojo&quot; followed up on &quot;Contrabando y Traicion&quot;'s success and cemented the band's place as a corridos powerhouse. Though pioneers of the narco-corrido, the band has never allowed itself to be pigeonholed in that genre, refusing to name real drug traffickers in their songs (unlike many other groups) and shunning the gun-glorifying imagery associated with the genre. Their diverse repertoire includes love songs, songs about the immigrant experience in the U.S., and critical commentaries on Mexican politics. They spearheaded the movement to write songs about the immigrant experience with the 1976 single &quot;Vivan Los Mojados,&quot; a still-relevant track that questions what would happen to American agriculture if all the &quot;wetbacks&quot; were sent back to Mexico. &quot;La Jaula de Oro&quot; (The Gold Cage) is widely considered a masterpiece; it deals with the alienation a longtime immigrant can still feel in the United States. In 2000, stars of rock and pop came together to pay homage to the group with an album of covers, &lt;I&gt;El Mas Grande Homenaje A Los Tigres Del Norte&lt;/i&gt;, which acknowledged the group's massive contributions to music north and south of the border. After three decades, Los Tigres del Norte have become less a band than an institution, a defining voice for over a generation of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Norteno" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/los-tigres-del-norte/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Tito El Bambino" description="" category="Reggaeton" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/tito-el-bambino-2/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Jose Feliciano" description="One of the few artists to have hits in both English and Spanish, Jose Feliciano is an easily identifiable pop icon. As a blind singer and guitarist, he first received attention playing in the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village while still in high school. His passionate, soulful voice and Flamenco guitar embellishments catapulted him into the pop mainstream, and his version of the Doors' &quot;Light My Fire&quot; topped the hit parade in 1968; he even performed the national anthem at the World Series that year. He could be seen regularly on network television in the 1970s performing songs such as &quot;Feelings.&quot; A prolific recording artist, he recorded light versions of popular rock songs that were embellished with strings and marketed to mature audiences. Although first cast under the American spotlight, he ended up more popular with Latino audiences.
- Robert Leaver" category="Lite Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/jose-feliciano/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="La Arrolladora Banda El Limon" description="" category="Banda" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/la-arrolladora-banda-el-limon-2/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Selena" description="Memorialized in music and film, Tejano singer Selena was the first Latina to become an American pop icon. Working with family members, at a young age she began displaying an obvious talent for performance and a natural, warm-toned voice that could easily stretch her voice up a notch and send shivers down your spine with long sustains. Selena made her first recording at age 12, and by 16 she had won Tejano music awards for best female vocalist and performer. Her version of this polkafied Tex-Mex included elements of rock and country, but she also recorded cumbias and, later, added contemporary dance flavors. Singing catchy, anthemic love songs, Selena's popularity spread like a wildfire throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Ultimately, she recorded a crossover record in English that was released posthumously after her tragic murder in 1994. A source of pride to the Latin community and a monumental spark to the music industry, Selena is likened to a Latina Madonna in that she aroused controversy and fanatical devotion. Furthermore, she is credited with helping open the door to the American mainstream for Latin artists, and was instrumental in launching the career of Jennifer Lopez.
- Robert Leaver" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/selena/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Luis Fonsi" description="Massively popular in his native Puerto Rico and now an established star on the Latin pop circuit, Luis Fonsi was singing his heart out when he was only a four-year-old with the Children's Choir of San Juan. By the time he'd graduated college (Florida State University), the singer was being invited to duet with the likes of Olga Tanon and Gilberta Santa Rosa at major concerts. The exposure didn't hurt, and Fonsi's 1999 debut album &lt;I&gt;Comenzare&lt;/I&gt; did well, though his popularity really took off with 2000's &lt;I&gt;Eterno&lt;/I&gt;.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Latin Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/luis-fonsi/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Pepe Aguilar" description="Pepe Aguilar is the son of famed cowboy singer and actor Antonio Aguilar; his mother, Flor Silvestre, was also a famous singer in the 1950s and '60s. His pure voice drips like honey through several octaves as he sings Mariachi ballads that leave his adoring fans -- mostly women -- in tears. Using the traditional instrumentation of guitars, violins, trumpets and occasional accordion, he has created a modern, sophisticated style known as &quot;lovers' Mariachi.&quot; With seven gold and three platinum discs under his big belt buckle, he stands to inherit his family legacy as a famed actor as well. His megahit &quot;Por Mujeres Como Tu,&quot; expresses his sensitive and romantic side succinctly -- &quot;For women like you / There exist men like me / Who would die for dignity.&quot;
- Robert Leaver" category="Mariachi" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/pepe-aguilar/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Banda El Recodo" description="Banda El Recodo founder Don Cruz Lizzaraga was born on the west coast of Mexico near Mazatlan, and that has everything to do with his story. European sailors had started brass bands along Mexico's western coast in the 1800s, and Lizzaraga grew up seeing these bands play in town squares. In the 1950s, he decided to form his own brass band -- one that would be smaller and more flexible than the formal, fifty-plus person groups he'd seen. The group would forego the classics and instead play regional styles including ranchera, boleros and cumbia. Banda was born. Lizzaraga shepharded its development until his death, when two of his sons took over the group, which is still going strong.
- Sarah Bardeen" category="Banda" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/banda-el-recodo/data.opml?rws=%2Flatin%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
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