The Top 10 Latin Music Artists of 2011

Billboard has announced their top 10 Latin music artists of 2011 and there are some great ones on the list!

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and choreographer. Born and raised in Barranquilla, Shakira began performing in school, demonstrating Latin American, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin, who is best known in the United States for his hit song “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ricky Rubio, who is originally from Spain, is a professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. Both Ricky’s are very talented in their respective fields, but Ricky Martin’s career has been much more successful and long-lasting.

Ricky Martin began his career as a member of the pop group Menudo. After leaving Menudo, he pursued a solo career and released his self-titled debut album in 1991. The album was a huge success, selling over six million copies worldwide. Ricky’s next two albums, “Me Amor” and “A Medio Vivir,” were also very successful, selling over three million copies each.

In 1999, Ricky released his first English-language album, “Ricky Martin,” which featured the hit single “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” The album was a massive success, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide. It also helped to launch Ricky’s career in the United States. He has since released six more studio albums, all of which have been very successful.

Ricky Martin is one of the most successful Latin music artists of all time. He has sold over seventy million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards and sixteen Latin Grammy Awards. He is also an accomplished actor, having appeared in such films as “The Mask of Zorro” and “Evita.” In addition to his musical and acting careers, Ricky Martin is also a dedicated philanthropist. He was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003 and he has been actively involved in numerous charities over the years.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and businessman who started off her career as the lead singer in the group Miami Sound Machine. Estefan has been referred to as the “Queen of Latin Pop”, and has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, including 31.5 million in the United States alone. Gloria Estefan has won seven Grammy Awards and is the most successful crossover performer in Latin music history.

Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony is a Puerto Rican-American singer, actor, record producer and television producer. Anthony is also the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy Award and five-time Latin Grammy Award winner has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide. In 2009, he was honored as the Billboard Latin Music Awards’ Male Artist of the Decade.

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He is widely considered as the King of Latin Pop. In 2010, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. In 2009 and 2010, he won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Album. As of 2011, Enrique has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Spanish artists ever.

Born: Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler

Profession: Singer-songwriter, actor, record producer

Genres: Latin pop, dance-pop, adult contemporary

Years active: 1995–present

Labels: Interscope Records (1996–present)

Carlos Santana

1. Carlos Santana- The legendary Latin rock guitarist and singer-songwriter is back with a new album, “Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time.” The album features Santana’s renditions of classic rock hits like “Smoke on the Water,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Purple Haze,” and more.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place. She has also appeared in the films Ramona and Beezus, Monte Carlo and Spring Breakers. Gomez is of Mexican descent.

In 2011, Gomez released her debut album, Stars Dance. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It also spawned the hit singles “Come & Get It” and “Slow Down”. Gomez was also named “Artist of the Year” by Billboard magazine.

Romeo Santos

Romeo Santos is a Dominican singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the bachata group Aventura. After the group’s split in 2011, Santos released his solo debut album Formula, Vol. 1 in November 2011. The album topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts and topped the US Billboard 200, becoming the highest-debuting Latin album in the history of the chart. The album includes the hit single “You”. Santos was born in New York City to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother.

Jennifer Lopez

It should come as no surprise that Jennifer Lopez is on this list. The diva has had an incredible year, with a successful album, tour, and movie under her belt. 2011 has been a big year for Lopez, and she shows no signs of slowing down. She is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Pitbull

Pitbull was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban expatriates. He rose to fame with his hit single “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” which topped the charts in ten countries. He has since released five albums, all of which have been met with critical and commercial success. He is one of the most popular Latin music artists in the world, and his 2011 album, “Planet Pit,” is considered one of the best albums of the year.