Latin Music Groups: The Top 10

A list of the top 10 Latin American music groups based on their commercial success, critical acclaim, and/or cultural significance.

Introduction

Latin music has become increasingly popular in recent years, with a wide variety of artists and styles to choose from. If you’re looking for a Latin music group to get into, here are ten of the best out there.

1. Buena Vista Social Club

2. Nirvana

3. Ozomatli

4. Quetzal

5. A Tribe Called Quest

6. Caifanes

7. Los Tigres del Norte

8. Molotov

9. Calle 13

Aventura

Aventura is a Dominican-American bachata group from The Bronx, New York. The group was founded in 1994 by Anthony “Romeo” Santos, Lenny Santos, and Henry Santos Jeter. Aventura released their debut album “We Broke the Rules” in 2002 which topped the Billboard Tropical Albums chart.

The group achieved mainstream success with the release of their fourth studio album “God’s Project” in 2005. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Aventura has sold over 5 million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards including three Latin Grammy Awards and five Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Camila

Camila is a Latin music group that formed in Cuba in 2001. The band members are singers/songwriters Mario Domm and Joel Martinez. The duo met while they were both studying music at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana.

The group’s debut album, Todo Cambió, was released in 2006 and received widespread critical acclaim. The album spawned the hit single “Coleccionista de Canciones,” which won a Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Camila has released three additional albums, Dejarte de Amar (2010), Elypse (2014), and Apasionica (2017). The group has toured extensively throughout Latin America and the United States, and they have performed at some of the biggest music festivals in the world, including Coachella and Lollapalooza.

In 2018, Camila was nominated for four Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The group has won numerous other awards, including two MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica and two Premios Juventud.

ChocQuibTown

Formed in 2004, ChocQuibTown is a hip hop and urban music group from Colombia. The group is made up of three members: brothers Gloria and Miguel Martinez, and their friend Carlos Ortiz. All three members are of Afro-Colombian descent.

ChocQuibTown’s music is a mix of hip hop, reggae, and traditional Colombian styles like cumbia and champeta. The group is known for their social activism, and their song “De Donde Vengo Yo” (Where I Come From) was used as an anthem by the Afro-Colombian community during anti-discrimination protests in Colombia.

ChocQuibTown has released three studio albums: “Somos Pacifico” (We Are Pacific), “Eso E lo Que Hay” (That’s What There Is), and “Tierra XXI” (Earth XXI). The group has won multiple awards, including a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album in 2010.

CNCO

CNCO is a Latin boy band that was formed in 2015. The group consists of Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús. CNCO obtained worldwide success with their debut single “Tan Fácil” and their debut album Primera Cita, which peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame with his breakout single “Gasolina” in 2004, which became the first reggaeton song to ever be played on mainstream radio in the United States. Since then, he has released numerous hit singles, including “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó,” “Rompe,” “Excuse Me Miss,” and “Shaky Shaky.” He has also collaborated with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including Luis Fonsi, Ozuna, and Anuel AA.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan (born September 1, 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She started off her career as the lead singer in the group Miami Sound Machine and released a string of successful albums with the band in the 1980s. Estefan then embarked on a solo career and released her debut album Cuts Both Ways in 1989. The album was a commercial success and featured the hit singles “Oye Mi Canto” and “Get on Your Feet”.

Estefan’s follow-up album Into The Light was released in 1991 and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned the singles “Coming Out of the Dark” and “Reach”. Her next album Mi Tierra was released in 1993 and is considered to be one of her most successful albums to date. It reached number one on the Billboard Latin Albums chart and won a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album.

Some of Estefan’s other well-known albums include Abriendo Puertas (1995), Destiny (1996), Gloria! (1998), Alma Cara (2000), Unwrapped (2003), and Miss Little Havana (2011). Throughout her career, Estefan has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has won seven Grammy Awards. She was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 and has received numerous other awards and honors.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is an American singer, actress, dancer and producer. Born and raised in New York City, Lopez began her career as a back-up dancer for various artists such as New Kids on the Block and Titanic. Her first leading role was in the film Selena, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. With her recurring role in the NBC medical drama ER and starring role in the Selena biopic of the same name, Lopez became a household name. She subsequently starred in a number of successful films, including Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan and Monster-in-Law. As of 2020, Jennifer Lopez’s net worth is $400 million dollars.

Born: July 24, 1969 (age 50 years), Bronx, New York City
Full name: Jennifer Lynn Lopez
Nationality: American
Spouse: Marc Anthony (m. 2004–2014), Ojani Noa (m. 1997–1998)
Children: Emme Maribel Muñiz, Maximilian David Muñiz
Parents: David Lopez, Guadalupe Rodriguez

Luis Fonsi

Luis Fonsi is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his 2017 hit song “Despacito”, which became the first primarily Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Fonsi has released 10 studio albums, and has sold over 15 million records worldwide. His latest album, Vida, was released in February 2019.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Fonsi grew up in a musical family. His father was a singer and his mother was a dancer. He began singing and playing guitar at a young age, and later attended the University of Puerto Rico where he studied music theory and composition. After graduation, he moved to Miami, Florida to pursue a career in music.

Fonsi’s first album, Comenzaré (I Will Begin), was released in 1998. The album features the hit singles “Si Tú Quisieras” and “Perdóname”. His second album, Eterno (Eternal), was released in 2000 and features the singles “Imagínate” and “Abrazar la vida”. In 2003, he released his third album, Abrazar la vida (Embrace Life), which includes the singles “Nada Es para Siempre” (Nothing Is Forever) and “Tu Olor” (Your Scent).

In 2006, Fonsi released his fourth album, Paso a Paso (Step by Step). The album includes the singles “No Me Doy Por Vencido” (I Won’t Give Up) and “Llueve Por Dentro” (It Rains Within).His fifth album, Palabras del Silencio (Words of Silence), was released in 2008 and features the singles “No Te Olvides de Mí” (Don’t Forget About Me) and “Aquí Estoy Yo” (Here I Am).

In 2010, Fonsi released his sixth album, Tierra Firme (Solid Ground). The album includes the singles “Podemos Hacerlo Bien” (We Can Do It Right) and “¿Qué Esperabas?” (What Were You Expecting?). In 2012, he released his seventh album Tantas Cosas Diffrentes entitled Different So Many Things including the singles She’s perfect for me (“Ella Es Perfecta Para Mí”)and Tanto Tiempo Perdido (“So Much Time Lost”). In 2014 he sang with Demi Lovato on Can We Fall In LoveAgain? This was on her fifth studioalbum Confident . In 2015 Luis Fonsi collaboratedwith Rudimental on their single Rumour Mill which featured Anne-Marie & Will Heard. This peaked at number 32 onthe UK Singles Chart . In 2016 Luis collaboratedwith Justin Bieber on their remix of Despacito which achieved international success . This peaked at number oneon 21 different countries’one being The Billboard Hot 100for 16 consecutive weeks; this made it both Luis’sand Justin’s longest-running number one single .The remix version also became Bieber’s first evernumber one on Billboard ‘s Hot Latin Songs chart

Fonsi has won numerous awards throughout his career, including five Latin Grammy Awards and one Grammy Award. He has also been nominated for three American Music Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977), better known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she began performing in school, demonstrating Latin American, Arabic, and Rock and Roll influences and belly dancing abilities.