Top Spanish Artists Singing the Music of Latin America

Looking for some new music to help you get through your day? Check out our list of the top Spanish artists singing the music of Latin America. From reggaeton to pop, these artists will have you singing and dancing along in no time.

Spanish Artists

From Christina Aguilera to Marc Anthony to Jennifer Lopez, these Latino musicians have made a big impact on the American music industry. These artists represent a wide range of musical styles, from pop and rock to Latin and hip-hop.

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He is widely considered as the King of Latin Pop. Born in Madrid, Spain, he is the son of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and Filipino socialite and magazine model Isabel Preysler. His older brothers are Julio Iglesias Jr., a singer, and Rodrigo Iglesias, a personal trainer. In 2014, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth to be $48 million USD.

Alejandro Sanz

Alejandro Sanz is a Spanish singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. Born in Madrid, he began his musical career at age 12 and has since released 19 studio albums. He has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. His songs “Amor” and “Corazón Partío” were both awarded Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys. He has also won a number of other awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Artist in 2002.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan (born Gloria Fajardo; September 1, 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. A contralto, she started her career as a lead singer in the group Miami Latin Boys, which later became known as Miami Sound Machine. Estefan’s breakthrough success with “Conga” in 1985 made her known worldwide. The album “Primitive Love” (1985) and “Let It Loose” (1987), both of which sold more than seven million copies and generated chart-topping singles became international best sellers.

Latin American Music

Latin American music is a genre of music that includes various styles such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, and bachata. The music is a mixture of African, European, and indigenous musical elements. The artists on this list are some of the top Spanish artists who are singing the music of Latin America.

Salsa

Salsa is a popular genre of Latin American music that originated in Cuba in the 1920s. It is typically a blend of Cuban son music with African and Spanish influences. The term “salsa” is Spanish for “sauce,” and refers to the spicy, soulful sound of the music.

Salsa is danced tomostly in 4/4 time, with 8-count patterns danced on the “1” and “3” counts. The basic step starts on the left foot and consists of a three-step pattern: left-right-left, then right-left-right. Salsa can be danced either solo or with a partner, and there are many variations of the basic step that can be learned.

Some of the most famous salsa songs include “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente, “La Bamba” by Los Lobos, and “Guantanamera” by Celia Cruz. If you’re looking to dance salsa, or just want to listen to some great Latin American music, these artists are a good place to start.

Merengue

Merengue is a type of music and dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. It is believed to have originated in the country’s countryside, some time in the early 19th century.

The music is fast-paced and has a 2/4 time signature. It is usually played on instruments such as guitars, pianos, and drums. The lyrics are often about love, dancing, and partying.

Merengue became popular in the Dominican Republic in the early 20th century. It spread to other countries in Latin America, such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. In the United States, it became popular in the 1980s.

Some of the most famous merengue artists include Juan Luis Guerra, Elvis Crespo, and Julio Iglesias.

Bachata

Bachata is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic in the early 1960s. It is a blend of Latin American and Afro-Caribbean musical styles, typically played on guitar and featuring romantic lyrics. Bachata emerged from bolero and son, two other popular styles of music from the Dominican Republic.

The first bachata songs were about heartbreak and longing, sung in a style known as bahanco. But by the 1970s, bachata had evolved into a flirtier, sexier style of music known as moderna. Moderna bachata is characterized by faster tempos and more explicit lyrics, and it quickly became popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Today, bachata is one of the most popular genres of Latin music, and it has been embraced by artists from all over the world. Bachata superstars like Romeo Santos and Prince Royce have brought the genre to new heights, while traditional artists like El Ciego de Nagua keep the genre’s roots alive.

Crossover Artists

The Latin American music scene has become increasingly popular in recent years with the rise of many crossover artists. These artists have found success not only in their home countries, but also in the United States and other parts of the world. Here are some of the top Spanish-speaking artists who are making a name for themselves in the music industry.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to parents of Spanish and Italian descent, Ricky released his self-titled English-language album Ricky Martin in 1999. The album yielded the hit singles “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” “She’s All I Ever Had,” and “Private Emotion.” Since then he has gone on to release several more albums in Spanish and English and has toured the world. Ricky’s music is a mix of pop, Latin pop, dance, and other styles. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, including five Latin Grammy Awards and six Grammy Awards.

Shakira

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. Shakira released her first studio albums Magia and Peligro in the early 1990s, failing to attain commercial success; however, she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut Pies Descalzos (1996), and her fourth album Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998).

Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album Laundry Service in 2001. Its lead single, “Whenever, Wherever”, became one of the most successful singles of 2002. It topped charts in more than 55 countries and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. With sales exceeding 20 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling singles of all time. Shakira’s next albums were Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (2005), which contained the number-one single “La Tortura”, and She Wolf (2009).

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has sold over 80 million records worldwide and has won multiple Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards. She is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood. As of 2020, her net worth is estimated to be $400 million, making her one of the richest musicians in the world.

Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television show In Living Color. Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), in which she portrayed Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a singer who was murdered at the age of 23. She gained critical acclaim for her performance and earned a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her first album, On the 6 (1999), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. With sales of over eight million copies, it is one of the best-selling albums of all time.