Written by: Lucy Widmann
Between September 15th and October 15th, Americans observe and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which highlights ancestors who have come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America! The celebration starts in the middle of the month because it coincides with national independence days of multiple Latin America countries, such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Latinos make up almost 80% of people living in the United States and have even become the largest racial or ethnic group in California! 🎉
Influence from Latin culture is something we at With the Band support and want to celebrate! Delightfully, a huge part of Latin culture is music! So, here are some of our favorite Hispanic and Latin artists and some of their contributions to the music industry! 😇
Camilo
Maybe the name Camilo sounds vaguely familiar, or maybe you have never heard his name before, but no matter which category you fall into, we cannot encourage you enough to start obsessing over Camilo just like we have! Camilo is blowing up right now, and after his first Latin American Grammy nomination, he is being sought after for collaborations by some big artists! Already having collabs with top artists like Shawn Mendes and Selena Gomez, Camilo started his career in 2007 on the Colombian variation of The X Factor and has skyrocketed to the top of Latin hits. Let’s just say that Camilo is here to stay, and we are so excited to see where his future takes him! 🔥
Selena Gomez
The queen herself, Ms. Selena Gomez, has dabbled in all musical themes from pop to EDM hits. Yet Selena has come back to her roots with her EP Revelación, being sung completely in Spanish. Interestingly, Selena actually waited a decade to release the Spanish-language record! In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Selena describes, “This has been something I’ve wanted to do for 10 years - working on a Spanish project - because I am so proud of my heritage.” This album kept all of our favorite qualities about Selena: her honesty that speaks directly to the listener and letting them in on the raw truth of her life and perspective. It is so cool to see how Selena has really embraced her roots and how she has brought so much light to her Mexican heritage. ❤️
ROSALÍA
One of the most exciting stars within Latin pop music is artist Rosalía! Though she has been in the music industry for quite some time, you might not have heard her name until the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. That year she won Best Latin Video for her hit “Con Altura” with collaborator J Balvin. The 25 year old singing sensation is proud about her heritage, and told the audience during her VMAs acceptance speech, “I come from Barcelona. I'm so happy to be here representing where I come from and representing my culture...Thank you for allowing me to perform tonight singing in Spanish." How cool is that?! We definitely have our eyes watching Rosalía and are excited to see what she has up her sleeve for the future! 💖
Camila Cabello
After leaving girl group Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello released a smash single that wasn’t just close to her heart, but truly defined her and her heritage! The song “Havana” is described by Camila as, “an ode to my heritage, my culture” - And how cool is it that her first single to truly explode was this personal to her! Camila knows how to create a special connection with her fans, and by sharing an intimate side of her cultural identity, it has given fans courage to be proud about their identity and cultural background! Camila has continued to pay homage to her heritage through songs like “She Loves Control”, “Señorita (featuring Shawn Mendes)”, and her latest single “Don’t Go Yet”. We love how she continues to tie in Cuban influences into each of her songs and albums! 🦋
Bad Bunny
We are not joking when we say that Bad Bunny is one of the most streamed artists in the world! Staying at the top with artists like Drake, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny has made a name for himself within the music industry that people are chasing after. The Puerto Rican vocalist has changed the game by creating a sound that has designed a new era in music that can be defined as Latin trap and reggaeton. He first started gaining traction on his feature on Cardi B’s song “I Like It”. Now, he is an icon! Bad Bunny is a collaborator that everyone wants to work alongside and is blazing a path that has skyrocketed the trajectory of Latin music in becoming popularized, dominating the global charts. 🤍
J Balvin
The Columbian pop-reggaeton singer J Balvin is another artist we admire for bringing influences of his heritage into his music! He has appeared on songs with big artists like Pharrell, Liam Payne, Cardi B, and even joined the stage with Beyonce at Coachella in 2018. J Balvin doesn’t play by the typical industry rulebook but rather continues to hustle hard to make Spanish music global! We admire how J Balvin doesn’t just use his platform for music, but also for advocacy of mental health and LGBTQ+ audiences! As J Balvin says, “It’s all about love,” and we could not agree more! On J Balvin’s most recent album JOSE, he opens up about his struggles with anxiety, depression, and even how it is sometimes hard to be Columbian and gain the respect of the world. We think it is so commendable how J Balvin is shining light on these topics, which ultimately give others the confidence to share their story and know that they are not alone! ⚡️
Selena
We can’t pass up paying homage to an artist who has paved a way for all of these artists, Selena Quintanilla. Beyond the music, it was her aura that people were attracted to and that made Selena so special! Selena showed that a middle-class Hispanic-American girl who had big dreams could make an impact on the music industry. She displayed how as a Mexican-American artist you can dip your toes into multiple different genres and even create your own sound! Selena overcame many obstacles in her career and managed to keep it elegant and real. Because of her, the Latino community is now on the map and breaking barriers within the music industry. 💜
In an age where Latin artists convert their sound to be more “American”, American artists are now transforming their sound to fit in with Latin pop music. Strictly pop artists who speak English are now learning Spanish to feature on some of the biggest Latin artist’s songs. The collaboration of sounds and artists has been so cool to see, and we can’t wait to see what other alliances between artists may be coming out soon! Who are some of your favorite Latin artists at the moment? 🤩
Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month here.
Learn more facts about the U.S. Hispanic population here.
Learn more about some of the most influential Hispanic artists here.
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