Written by Kiri Hassinger
Since the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month, many Americans have come together to celebrate the diverse Hispanic and Latin cultures that the month recognizes. Currently, there are more than 62 million people who identify as Hispanic or Latinx in the United States. For centuries, these people have contributed in countless ways to American society and culture, with music being one of the most influential! 🎶
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced a week of celebration, starting on September 15th, dedicated to people of Hispanic and Latin heritage. Twenty years later, the celebration was expanded from one week to one entire month–September 15th to October 15th. During the first week, many Latin American countries celebrate their Independence Days! For years, nationwide organizations such as The Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, and many more have hosted events to educate people about Hispanic and Latin culture in the United States during the month-long celebration. 🪅
So, how are people celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year? There are plenty of ways to celebrate and engage in Hispanic and Latin culture, whether it be through the food you eat (and we're not just talking about Taco Tuesday), the books you read, or the movies you watch. Penguin Random House has a great list of books by Hispanic and Latin Artists. Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz at Growing Up Bilingual made an incredible list of traditional Latin-American recipes. While all of these are fun ways to celebrate, our favorite is listening to the amazing music influenced by Hispanic and Latin culture! 💃
In the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of Latin music consumed in the US. In the 2000s, Shakira came out with songs like "She Wolf," "Can't Remember to Forget You (feat. Rihanna)," and "Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean)," and she remained one of the very few mainstream Latin artists until the second half of the 2010s. You may remember hearing "Despacito" with Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber every time you turned on the radio in 2016, we sure do! Since then, Latin music has become a staple in mainstream music consumption. Artists like Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis, and KAROL G have in recent years gained popularity due to social media platforms like TikTok and have been recognized in major categories at award shows like the GRAMMYs. 👏
Sure, you can hear the effect that Latin and Hispanic music has had on the music industry all over social media. But you can also see it in the numbers presented by industry databases and streaming platforms. According to the 2022 RIAA Report, Latin music reached $1.1 Million in total revenues by the end of 2022, 95% of which were through streaming. Latin music consumption in the United States is growing faster than the rest of the music industry combined! In an article written by Billboard, "Latin music grew 55.92% in album consumption in the U.S." That's more than the much broader music industry album consumption, which only grew 21.61%. 📈
Statistics aside, here are a few of our favorite songs from this year that were created by Hispanic and Latinx artists. You can also listen to our “Hispanic Heritage Month” playlist on Spotify! 🎧
Her name may be familiar if you watched the 2023 VMAs! Karol G is an artist who was born and raised in Medellín, Columbia. She kick-started her career in music at the age of 14 by participating in El Factor X. Since then, she has been nominated for various awards and has even won the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist. If you love music that features elements of reggaeton and trap, then you will love Karol G's music. ❤️
Peso Pluma is a Mexican musician. You may have seen him perform his song "Lady Gaga" at the 2023 VMAs! His music has gained popularity in the U.S. through its use on TikTok, and his collaboration with Eslabon Armado, “Ella Baila Sola,” was number four on the Billboard Hot 100. He draws inspiration for his music from traditional Mexican music and mixes it with hip-hop elements! 🇲🇽
Comprised of three siblings from Yakima Valley, Washington, Yahritza Y Su Esencia is a musical trio that produces regional Mexican music. Though they’re fairly new to the music scene, they’ve already been nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Norteño Album. 🙌
With her soft, high-pitched, and extremely mesmerizing voice, it’s no wonder Kali Uchis has become such a popular name on social media and in the U.S. music industry. She’s won multiple awards for her music and has had features on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. Her debut album, Isolation, has plenty of songs that have circulated TikTok and Instagram, and her most recent album, Red Moon in Venus, features songs with lyrics in both English and Spanish. 🤩
Foudeqush’s voice may be familiar to you if you watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She was the vocals for the songs “Con La Brisa” and “No Digas Mi Nombre.” Also known as Paolo, Foudeqush is a smaller artist with a unique voice from northern Mexico. Her music definitely takes inspiration from elements of electronic and hyper-pop music. You should definitely give her a listen if you’re a fan of PinkPanthress! ✨
Multi-faceted Rosalía is a Hispanic singer-songwriter from Barcelona. With a voice like hers, it’s easy to see how she’s won multiple Grammy Awards and even more Latin Grammy Awards. Not only does she keep busy with singing and acting, but she also is a supporter of music education through the Grammy Museum. 🏆
Becky G has plenty of claims to fame, including acting in Power Rangers (2017). She is a second-generation Mexican-American artist with four Latin Grammy Nominations, three-times platinum album status, and two #1 hits on Billboard Latin Airplay Charts: “Mayores” and “Sin Pijama.” All of this and she’s only 26! 🥰
Leo Rizzi originally gained his following by posting his music on TikTok. He was born in Ibiza and grew up outside of Uruguay. His song “Amapolas” made it into the top five spot globally on Spotify, and he has collaborated with major hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne and Drake. His music is inspired by 90s hip-hop and R&B and he brings an upbeat groove to his songs that make them perfect for listening to while going on your hot girl walk! 👯♀️
María Isabel is a poet turned musician who debuted in 2020. Born in the Dominican Republic, she has incorporated her native language into her music by utilizing Spanglish in her lyrics. Her music incorporates elements of bachata, merengue, R&B, and hip-hop. She is also a prominent model for popular young adult brands like Urban Outfitters. She’ll typically incorporate themes of mental health, family, and her Dominican Republican heritage in her lyrics. 🇩🇴
Omar Apollo originally got his start singing in his childhood Catholic church choir. His music initially gained popularity through his uploads on SoundCloud but gained popularity when his song “Ugotme” made it onto the Spotify Fresh Finds Playlist. Through a dream-pop, R&B style, Apollo expresses feelings of longing and heartbreak as a queer artist in his lyrics. 🥹
By celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, you are honoring the culture of millions of people in the United States. Plenty of national organizations have events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, listed here. However, you should definitely check out your local events calendar to find even more events to participate in! How will you be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month? Let us know on our Instagram! 🎉
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