Que diga ¡presente!
Jose Romero
editor-in-chief
Music is an important part of Hispanic culture. It’s sometimes used to express hardships, discussing the plight of being a Hispanic in America or being a Hispanic in general. Or, it can be used to just have a good time, playing catchy tunes that can be sung in unison at a party. Latin American genres like bachata, cumbia and reggaeton have exploded in popularity in the U.S., allowing more Latinx musicians to become popular. But, pop isn’t the only genre in which Hispanics excel. When it comes to musicians like Gustavo Santaolalla — who you can read more about to the right — is an Academy Award-winning composer, showing how varied each artist can be. Each musician highlighted are some of the best in their respective genres and deserve attention.
Pitbull
Pitbull is a Hispanic rapper known worldwide, hence his nickname — Mr.Worldwide. He’s from Miami which has continuously inspired his flow and songwriting. On YouTube, his music has gained over 15 billion views, and he has won 35 Billboard Latin Music Awards. He has used his fame and wealth to open a middle and high school in Little Havana, the neighborhood he grew up in.
Luna Santa
Luna Santa is a newer Mexican band that hasn’t been around for too long. They have a total of six songs released so far, with more on the way. They aren’t as prominent or influential as other artists amore Mexican pop music. As of right now, “Bruja” is their most popular song with about 2.5 million views on YouTube.
Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan’s career began in Miami. She’s a Cuban-American artist that made it big in 1985. Her influence on Hispanic/Latinx music culture is so big that she is one of the reasons Billboard created the category for top Latin artists. Not only that, but she’s one of the highest-selling female singers of all time. Her impact was rewarded in 2015 with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny is a well-known Puerto Rican artist that focuses primarily on the music genre reggaeton. He initially got his start on SoundCloud, a music-sharing app, where he uploaded music until he got noticed by big artists like Cardi B and Drake in 2016. In 2020, he became the first non-English artist to be Spotify’s most-streamed of the year. He was also in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people on the world list.
Gustavo Santaolalla
Gustavo Santaolalla is a musician from Argentina. His work can be heard in multiple types of mediums like movies, shows and video games. Some of his most famous work has come from the series “Narcos: Mexico” and the video games “The Last of Us.” His work has been so impactful that in 2015 he was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
