Difficulty: Beginner
Colombia
The old saying goes “Hijo de tigre, sale pintado”. Literally, it means the baby tiger is going to bear the same marks as his father. But it also means that there are some things we inherit and carry with us. Here, Aterciopelados is singing about leaving some inherited, violent habits behind.
Difficulty: Beginner
Mexico
Former lead singer of Elefante, Reyli Barba is also a well respected songwriter. He has written songs for the likes of Latin Grammy winner Alejandro Fernández. "¿Qué nos pasó?" is his very emotional song about being dumped, replaced and wanting to hear the truth about it.
Difficulty: Beginner
Panama
Cienfue is a charismatic Panamanian singer. He manages to have a rock star attitude and still be a nice guy. We know: we had a chance to meet him. Make sure to visit his webpage.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Brazil
Surprised to find two Brazilian singers on this site? Native Portuguese speakers Victor & Leo compose, play, arrange and produce their own music in Spanish, too. They’re multi-talented—and they’re not the first Brazilians to jump into their neighbors’ language and market.
Difficulty: Beginner
Venezuela
Venezuelan legend Franco de Vita has been a fixture on the pop charts since his debut album in 1984. His extremely romantic tunes made him a star in a country renowned for its telenovela industry. “Mi sueño” is one of de Vita’s most recent hits, and a great showcase of his talent.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
Have you ever thought how things would be if you could go back and undo some of your mistakes? Well, that’s what "Volver a comenzar" is about, this song by the Mexican band Café Tacuba dwells in the deepest corners of philosophy and human condition. But don’t worry, it never stops being a nice and catchy song!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
Back in 1990, just breaking out, Gloria Trevi sang “Quiero llevar el pelo suelto” – a pop song that rang out like an anthem for the young and the restless. These days, after many years of success and many self-transformations, Trevi’s still singing about strength, independence, and she’s still belting it out near the top of the charts.
Difficulty: Beginner
Argentina
Talk about a life turnaround! Fidel Nadal, an Afro-Argentine Reggae musician, sings about his happy embrace of life while walking, skipping and dancing through a forest and the famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. And to think he used to fritter away his time, feeling down.
Difficulty: Beginner
Venezuela
Isa, short for Isabella, seems to be one optimistic and happy girl. This song is an invitation to teens and pre-teens to come dance and enjoy her TV show Isa TKM. BTW: In Spanish, TKM means te quiero mucho (I love you), in texting-style.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Colombia
ChocQuibTown is the most important Colombian hip-hop band of the moment and they have been pretty busy exporting their music around the world. From Argentina to Texas, people are dancing to their rhythms. But even as the band travel, ChocQuibTown hasn’t forgotten where they all come from. On the contrary, they are inspired by their Colombian roots.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
Ah, catchy songs: They get under your skin and won’t leave your head. Here Mexican pop band Reik sings a catchy song about a catchy girl—at least, Reik’s crooner seems incapable of forgetting her.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Panama, Puerto Rico
Meet Rubén Blades, a Salsa superstar. He helped mix Cuban and Caribbean rhythms with Jazz in New York City. Rubén Blades (or, Rubencito here among friends) composed some salsa classics while also excelling as a singer. But that’s not all. Moviegoers may recognize him as one of the victims in Predator 2. He also has a law degree and ran for president of Panama. When this video with Calle 13 was filmed, he was Panama’s Tourism Minister.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
Singers Hanna and Ashley of Ha*Ash were born in Louisiana but are now based in Mexico. When they were 11 and 13, they got their first taste of success at a school talent show. Since then, Ha*Ash have gone far mixing Latin pop with country music. With a gold disc and platinum album in the bag, Ha*Ash are flying close to the stars they used to admire when they were just chicas.
Difficulty: Beginner
Spain
Spain’s pop sensation is way more than an enigmatic name. Sure, we’re also wondering why you’d name your band after the removed appendage of a long-gone Dutch painter, but what’s made them famous is their music. "El último vals" is a song inspired by Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Waltz.
Difficulty: Advanced
Puerto Rico
This Calle 13 video not only features the group’s classic tongue-twisting lyrics but also some surreal touches. The enfants terribles (or, niños terribles) of reggaeton are never afraid of mixing genres—or metaphors.
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