Manu Chao is French, but he has Spanish roots. He sings in six or seven different languages, from Spanish to English to Arabic, and his music has even more diverse influences. “Clandestino,” the title track from Manu’s first album, deals with the issue of immigration: “I wrote it about the border between Europe and those coming from poorer nations. Look around – maybe thirty percent of the people in this street are clandestino (illegal).”

Camilo Lara is the man behind the Mexican Institute of Sound (when he’s not busy being the president of EMI Music in Mexico). With this project, he intended to create a fusion of traditional elements with electronic music. MIS tunes have been invading TV and advertising lately; see if you recognize the song “Alocatel.”

Quiero Club is an indie band from Monterrey, Mexico. The name of the group (in Spanish, “I want club”) points to the types of music they combine: rock, pop, and electronic music. From their second album released in 2008, “Minutos de Aire” is a collaboration with Jorge Gonzalez from the Chilean band Los Prisioneros. You don’t want to miss this trippy adventure of a video!

Formerly known as “Bitman y Roban,” DJ Bitman is one of the new faces of Chilean music. But DJ Bitman’s music is far from belonging to only one place: you can hear traces of Brazilian samba and even some New York hip hop. There is also some Caribbean salsa and some European dub. It’s not a surprise that people from everywhere enjoy it!

Mexican rock singer Alejandra Guzmán is known as the “Queen of Rock” in Latin America. Take a listen to her soulful singing in “Porque no estás aquí” (“Because You’re Not Here”), and you’ll see why. Those lyrics sung in that raspy voice get right into your core.

Nothing lasts forever. Sadly, sometime in 2001 the fabulous Argentinian band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs announced their final tour. But after a long hiatus, in April of 2008, they announced a comeback! This song comes from the album they released that year. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, or LFC, is the most famous ska band of Latin America, and an obligatory part of any dance playlist!

New York has the Hudson; Paris has the Seine; London has the Thames. Rivers were important in the building of these cities: they were commercial routes and also a source of food. Aterciopelados (in English, literally “The Velvety Ones”) the well-known Colombian band, remind us of the importance of our rivers with the title song of their socially conscious album Río.

How is the weather on the fifth season? According to this video we should expect some winds with a few sunny flashbacks. And there is also a chance of Marc Anthony, mostly know for being Jennifer Lopez’s significant one.

Get ready for Residente’s smart mouth and his tongue twister lyrics with a high level of cynicism. This song was co-produced with Gustavo Santaolalla, mastermind of the electronic tango band Bajofondo.

Puerto Rican pop star Chayanne is infatuated… Not so much with a girl as with her succulent lips and mouth. He can’t get her mouth off of his mind!

In the song “Mentiras,” or “Lies,” by the Venezuelan band Los Amigos Invisibles, a girlfriend hears rumors about her boyfriend going out with other women, but he tells her the rumors are pure lies. Who’s the real liar? Watch the video to find out. Shot in a bar in New York City, the camera follows the lead singer of the group around and “mockuments” the evening he sings about.

If someone offered to be your space cowboy, would you be their Venus in the sand? La Gusana Ciega (the blind worm) from Mexico offers another catchy surrealist tune.

Puerto Rican Draco Rosa, or Draco for short, sings about a promised paradise somewhere near the end of the world. You have to get there, his song explains. On the guitar, Draco is backed up by a bevy of stringed instruments that create a haunting effect. Part of the video is shot on Draco’s ranch in Puerto Rico, which makes you wonder… Does the promised land look like a tropical island?

In the Mexican film Rudo y Cursi, Gael García Bernal plays one of two brothers who leave the countryside to gain fame as soccer players. The brothers are nicknamed Rudo (Rude or Rough) and Cursi (Corny or Tacky), and from the looks of this video, you can see why. Enjoy this over-the-top version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me.”

The first couple of lines of this song are happy enough, and then—pow—she left and the pain won’t disappear. Mexican pop band Reik belts out a plaintive song about heartache. Have tissues handy.