This group formed in 1991 to fill a gaping hole in the Venezuelan club/dance band scene. They have a Latin Grammy under their belts as well as nominations for Grammys and Latin Grammys. Move to the beats of “Como sabes tú” from the album Commercial.

Ana Fernández-Villaverde, aka La Bien Querida, sings hauntingly about regret in “De Momento Abril.” Sharing the stage with this Spanish songstress are guitars, violins, a piano, a drum set and a cajón—that is, a box-shaped percussion instrument to sit on. The cajón is originally from Peru, but it’s used in modern flamenco and other musical genres.

Alberto Jiménez put together ten of his latest songs for the album Causalidad, released in 2009 throughout Venezuela. Here, he tells us the story behind the production of 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.

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.

Sunny Miami is not only a touristic destination. Their beautiful beaches and their elegant buildings are the perfect set for the newest Latin American telenovelas.

Our friends from Nortec Collective are known for their eclectic mix of electronic and norteño music (hence the name: norteño + techno = Nortec). Here, a band member discusses how the group got started, down to the very first time he read about a synthesizer. Don’t miss their Grammy award-nominated Tijuana Sound Machine.

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!

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.

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.

This Puerto Rican band wasn’t on the island from the get-go. Two of La Secta’s members, Mark and Gustavo, met in Orlando during school and then moved to Miami Beach. There, they met up with John and Carlos and started writing songs. The message of their album Fuego, which shines through in “Déjalos que hablen,” is, according to John, “to be positive in the face of a moment of so many changes in the world.”

Have you ever been at the end of a dark alley wondering why, how, when? Well that’s exactly the mood of this Café Tacuba song: a metaphysical alley where we wonder what did we do wrong and ask for a second chance. It seems that this guy needs a metaphysical GPS system.

There’s a lot to love about Panama’s Cienfue. Take this great song and its even better video. It makes you want to walk right into the ocean to play guitar underwater on a sunny day, doesn’t it?

Meet Enrique Bunbury, a big name in rock en español. The Spaniard was the lead singer of the classic rock band Héroes del Silencio for 12 years. When the group disbanded in 1996, Bunbury began his solo career. "Frente a frente"—a cover of the song first recorded by Euro-pop star Jeanette in 1981—is the first single from Bunbury’s 2010 album Las Consecuencias.

Guess who was voted the best new band in the world in 2009? Drum-roll, please… Our friends Bomba Estéreo! Yabla met them back when they were the opening act of (the also great and friendly) ChocQuibTown. Since then, Bomba Estéreo have been spreading like fire all over America and Europe.