We’ve all heard of the bolero, which has its modern roots in nineteenth century Santiago de Cuba (even though we might not be able to hum one on cue). But what about the cuartetazo? Born in Córdoba, Argentina, and derived from Spanish and Italian dances, the name is derived from the fact that the earliest players were invariably four-piece bands. The rhythm is similar to merengue.

¿Quién es Javier García? With his producer (and two-time Academy Award winner) Gustavo Santaolalla, Javier Garcia talks about his roots and influences. Also, we learn about some noted musicians who contributed to the album 13, including the great trumpet player, Arturo Sandoval.

Si*Sé brings together musical languages such as hip-hop, funk, rock, jazz and even classical violin. Singer Carol C, who grew up in a Spanish language household within an English language city, adds bilingual vocals that pull together the group’s electrifying sound.

Arriving in December of ‘71, a young Arturo Vega decides that it is New York where he is going to clavar, or stay put. His journey began in Mexico, where he began his artistic life as an actor and participant in experimental theater or “happenings”—an art form which was not well received by the powers that be in that country.

A little research tells us that the musical comedy Arturo did with Héctor Suárez at the Teatro de los Insurgentes was Sigue tu onda (Follow Your Wave), a Spanish language adaptation of a Broadway show known to American theater-goers as Your Own Thing. Soon Arturo himself would be heading to New York on a tip from Paul McCartney’s agent that he could land a spot in Hair...

To hear La Gusana Ciega play live we trekked to a club called Babel located in a giant mall / theme park called Mundo E, located just north of Mexico City. Come backstage with us for an exclusive interview you’ll find only here!

Alejandro Fernandez is not just a Mexican singer any longer: he has become a star of Latin-American proportions. Not only has he succeeded everywhere but he also has adopted different sounds from different countries. Viento a Favor was recorded both in Buenos Aires and in Los Angeles, a perfect axis through the whole continent.

Arturo Vega is a big part of The Ramones’ history. We even have proof! Actually he was the one who designed the well known Ramones’ logo, which is one part presidential seal, one part outlaw biker. In this interview he tells us why they chose to be represented by an aguila.

Some people could see Arturo Vega as just a guy who happened to design the Ramones logo, but the truth is that he had to get his hands dirty with hard work, and that meant loading tons of equipment, manning the lights and basically doing whatever was needed by the band. The reward was great: thousands, maybe millions, wearing an image that he created.

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.

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.

Alberto Jiménez’s album Causalidad was released in 2009 throughout Venezuela. Listen to snippets of songs and hear the rest of the story behind the production of it.

Members of Spanish pop band La Oreja de Van Gogh, upon exceeding one million friends on Facebook, thank their fans and share a bit of their music.

As we reach the finals stage of the Mono Núñez festival in Colombia, our host attempts to create a "Latin American integration" as well as continuing to explore the individual journeys of the participating groups.

Cristhian from Colombia gives us some information about the guitar as well as some tips on how to play it.

This absolute beginner guitar lesson from Kalinchita is "For those who are starting from zero."

Carlos from Colombia teaches us about various genres of Latin music with a focus on salsa.

Karla and Isabel provide us with clues about some popular musical instruments so that we might guess which ones they are describing.

At https://kalinchita.com, we learn two new chords in E major and D major that carry us into a final A major progression.

Learn the chord with which the song, "Happy Birthday," is sung at Kalinchita.

Kalinchita brings you one of the all-time classic, most delightful Christmas carols for beginning guitar players.

Christhian presents us with his rendition of "Temblando" by "Hombres G."

Although the Colombian version of The Wonder Years is based upon the well-known American series, Carlos explains to us some similarities and differences between the two versions.

Karen invites us to explore the heart of Monterrey, Mexico's nightlife, the "Barrio Antiguo," or "Old Quarter."