7 Great bands from Latin America
7 Great Bands From Latin America
From Colombia to Chile, Buenos Aires to Havana, and Nicaragua to Brazil, Latin America is a musical ring of fire, erupting with forceful creativity and eclectic imagination. The region's poetic legacy, passionate politics, multicultural history, and affinity for danceable rhythms all come together to produce some of the world’s most original, dynamic, heartfelt, and irresistible tunes.
Calle 13 (Puerto Rico)
This Puerto Rican hip-hop band fuses tender poetry with crass rhymes and assertive politics, and soft, romantic guitar lines with trumpeted beats and reggae rhythms. The result has won them several Grammy Awards.
Ibeyi (France and Cuba)
French-Cuban duo Ibeyi consists of twin sisters who sing hypnotically in both English and Yoruba, a Nigerian language spoken by their ancestors over mesmerizing percussion played with traditional Cuban instruments.
Onda Vaga (Uruguay and Argentina)
This alternative rock band takes traditional Latin American music, from tango to rumba to folk, and fuses it with modern indie stylings to create something entirely new.
Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas (Argentina)
I dare you to listen to this super funky, salsa-infused, hip-hop duo and not dance. Even the song’s chorus tells you to shake your ass.
Frente Cumbiero (Colombia)
This band just did a live set in Bogotá with Boiler Room, a project that hosts small invite-only music sessions in private locations around the world and has hosted the likes of Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu, so you know they’re cool. Their songs are modern, complex, jazzy takes on traditional Cumbia tunes that you never get sick of.
Cremalleras (Mexico)
This female-fronted punk band from Mexico bring back everything you loved about traditional punk, from bouncy tunes to morbid cartoons on their album artwork.
Baleia (Brazil)
Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, this mini-orchestra’s instrumentation bathes listeners in its inspiring, energetic melodies, and their dreamy yet intense vocals leave you feeling inexplicably joyful.
