Rock en espanol/latino rock

I know there's a few of us who think outside the box, so to speak. If I told you that in the past 12 months I have hardly even listened to my car radio and have no clue who some of the artists (ahem) are that get played, would you believe me?

A year ago, at the end of September, I stumbled upon rock en espanol b/c of some friends. Not b/c they were in a band or even played the stuff for me, but b/c I knew these people I got curious about the rock music from Mexico. Was there even rock music in Mexico?? The luck of the draw, and the Columbia House CD catalog my roomie got, led us down the road to discover Mana. Their new Revolucion de Amor album had JUST been released so we bought it and their Unplugged CD. All I can say is I fell for the sound instantly. Within weeks we had all their CDs in our collection and I was on the prowl for live video. We got Dish Latino to get the 3 music video channels...within 36 hours of getting it we saw our first Mana video. Kickin'!!!

With 3 Latino video channels to watch, I've been exposed to alot of artists. Control Machete....Molotov...Julio...Alejandra Guzman....Thalia....Paulina Rubio...The Rabanes...the Jaguares...La Ley...Enrique Iglasias...Ricky Martin...Moenia...Benny...Juanes....

For nearly a year I fought one slight attraction. I was slightly struck by this group La Ley. I recall now the first video of theirs I ever saw was for Fuera de Mi....the white robes and the Tai Chi-style moves stuck in my head. Saw some Unplugged clips, didn't like the songs or the look. (why on earth not???) Finally in June I saw the debut of the video for Amate y Salvate and...it was a bolt of lightning, I was hooked instantly!!! Totally! The album Libertad was actually the second one of theirs I got....I got Uno first. (How punnily appropriate)

This Beto, he's got a voice like no other I've ever heard! He speaks Spanish, French and English, sings in all 3 and claims their NEXT album is going to be in English...b/c it's time.

Anyone else who's into this great genre, please enlighten us all!

Thank you Debs for opening a Latino Music thread.

As far as rock in spanish is concerned, I am not very well versed on it but I am always looking to discover more great genres and artists, so it will be natural that my next step will be to dive into latino rock. So far, I've listened to a few Mana songs, (great!, specially Angel de Amor!). I am also a BIG fan of Juanes, the Colombian rocker, from Toronto... The video of Fijate Bien was shot in TO, in one of the Chinatown area. Top song!!

I have listened to a few La Lay songs and to be honest, they have not caught my attention yet as to make me buy their cd yet. Maybe I need to give them a 2nd chance...

I also would like to mention, Ricardo Arjona. He may not be a pure rocker, but his style is original and has some great songs.

When it comes to Latino music, I'm more into the up-beat, party genre of music which is probably portrayed and delivered best in the latino music than any other ethnic group IMHO. Hence, merengue, cumbia, bachata, Salsa (some of the most beautiful and romantic love songs are Salsa songs, specially Los Adolescentes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Grupo Niche, Alejandro Sanz, Marc Anthony, his spanish albums etc...) however, my fav Latino artist, is by far, the great and late Celia Cruz. She's simply the best.

There are also a rich variety of great pop artists in Latin America (other than Cristina, Henrique or Ricky ) They are not latino pop, but commercial pop, which calling them music and musicians is an insult to true and real musicians...

That's all I can think of for now, will post more later...

Cheers.

I kind of like Juanes too. I especially like his songs "A Dios le pido", "Mala gente" and "Es por ti", his duo with Nelly Furtado in the song "Fotografia" is pretty good too.

Just like Debs, Mana is one of my favorite Latino groups. Songs as "Vivir sin Aire", "Como dueles en los labios", "Se me olvido otra vez", "En el Muelle de San Blas" and many more have always been in my favorites list.

Although not really from the rock world, Carlos Vives is also definitelya mong my favorites Latino artists. His songs "El amor de mi tierra", "19 de Noviembre", "Luna Nueva", "Quiero ser tu amor eterno" are damn good.

Thanks Goirre for reminding me of some truly memorable songs!
A dios le pido (my fav song from Juanes!), es por ti or Mala gente are indeed songs!

Also, agreed with you that Carlos Vives is a top notch musician!I love his song Fruita Fresca and the one song where he sings for a beautiful girl, working in the corn fields. Don't remember the name but what a nice song!

Also, been listening lately to Luis Miguel and he's damn brillant!His songs are a joy to listen to. So nice and romantic.

I also enjoy listening to some of Thalia's songs (those in Cumbia style such as Amor a la Mexicana, Tu y Yo, )but also Piel Morena, another truly mesmerizing song, No me enseñaste (top notch song! ). Her latest song, A quien le importa is also a very nice one.

However, I CAN'T stand her new style of singing in English with those ghettos guys... Sorry, but that's how I feel. She was SO MUCH better in her spanish songs!I mean, it's the same for most pop artists nowadays in Latin America. Ricky Martin was great in his spanish songs days and as soon as he made the jump to english, the quality of his music declined drastically. Same for Shakira, Enrique and now unfortunately, the Mexican goddess Thalia... Do you people also feel the same about this new trend for Latino among new and up and coming artists to rapidly make the move to the English market, which is undoubtedly more lucrative for them, but as far as the quality of music goes, it's completely and utterly low.

Cheers.

Originally posted by Debs
If I told you that in the past 12 months I have hardly even listened to my car radio and have no clue who some of the artists (ahem) are that get played, would you believe me?

The last time I listened to local radio in here must have been in the summer of 98 or something... Hard to believe but true!! Anytime my buddies start talking about current music in here, I'm completely lost, no interest whatsoever. And when I tell them that I'm into Latino/Brasilian music, they look at me as if I were an alien... But to each their own I guess...
But I don't believe I have missed much seeing by the current talent of local music...

Here's a very enthralling Latino song. It's by Obie Bermudez, the song's name is Antes. Get the Salsa version and it'll blow your mind literally. Absolutely beautifully magnificient!!! Even more so if you do understand the lyrics, which are as beautiful!

This is music!!



Cheers.

I like rock but, my favorite music is heavy metal there are a lot of latin rock bands and artist, the fact is that only in the last 5-10 years the TV stations and radios are taken care of them, in every country of Latin America you will find a enormous list of bands and styles for example, in Central America you got artists like Rabanes of Panama, Alvaro Aguilar and his band Alux Nahual from Guatemala, ADN from Honduras, Broncco and Adrenalina of El Salvador.
In Mexico there is a great number of rock bands waiting to be "discover" by the rest of the planet, bands like Fobia, la maldita vecindad y los hijos del quinto patio, el Tri and the "old" Caifanes.
In south America there are talents like Catepecu Machu and Atercioplelados but my favorite is A.N.I.M.A.L. from Argentina

Originally posted by San Siro

Carlos Vives the song where he sings for a beautiful girl, working in the corn fields. Don't remember the name but what a nice song!

Dejame Entrar. That's the name of the song I was referring to. Truly nice one!

Cheers.

Gee y'aw aughta move to an area with tons of Latin people in it. Then you could listen to the radio and Latin music at the same time. We have like 12 Spanish language stations in the Bay Area (although several are Ranchero/Banda 'oompah tuba and accordion' music, which I think you must be from Jalisco to appreciate). Plus the college radio stations have Latin shows. Oh you poor benighted people living in islands of white bread! Move to California/Atzlan and you will hear a lot of Latin music...

My personal favorite is Salsa, especially the classic Fania Allstars and the Puerto Rican legend Hector LaVoe (La Voz), and Merengue. In highschool it wasn't a quinceanera without the playing of Che Che Cole or Wilfredo Vargas' El Africano (even if "nice people" don't listen to that kind of song). And of course growing up with a lot of Mexican people, means I have heard a lot of Mariachi music and Vincente Fernandez. Not a big fan of Rock en Espanol, although I like Atercelopedes (sp?) and recall fondly the time I went to see Morrissey at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley when he opened for Los Jaguares.

RIO

Another group that has become very known is Bacilos. I went to their last concert in Bolivia while I was there in summer vacation.....it was full.....I went at 3pm and I could only get in at 11pm, fortunately the concert only started at 11:30pm. But anyway, the point is that the concert was worth every minute I waited for. Their songs "Tabaco y channel", "Mi primer millon", "Un monton de estrellas" and many more kept me and all the people there dancing and singing all night long.

Another artist whose songs I like is Diego Torrez. "Color esperanza", "Tratar de estar mejor", "Suenos" and more are truly great songs. Same with Chichi Peralta's songs, I wonder if you know him.....anyway, "Amor narcotico" is my favorite song from him.

And of course there is Santana.....I especially like his duo with Mana in "Corazon espinado".

I don't get to hear much of this music in England as there aren't many Spanish speakers, and musically make some decent English spaking groups anyway . I've heard of Santana but he's an old man now, also there are some Spanish songs on GTA: Vice City but i think they're all 80's bands...the Pixies had a few songs in Spanish but i don't think they can be classed as a latino band.

I will check out a few of the bands mentioned here though (thank god for Kazaa )

Not a big fan of Rock en Espanol, although I like Atercelopedes (sp?) and recall fondly the time I went to see Morrissey at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley when he opened for Los Jaguares.

Morrissey, as in "The Smiths" Morrissey ?

Yep, the one and only. Apparently he has a huge following in the Latino community for some unfathomable reason (maybe its the hair, I have no idea ). The audience at that particular show was like 70% Mexican and 30% aging 30 year old Smiths fans (the catagory I fall into). The funny thing was that all the Latin people left after Morrissey played his set and didn't stay for the Latin band (Jaguares, who were pretty good) that was the headliner. Weird.

RIO

Yep, the one and only. Apparently he has a huge following in the Latino community for some unfathomable reason (maybe its the hair, I have no idea ). The audience at that particular show was like 70% Mexican and 30% aging 30 year old Smiths fans (the catagory I fall into). The funny thing was that all the Latin people left after Morrissey played his set and didn't stay for the Latin band (Jaguares, who were pretty good) that was the headliner. Weird.

That is weird

To be honest i didnt even know Morrissey or The Smiths had a fanbase in America as most of there songs are very...English (for want of a better word)

Originally posted by San Siro
Dejame Entrar. That's the name of the song I was referring to.

And truly couldn't he be original with the title, as Mana has a song by the same title that was a big hit for them! But Vives drives me slightly nuts b/c I swear he is a Fher Olvera wannabe....the long, auburn curls, the same bouncing dance style. YIKES!!! BTW, happy birthday to Fher today!!

Payman, you must try La Ley again. Libertad, the newest album nailed me even after I'd hear Uno (which won them a Grammy or 2) and if that doesn't work try their Unplugged which is truly a showcase for Beto's incredible voice. This is one of those bands that is constantly evolving and trying new things--they were originally a techno band!

RIO, yeah, I know, I live in the wrong place to hear this stuff but at least I can get 2 espanol music channels on DISH so that's how I keep up with it. My dream is someday to hear La Ley on regular radio as Beto is saying their next album will be an English album. Before you say it's the bandwagon thing, Payman, the man has written in French and English before (he spent 12 years in Montreal) on La Ley albums and he says it's time to do it.

Originally posted by San Siro

However, I CAN'T stand her new style of singing in English with those ghettos guys... Sorry, but that's how I feel. She was SO MUCH better in her spanish songs!I mean, it's the same for most pop artists nowadays in Latin America. Ricky Martin was great in his spanish songs days and as soon as he made the jump to english, the quality of his music declined drastically. Same for Shakira, Enrique and now unfortunately, the Mexican goddess Thalia... Do you people also feel the same about this new trend for Latino among new and up and coming artists to rapidly make the move to the English market, which is undoubtedly more lucrative for them, but as far as the quality of music goes, it's completely and utterly low.

Cheers.

I can't stand it either, Payman! But more than anything, the huge deal people are making out of her crossing over is annoying to me. Mana has been huge in the States for years, not needing to even do one song in English...but let the likes of Thalia "cross over" and it's huge news. Don't get it....these people wouldn't be doing it had it not been for the likes of Mana breaking in and making way first. I'm not dissing her, but I am dissing the hype machine (aka her husband) who's behind it.

I don't mind a mixture from the artists who actually can speak English, but I like the mixture....which is why if La Ley actually does an all English album it'll seem more natural. Actually I'd like to hear Beto do a few more songs in French!

and I'd like to interrupt in this chat
guys have u heard anything about NAVADIA or smth like that
I like her