It was 3 am on a weekend night in 2017. I was coming home from prom and I found my mom in the living room watching TV. On the TV was the music video to Café Tacvba’s “Chilanga Banda.” I thought, “Damn, I haven’t heard this song in ages.” Suddenly I had childhood flashbacks, but I didn’t feel annoyed like usual. Why doesn’t the song sound as annoying and repulsive as it used to? This is Desde Latinoamerica!
I had a really interesting relationship with my culture growing up as a Mexican-American. Well, to be completely honest, I wanted nothing to do with being Mexican. I did not care to learn Spanish, and I really did not care for music in Spanish. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I began to appreciate and love music from Latin America. Not only did it remind me of the music my mom used to play around the house while I was growing up, but it helped me realize the best part about my heritage and culture.
The best part about being Mexican-American is having two of everything. Two cultures, two languages, two worlds of music.
Honestly, the list can go on and on. As I navigate my life in my early 20s and figure out what the hell I’m doing, I can always rely on music from Latin America as a way of feeling at home in this crazy world we live in. Whether it be traditional Mexican music, the rock en español jams my mom forced me to grow up with, or the new voices of Latin America, their music will always feel greater than a simple collection of musical notes and lyrics. It’ll be a reminder of who I am and where I come from.
What makes my relationship with music from Latin America so much more special is my constant need to share it with everyone. Discovering this music made me realize that I don’t know shit about music. There is an entire world of popular music in Latin America (and the rest of the world), and it really puts into perspective how uneducated my American ears can be. This column will attempt to serve as a platform to put people onto music they otherwise might not come into contact with. Even if you aren’t of Latin American descent, just use this as an opportunity to discover some new great music. Join me in this journey, and you’ll realize how massive the world of music truly is.
Mon Laferte
Kicking things off this month is the Chilean sensation who has taken Latin America by swarm in the last decade. The singer-songwriter has written some of the most emotional music of the 2010s and continues to this day. Fresh off of her 2023 album Autopoiética, Mon Laferte is setting her sights on the American continents with a tour sure to own every stop. (and you already know I’m going to be there).
Mon Laferte has dabbled in just about every genre (well, except maybe metal). Her unmistakably impressive voice blends perfectly with her acoustic love songs as well as with her corridos or cumbia jams. Her ability to navigate the different sounds of Latin America gives her the flexibility to reach a wide audience, one that she will nonetheless win over when she tours Europe this summer.
For those looking to feel as if they are heartbroken or need someone to scream and cry with, “Tu Falta De Querer” is the perfect place to start.
To experience arguably the most romantic song ever written, take a chance on “Amor Completo.” If you’re looking for something more pop-oriented, check out “Caderas Blancas” or “Metamorfosis.” Fans of Mexican regional music will enjoy the album SEIS (my personal favorite). And if you want a devastatingly emotional experience, look no further than “Mi Buen Amor.” Mon Laferte is a musical genius who needs to be recognized as one of the best working singer-songwriters and a true force to be reckoned with in pop music.
Dengue Dengue Dengue
Despite being a longtime fan of cumbia music, I had a difficult time finding new Cumbia music, especially one that can match my hyper energy. Enter Dengue Dengue Dengue: a Peruvian duo taking the rhythms of Latin and African culture and rebranding them to fit their unique electronic sound. Their innovative approach makes Cumbia dub an interesting listen! Hypnotic rhythms are easy to get lost in as you involuntarily start dancing. Seriously, it’s hard to stand still listening to their music.
An easy way to get into Dengue Dengue Dengue would be through their 2014 EP Serpiente Dorada. The EP takes funky rhythms from various parts of the world and creates a mesmerizing experience in under a half hour that is both soothing and frantic. The sounds coming from this EP make it seem as if aliens recorded it, which when looking at the group’s iconic masked look, might not be such a far-fetched idea. For an even more intense experience down the dub world of Dengue Dengue Dengue, their 2012 album La Alianza Profana is a great way to get lost in the futuristic world of cumbia.
Santa Fe Klan
This artist may not be the low-key choice, considering he just played Coachella and has collaborated with some extremely popular artists like Peso Pluma. What I find really unique about Mexican rapper Santa Fe Klan is his commitment to his culture, which creates some of the most creative rap music to come out of Latin America. When I think of rap in Latin America, my mind easily thinks about reggaeton. While I don’t completely hate reggaeton, I feel that what has become extremely popular about the genre is its most basic stereotypes, thus wiping out any chances of creativity.
Santa Fe Klan is proof that creative rap is still alive in Latin America.
Hip-hop is one of the most ambitious genres due to its ability to blend well with other genres. Santa Fe Klan has been able to take a really distinct rap sound from Mexico and make some awesome tracks. Tracks like “Eternamente” and “Así Soy” showcase his great flow and give him a very distinct vibe. His blend of rap and Mexican regional music, even cumbia, showcases itself in the best form on tracks like “Algo más” and “La Misma Sangre.” He’s even made some pretty compelling trap songs, such as “PLOMO” which features Rich The Kid, or “NO SON KLLE,” which features Duki and Peso Pluma. To really understand what Santa Fe Klan is all about, the best way to get into him is his song with Lefty Sm, “Por Mi México.”
He has a wide array of rap songs for everyone to enjoy. While I can’t say I can get into everything he does, I admire his creativity and can appreciate his growing popularity in the U.S. Coachella has a massive audience. I hope his recent performance gets more and more people to recognize that Mexican rap is alive and well.