By Cynthia Mosqueda
In the past year, there has been a tremendous increase in the visibility of Latina/o musicians and artists in the mainstream media. It is a Latin boom of sorts, with social and economic effects in the United States. Many of these artists were already popular in Latin America and with Chicanos and Latinos before they “crossed over” into the American pop scene.
Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias had already achieved a great deal of success before emerging in the American music scene. Their recent ascent to fame here is only a phase in the entertainment industry’s fascination with Latin American artists. This recent phenomenon is a bit problematic, though, because many people perceive it as the “rise” of Latina/o musicians and it is not representative of the diversity that you find in Latin America.
Certain singers also portray common stereotypes of the Latino community. The perceived “rise” is nothing new. Latino musicians have been prominent in the U.S. for many years.
Talented musicians like Tito Puente and Perez Prado were essential to the popularity of mambo and Latin jazz in the United States. Later, there were others like Richie Valens who turned a classic son jarocho called “La Bamba” into an instant rock ‘n’ roll hit. His short life and tragic death were the basis of the movie “La Bamba.”
Popular Chicano band Los Lobos hails from East Los Angeles. One cannot forget to mention Carlos Santana, whose classic hits such as “Oye Como Va,” a cover of Tito Puente’s “Samba Pa Ti” and “Black Magic Woman” are well known by more than just our parents’ generation. As a veteran, he has helped fuel the Latin explosion.
The love affair with Latina and Latino artists and music also includes several talented women. Since the early 1980s, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine have used Afro-Cuban rhythms and instruments to create many hit songs such as “Conga.” Linda Ronstadt brought classic Mexican songs to popularity in 1987 with her album Canciones de mi Padre. Although she sang in English most of the time, Ronstadt was able to bring classic Mexican music to popularity. Many more artists have brought their music to the U.S. and have been well-received.
The people I mentioned are a very talented and diverse group, which is generally lacking from the Latino artists in the mainstream media.
One of the main criticisms I have of the present Latin boom is the lack of diversity, with both the musicians and the music. Whether it is Ricky, Enrique or Marc, all their hit singles sound the same. Their music is not truly representative of the Latin genre or of the Chicano and Latino community.
Even if you included Santana, you would still be lacking much diversity that was present before. To get an idea of how diverse Latin music really is, just go through all the Spanish language stations on your radio. In L.A. there are stations ranging from rock en español to corridos, or ballads.
The umbrella term of “Latin” cannot be used to describe just a few artists. There is a general lack of diversity with the present Latin sensations. Ricky, Marc and Enrique and Jennifer Lopez were all born in either Puerto Rico or Spain. In order to have a true Latin boom, there must be artists from many more Latin American countries who sing and play a wide range of music. Besides Santana, no other Mexican or Chicano musicians are part of this recent boom.
Also, there are no artists from Central and South America or other parts of the Caribbean in this rise. It would be misleading to say that a handful of artists represents Latin music.
The music of the present Latin boom is not truly representative of all Chicanos and Latinos. Jennifer Lopez, and to a greater extent Christina Aguilera, are not the typical Latinas. They present a highly sexualized image that is a stereotypical role of the Latina.
This can be problematic when young girls begin to believe that they have to act and look a certain way. The sexy image is also common for the men. Ricky Martin has commented that he has to live up to another stereotypical role, the Latin Lover.
Industry executives have commodified Latin music in order to make it as profitable as possible. The lack of diversity among the artists and in the music itself is not a priority; rather, making money is paramount in this present phase of the attraction to Latin music.