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.