ILIO Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month!
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH—Here at ILIO, we’d like to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting the deep and broad Hispanic cultural influence on music. The artists chosen here are but a few who have made monumental contributions to the world’s musical treasury. Throughout every genre, there are spectacular Latin contributors. So read on, and listen to our mix with songs from such varied artists as Celia Cruz, Rosalía and many more!
Listen on:
Celia Cruz emerged during the 1950s as a Guarachas singer. She is of Cuban descent and became recognized as the queen of salsa. Her career was lauded amongst the music industry and her accolades include multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. We feature “Quimbara,” which is her song that features Johnny Pacheco. Salsa brings together three distinct styles of Cuban dance, mambo, pachanga, and rumba.
The world of Latin dance music went through an evolution as it approached the modern era. In the 1980s a band called Miami Sound Machine brought new elements to this tradition. Their pop-rooted sound fused Latin dance influences with programmed drums to usher in a totally unique new sound. You can hear it on the track “Dr. Beat”.
The next realm of Hispanic music we would like to recognize is film score composition. First, Ernesto Cortázar is a Mexican composer who scored hundreds of films over the course of his career. Listen to the brilliant writing from this composer in the piece “Windmills of My Mind”. Next, Argentinian Astor Piazzolla composed for many films and ensembles throughout the world. He has a distinct sound that was defined as Nuevo Tango. This has a brilliant affect that evokes both jazz and salsa counterpoint. It can be heard on the track “Libertango”.
The jazz world was graced with the beautiful presence of Arturo Sandoval, who started recording and touring in the late 1970s. He was mentored by Dizzy Gillespie and has been embraced as one of the best jazz trumpeters in the world. You can hear his tribute to Dizzy on a rendition of “Salt and Peanuts!”. Moving into contemporary jazz, Miguel Zenon is a Puerto Rican saxophonist and composer. His style of jazz is very modern with linear improvisational stylings. “Quite de la Via, Percico” displays these skills brilliantly.
Recently, Latin acts such as Rosalía took contemporary pop music at large by storm. Rosalía has solid roots in Spanish folk music. Hailing from Spain, her eclectic sound ranges from flamenco to pop to reggaeton. She has won eight Latin Grammys and one Grammy award. Everyone from Selena to Shakira paved the way for her sound and audience.
Hispanic heritage has played a formative role in the world of music. Spanning throughout all genres, its influence and reach are unmatched. It is a privilege for us to recognize their contributions to music through this playlist. You can find it now on Spotify and Apple Music.