Vintage and classic Latin American music is my wheelhouse, but I’m the last person to put myself in a genre box — life is too short. My first concert was Poison and Warrant at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1991. I like people and the things that people do.
It’s a bit of a misnomer to use “Latin music” to describe the cultural output of nearly one billion people across two hemispheres, numerous international and regional borders and thousands…
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Welcome to Pandora’s Latin Artists to Watch. From diverse backgrounds and perspectives, these are the talented musicians who are defining genres and creating new ones. These are the acts we…
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In 2016, the remix is almost always better than the original. Back in the day, a remix meant a full reworking of a track, usually with an altered or totally…
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Trap music has been around the block. Since its rise and explosion in the South during the early-to-mid 2000s, the bass-heavy, leaned-out sound has traversed the four corners, throwing around…
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I think it’s important to mention here that Latin music is not actually a genre. Synthesizing the cultures of almost one billion people across two continents and an entire hemisphere into one category is not possible.
Musical expression stands on its own and defies genre; that’s what draws me to the music of Latin America and its far-reaching diaspora. Traditions endlessly reinvent themselves through creativity and drive. Today’s artists and musicians are standing on the shoulders of centuries of innovation and experimentation. …
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As Pandora listeners, you are quite a discerning group – and that’s what makes the Pandora listening experience so unique. Through the power of thumbs, stations become personalized and attuned…
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Kali Uchis will make you feel lazy – like you need to be a more productive human being. The 20-year old singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer/retro-future fashion icon has earned a lot of attention since the release in early January of her acclaimed EP, Por Vida, and for good reason.
“I find it crucial to remain true to myself, my vision, and to never compromise or let anyone take that from me,” says Uchis. Her mystifying aura, substantial musical prowess and aesthetic seem to reference every marginalized subculture of last 50 years. Already celebrated amongst diverse circles for some time now, Kali Uchis is a safe bet to soon to be a more broadly recognized phenom. …
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If you’re looking to stretch it out and dance this weekend, we recommend tapping into the boundless rhythms of one of the most musically and culturally diverse nations in the Americas, Colombia. We’re highlighting the incredible musical output that Colombia has generated over the past 70-plus years by offering up a trio of genre stations: Cumbia Colombiana, Salsa Colombiana and Vallenato.
The rhythm that has become most synonymous with Colombian identity is that of Cumbia. Centuries in the making and born out of the confluence of African, Indigenous and European cultures; Cumbia is by far the most popular Latin American dance rhythm and continues to be endlessly appropriated and adopted up and down the hemisphere, spawning countless offshoots and innovations.
From the infectious swing of the early big band interpretations, pioneered by bandleaders like Pacho Galán, Lucho Bermúdez and Pedro Laza, to the stripped down accordion sound of squeeze box masters such as Alfredo Gutiérrez, Lisandro Meza and Andrés Landero; Cumbia as interpreted by the architects of the sound define the genre. Also included are some of the groups that would become international superstars like La Sonora Dinamita and Los Corraleros de Majagual, responsible in large part for so effectively disseminating Cumbia across Latin America and the world. …
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