Spanish music spans an expansive world that encompasses diverse cultures with traditions from all corners of the globe.
Rosalia, for example, has made waves with her flamenco-influenced songs that also incorporate hip-hop influences. Soon she will perform across America in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York City.
Raphael
Miguel Rafael Martos Sanchez, more popularly known as Raphael, is an iconic Spanish singer renowned for his silky voice and dramatic performances. Over 50 million records have been sold during his 50-plus year career as well.
Raphael first documented love affair was with Margherita Luti, daughter of a baker residing in La Fornarina. The two were engaged, yet she died before they could actually wed.
In 1966 and 1967, he represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Luxembourg and Vienna with his songs “Yo soy aquel” and “Hablemos del amor”, placing seventh and sixth respectively. His repertoire consisted of Latin ballads which he performed widely across Europe and Latin America.
Monica Naranjo
Spanish musicians are revered worldwide for their electrifying performances and groundbreaking music. Spain’s unique sound blends traditional influences with international trends. Spanish singers frequently collaborate with international artists while exploring new genres to stay current within an industry which evolves quickly.
Monica Naranjo is an internationally acclaimed Spanish singer known for her repertoire of hits. Her powerful voice has made an impressionful mark both in Spanish and Latin music circles. Monica has collaborated with luminary singers like Luciano Pavarotti and Rocio Jurado among many others.
She recently released a symphonic album featuring orchestral arrangements of her most well-known songs, as well as using her platform for philanthropy through music by supporting LGBTQ rights through it. A true trailblazer in her field. The album can be streamed for streaming via Spotify or iTunes.
Sergio Dalma
Sergio Dalma quickly rose to fame through a TV show appearance and subsequent song contest win, becoming one of the foremost Latin pop singers today. His trademark raspy and emotive vocals have won critical acclaim and gained him worldwide adoration among his fan base.
He has developed an incredible range of musical genres – folk and flamenco among them. To showcase this, he has released an impressive catalog of albums which demonstrate his talent.
Spanish musicians are well-known for their diversity, with various musical styles flourishing across regions. Rap duo Dillom has created an excellent concept album while roots musician Rosalia has explored passionroot explorations with Rosalia; these developments mark an exciting time in Spain’s music scene. For classical performances, iconic opera houses such as Teatro Real and Gran Teatre del Liceu offer world-class performances.
Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade is a contemporary musical artist, songwriter, and singer. She hails from a musical family; her father being pianist Gaston Lafourcade while her grandaunt being writer Ximena Sarinan (Ximenez Sarinan). Additionally, Maria del Carmen Silva Contreras serves as a piano instructor specialized in teaching the Macarsi Method.
Mujer Divina: Homenaje a Agustn Lara was released as an understated tribute album to Mexico’s most eccentric composer Agustin Lara in 2011. While this could have come across as an obscure passion project, her 2012 follow-up Hasta la Raiz proved she was indeed an adept interpreter of traditional bolero repertoire.
At 17, producer Loris Ceroni heard Natalia’s demos and offered to form a pop/rock group under his guidance. Natalia declined, so instead Loris encouraged her to venture on her own; their album proved an instant hit and singles such as Busca un Problema, Elefantes, T quiero Dar and Mirame Mirate achieved star status.
Tangana
Tangana stands in stark contrast to pop stars who attempt to expand their fan base through more mainstream methods, like J Balvin or Enrique Iglesias, by maintaining his credibility as a rapper and remaining an influential alternative voice in Spanish speech. “My goal is to represent a different type of urban music,” Tangana states.
He was initially inspired by New York rappers Mobb Deep, Big L and Lord Finesse before beginning making hip-hop mixtapes under Crema in Madrid. Later forming Agorazein crew and later going solo as C. Tangana.
El Madrileno was his sophomore album that combined traditional flamenco vocals with an urban beat and elements of salsa, bachata, corrido and South American folk, winning four Latin Grammys as well as becoming one of the most-watched Tiny Desk sessions ever on NPR. Now with its Deluxe edition out this May, Spanish artist Pablo Garrido continues to surprise with his unique musical vision and push musical expectations further than ever.