Latin Pop

Latin Pop in standard classification and in EML

In the standard definition Latin pop or Pop Latino is considered a subgenre of Western Pop Music originated from US-style music productions and Latin music genres from anywhere.

In EML Music taxonomy , Latin Pop is a level 2 Broad Genre of Pop Music Frame, together with Western and International Pop.

The sublevels of Latin Pop are three Music Clusters: Traditional , Classic and Contemporary Latin Pop

The roots

Latin Pop has its roots in the traditions of Spanish and Portuguese Folk Music but, thanks to the contribution of some pioneers, evolved in what today is a galaxy of national and regional scenes in all the Southern and Central America, Spain, Portugal and US.

Originating with Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin pop may also be made by musicians in Portuguese (mainly in Brazilian Portuguese) and the various Romance Creole languages.

In the last decades, thanks to the combined upbeat of Latin tempo and the catchy melodies of American pop music, Latin pop has became not only a genre itself, but one of the most popular and prolific division of music industry with a complex ramification of subgenres and styles.

Latin Pop in EML

This Level 2 broad Genre is an umbrella of local, national and continental music scenes and it's characterized by the contamination between traditional Latin folk, Western Pop, especially American, Hip Hop, Rock, Latin Pop ballads of the 80s and 90s, Reggaeton, bur most of all by the endless types and loca variations of Social and Ballroom Latin Dance music as : Salsa, Bachata, Son Cubano, Danzón music, Conga, Argentine Tango, Merengue, Colombian Cumbia, Quebradita, Mambo, Zouk, Kizomba, Pachanga, Latin Hustle, Baile Folklorico, Bomba , Plena, Perreo, Chacarera, Escondido, Zamba, Cuecaa and Habanera .

Even if Latin pop is profoundly affected by production techniques and other styles of music ,both Latin and otherwise, primarily originated in the United States, must not be confused with uptempo latin rock or dance music produced in Latin America, that in EML are classified starting from level 1 "Rock Frame" and "Dance Music".

In EML are considered Latin Pop artists any musicians of popular music having more than 51% of the works in their repertoire described as pop music works in Spanish or Portuguese language, having their largest spread in Latin America or Iberical region markets.

Latin Pop Star 60s-80s

Latin pop first reached a global audience through the work of bandleader Sergio Mendes in the mid-1960s , a major Latin pop star which predated artists as Julio Iglesias, Gloria Trevi , Alejandro Sanz, Thalía, Luis Miguel, Selena, Paulina Rubio, Shakira, Carlos Vives, Ricky Martin , Enrique Iglesias , Luis Fonsi, Marc Anthony, Juanes or Anitta.

Several native Spanish speaker artists as Christina Aguilera or Jennifer Lopez, with a mixed repertoire of both Latin and Western Pop works , in EML are classified according to the language with which they achieved their best success and analyzing whose among these two broad genres have been developed more thanks their artistic contribution.

Miranda, Iglesias and Carlos

Carmen Miranda popularized Latin samba music in Hollywood decades before this.

Julio Iglesias and Roberto Carlos's romantic ballads defined the boundaries of a new genres and styles since 1970s.

Tejano Music and Selena

Tejano music, centered in Texas and the United States/Mexico border region, had begun to introduce synthesizers, slicker production, and a more urban sensibility to formerly root styles like norteño and conjunto.

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as Selena, has been credited for helping redefine Latin music and its subgenres of Tejano, cumbia, and Latin pop. Selena broke barriers in the Latin music world and is considered "one of the most significant Mexican-American singers of the end of the twentieth century" and often defined "The Mexican Madonna".

The album "Dreaming of You" actually debuted posthumously at number one on the album charts upon its 1995 release

NY -Miami

New York and Miami were home to thriving Latin club scenes, which during the 1980s led to the rise of Latin freestyle, a club-oriented dance music that was rooted in Latin rhythms but relied on synthesizers and drum machines for most of its arrangements.

Both of these sounds influenced the rise of Latin pop, which retained Latin rhythms in its uptempo numbers but relied more on mainstream pop for its melodic sense.

Menudo (80s-90s)

During the 1980s and 1990s , with acts such as Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, Latin pop became the most popular form of Latin music in the United States, but achieved massive crossover success among non-Latino listeners only during the late 1990s.

Gloria Estefan

Latin pop's first major crossover star was Gloria Estefan, who scored a succession of non-club-oriented dance-pop hits during the mid- to late 1980s, but eventually became known more as an adult contemporary diva with an affinity for sweeping ballads.

This blend of Latinized dance-pop and adult contemporary balladeering, became the first major crossover of this broad genre and dominated the Latin pop scene through the 1990s.

Jon Secada landed several pop hits during the mid-1990s.

Ricky Martin and Thalía

Starting from late '90s and early 2000s Latin pop artists achieved crossover mainstream success both singing in Spanish for Latino audiences, and recording crossover hits in English

Ricky Martin and Thalía are considered the major figures of Latin Pop in 1990s.

According to both artistical rating and economic data indicator Enrique Iglesias, and Luis Fonsi might be considered the top Latin Artists in 2000's.

Spanish version of Western and European Pop tracks

Other traditionally pop artists also made forays into Latin pop either finding success experimenting with the sound, such as Debelah Morgan and 98 Degrees, or recording Spanish versions of their songs or albums, such as Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson, to name a few.

Credits

Tracks

Pixabay:

Cairo by Praz Khanal

Chris-No Puedo by Chris H

Freccero - Take Me by 86349

Latin Optimism - Acoustic Version by Sonican

Latin Uplift by AKTASOK

Dance Latin Reggaeton. Background Hip Hop by Maksym Dudchyk (White_Records)

Pasilda DVNNIK

Tropicana by Robloxeur

Pôr Do Sol / Latino Beat by SoulProdMusic

Reggaeton Pop - Gentle Waves - AntipodeanWriter