If you’ve ever experienced a craving for the “fourth meal” from Taco Bell, I can almost guarantee these groups will satisfy the beast with half the calories. Whether you speak Spanish fluently or you took two semesters of it in high school, these international favorites speak the same language when it comes to laying down the beats. Cowboy Monkey’s salsa night has featured some jams from Wisin & Yandel, but if there’s anyone else out there whose Latin fix can’t be cured in one session of salsa, these fabulous four will take you to a whole new level (maybe even a whole different country).
Bajofondo’s Mar Dulce
Bajofondo presents their latest album of fusion rock español, club and tango music. Played in clubs throughout South and Latin America and with three hip-swaying albums to their label, Bajofondo Tango Club, Remixed and Mar Dulce, this is an example of the collaboration of Argentinian and Uruguayan culture at its peak. Gustavo Santaolalla and Juan Campodónico, the track’s major composers and mixers, break away from the heart-pumping salsa and tango, keeping their tracks chill as ice. True, it may not have hit it big in the U.S. yet, but you can hear this in every Latin hot spot, club and cafe from Cancun to Buenos Aires.
Wisin y Yandel’s Los Extraterrestres
Next on the menu are Puerto Rico’s “El Dúo Dinámico,” Wisin and Yandel. The two masters of Latino hip-hop and reggaeton have teamed up with stars such as Lenny Kravitz, Nelly Furtado and G-Unit to create piles of club-Latino hits. For fans of Daddy Yankee and Don Omar, the duo have sold out shows around the world, and with their most recent album and seventh studio release, Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres, this will be the first wave of global warming to hit the music industry.
Maná’s Revolucion de Amor
Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, Maná is probably the most internationally known “rock español” and reggae band. Influential, soulful and with the vocal capacity that rival’s U2, this band in particular is for anyone who’s been hankering after not only rock or reggae but also Caribbean acoustic. They have won Grammys and Latin Grammys and are an undying presence of the MTV of Latin America. The best introduction to their trophy case-like album collection is Revolución de Amor.
Shakira’s Pies Descalzos
Lastly is Colombia’s adorable Shakira. With five studio albums and probably more U.S. exposure and fans than any of the others, it is little wonder how she shot to the top of every chart from Chicago to Belize. She’s also collaborated with artists from Jean Wycleff to Beyoncé. However, while we are all maybe too aware of her pop-sounding Fijación Oral Vol. 1 & 2 and Laundry Service, maybe the album you’ve never heard of is the best one yet. Her second studio album, Pies Descalzos, is a Spanish masterpiece. Acoustic, a little rock and a lot of caliente, little miss Shakira had brought sexy back before Justin had even realized that the curls were not.
