Tag: Maluma

Música Mexicana Isn’t Just a Phenomenon in Mexico and the U.S.—It’s Taking Over Latin America.

May 3, 2024

As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, Música Mexicana is more than just a genre. It’s an essential part of Mexican culture, encompassing its history, traditions, and values.

Take the corrido, for example—a traditional form of song born from Mexico’s revolutionary times, and one of Música Mexicana’s most prominent styles. Corridos tell the stories of both real and fictional characters, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in heroic lyrics that convey past and present experiences.

But the genre’s impact isn’t limited to Mexico. Instead, it resonates with fans from different countries and cultures. And thanks to social media—as well as the global Spotify charts—Música Mexicana has seen a sharp uptick in popularity. Between 2018 and 2023, Música Mexicana streams on Spotify grew by more than 440% globally, and last year alone, streams rose by 55%. Additionally, Gen Z streams of Música Mexicana have grown by nearly 60% on Spotify over the last year.

Música Mexicana’s influence has especially grown throughout Latin America, where streams have increased by more than 195% between 2020 and 2023.

Latin American countries with the most Música Mexicana streams on Spotify

(April 2023-March 2024)

Guatemala
Colombia
Chile
Argentina
Peru
El Salvador
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Honduras
Paraguay

Cross-cultural exchange

Need further proof of Música Mexicana’s spread throughout Latin America? Look to the regular stream of recent hits that feature the genre’s biggest stars alongside the hottest hitmakers throughout the region.

Last year, Grupo Frontera collaborated with Bad Bunny on “un100xto,” which became the most-streamed Música Mexicana song in a single day, as well as the group’s biggest hit to date. And just this month, Natanael Cano appeared on Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 59.”

Música Mexicana artists with the most Spotify streams in Latin America

Made in Mexico, big in Colombia

In Colombia, where Mexican culture has also left its mark on film, television, and food, Música Mexicana has developed a life of its own, with Spotify streams surging by 445% between 2020 and 2023. The instruments, melodies, and lyrics of the genre have greatly influenced the current generation of Colombian music and in turn spawned a number of collaborations between Mexican and Colombian artists, beginning with Christian Nodal and Piso 21’s “Pa’ Olvidarme De Ella.”

Most notably, Peso Pluma appeared on Karol G’s “QLONA” and invited Blessd to hop on “LAS MORRAS,” while Carin Leon teamed up with Maluma on “Según Quién” and Piso 21 on “Que Triste.” Perhaps not coincidentally, both artists stand as the top two Música Mexicana artists when it comes to Spotify streams in Colombia.

These collaborations have enhanced the visibility of the genre in Colombia, resulting in a greater number of Colombian listeners’ embracing Música Mexicana artists and songs.

Scratching the surface

Música Mexicana may be enjoying its moment in the Colombian sun, but all signs indicate that the genre is just heating up abroad. For touring Música Mexicana artists, Colombia has emerged as a must-stop destination, with Carin Leon performing there for the first time in 2023; Grupo Frontera took the stage at the Estéreo Picnic Festival in Bogotá earlier this year.

While Música Mexicana’s stars have found a wealth of success in Colombia, Colombian artists are making waves in Mexico as well: Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo—who has collaborated with the likes of Grupo Firme on “Alaska,” Carin Leon on “Una Vida Pasada,” and Christian Nodal on “La Mitad”—receives more streams from fans in Mexico City than anywhere else in the world.

Spotify has been proud to support Música Mexicana and its rise into a global powerhouse. As its artists continue to expand its reach across Latin America, Colombia, and beyond, we’ll be there to support them.

Stream the hottest Música Mexicana tracks in the world on our playlist La Reina.

La Música Mexicana no es solamente un fenómeno en México y Estados Unidos, también en toda América Latina

May 3, 2024

Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansión en el mundo, la Música Mexicana va más allá de ser un género. Representa un componente vital de la cultura, abarcando su historia, sus tradiciones y sus valores.

Un claro ejemplo son los Corridos – canciones tradicionales que surgieron durante la época revolucionaria de México. Estos constituyen uno de los estilos más distintivos de la Música Mexicana y narran las vivencias de personajes tanto reales como ficticios, invitando a los oyentes a explorar letras heroicas que reflejan experiencias pasadas y presentes.

Más allá de sus fronteras, el impacto de este género musical se extiende a diversas culturas y países. Gracias a las redes sociales – así como a las listas globales de Spotify – la Música Mexicana ha visto un notable incremento en su popularidad. Entre 2018 y 2023, las reproducciones de este género en la plataforma aumentaron más de un 440% a nivel mundial, y solo el año pasado, el crecimiento fue del 55%. Adicionalmente, los streams de la Generación Z en Spotify han aumentado cerca del 60% durante el último año.

Sin duda, la influencia de la Música Mexicana ha experimentado un crecimiento muy notable en toda América Latina, con un aumento del 195% entre 2020 y 2023.

Países de América Latina con los mayores streams de Música Mexicana en Spotify

(Abril 2023-Marzo 2024)

Guatemala
Colombia
Chile
Argentina
Perú
El Salvador
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Honduras
Paraguay

Intercambio cultural

¿Buscas más evidencias del alcance de la Música Mexicana a lo largo de América Latina? Solo observa los éxitos recientes que incluyen a las mayores estrellas del género junto a los artistas más populares de la región.

El año pasado, Grupo Frontera colaboró con Bad Bunny en “un100xto”, resultando en su mayor éxito hasta la fecha. Y apenas este mes, Natanael Cano participó en “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 59” de Bizarrap.

Artistas de Música Mexicana con el mayor número de streams en América Latina

Hecho en México, popular en Colombia

En Colombia, donde la cultura mexicana también ha dejado su huella en el cine, la televisión y la comida, la Música Mexicana ha desarrollado una vida propia, con un aumento en las reproducciones en Spotify del 445% entre 2020 y 2023. Los instrumentos, las melodías y las letras del género han influido notablemente en la música local, y a su vez, han llevado a un aumento de colaboraciones entre artistas mexicanos y colombianos, empezando por “Pa’ Olvidarme De Ella” de Christian Nodal y Piso 21.

Además, sobresalen colaboraciones como la de Peso Pluma con KAROL G en “QLONA“, y con Blessd en “LAS MORRAS“. Igualmente destacan Carin León con Maluma en “Según Quién” y con Piso 21 en “Que Triste“. Quizás no sea coincidencia que ambos artistas sean los dos principales intérpretes de Música Mexicana con mayores streams en Spotify en Colombia.

Estas colaboraciones han incrementado la visibilidad del género en el país, atrayendo a un número creciente de oyentes locales que se han conectado con los artistas y las canciones de la Música Mexicana.

Solo el comienzo

La Música Mexicana puede estar disfrutando de su momento bajo el sol colombiano, pero todo indica que este género apenas está empezando a calentar motores en el extranjero. Colombia se ha convertido en una parada esencial para los artistas de Música Mexicana, con eventos destacados como el debut de Carin León en 2023 y la participación de Grupo Frontera en el Festival Estéreo Picnic a principios de este año.

Mientras las estrellas de la música mexicana han encontrado un éxito considerable en Colombia, los artistas colombianos también están dejando su huella en México: Camilo, el cantautor colombiano que ha colaborado con figuras como Grupo Firme en “Alaska“, Carin León en “Una Vida Pasada” y Christian Nodal en “La Mitad“, recibe más reproducciones en Ciudad de México que en cualquier otra parte del mundo.

Spotify se enorgullece de apoyar la Música Mexicana en su ascenso a la escena global. A medida que sus artistas continúan expandiendo su influencia a través de América Latina, Colombia y más allá, seguiremos respaldándolos en su crecimiento.

Escucha las canciones más calientes de Música Mexicana en nuestra playlist La Reina.

Meet the New Generation of Colombian Urban Artists Making Waves

April 10, 2024

In recent years, reggaeton has become practically synonymous with Colombia. The country has infused its own sounds and a unique flow into the genre, establishing itself as a hub for reggaeton’s global expansion. Colombian urban artists like J Balvin, Maluma, KAROL G, and Feid have become international stars, helping drive the popularity of Colombian reggaeton around the world. According to Spotify data, beyond its home turf, the genre is most consumed in Mexico, the U.S., Spain, Chile, and Argentina.

Today, more than 350 million user-generated playlists globally on Spotify include at least one song by a Colombian reggaeton artist. The success of the genre has paved the way for emerging talent to embrace these rhythms and start building a new legacy, broadening the spectrum of urban music, experimenting with new sounds, and gaining recognition as the next wave of Colombian artists to watch.

These rising stars plan to follow in the footsteps of the genre’s greatest artists, topping charts around the world. Here are five Colombian artists from the new generation who should be on your radar.

Juan Duque

Born in Marinilla, Antioquia, Juan Duque launched his music career in 2018 and has been steadily raising his profile ever since. On Spotify, the artist has seen a 245% increase in worldwide streams in the last 12 months, having amassed his largest audiences in Colombia, Mexico, the U.S., Spain, and Peru.

His top song on the platform is “Maria” with 17.9 million streams, followed by “Juan Duque Hotline: Cobuz & Bustta” (10.3 million), “+ Chimbita” (5.9 million), and “Maria – Remix” featuring reggaeton star Ryan Castro (5.1 million).

Pirlo

Currently sitting at 4.4 million monthly Spotify listeners, Pirlo is one of the members of the “Cali Cartel,” a collective of urban artists from Cali, one of Colombia’s most important cities. In the last year, the artist’s song streams on Spotify have increased by 657% worldwide and 543% in Colombia, where he has his largest audience, followed by the U.S., Mexico, Spain, and Chile.

He has also teamed up with artists like Feid and Blessd, further boosting his reach. “CUAL ES ESA,” a collaboration with Feid, is Pirlo’s top song with 62.4 million streams, followed by “Ziploc (Blessd Version)” with the Paisa artist Blessd, which has racked up 33.8 million streams.

El Clooy

Carlos Alberto Valoyes Rentería, known by his stage name, El Clooy, is a young, versatile urban artist from Antioquia. Growing up, he was influenced by genres like R&B and hip-hop, as well as artists like Chris Brown and Justin Bieber, though he cites Puerto Rican artist Arcángel as his biggest inspiration.

On Spotify, El Clooy currently has over 366,000 monthly listeners. He has seen a nearly 20% increase in streams in Colombia in the last year, with his top song “Ganas” surpassing 8.7 million streams.

Esteban Rojas

Also known as “La Nue,” Esteban Rojas is another member of the “Cali Cartel.” As a performer-improviser-rapper-singer with over 1.8 million monthly Spotify listeners, the Cali native has emerged as an artist to watch.

The artist’s song streams on Spotify have increased by an impressive 2,400% worldwide and 2,246% in Colombia. His top song is “Todos Mienten,” a collaboration with Soley that has racked up 12.6 million streams, followed by “Bulevar” with 10.8 million streams.

Soley

Soley is a singer-songwriter whose vocal versatility and discipline have earned her recognition across various genres, with songs like “3:33” and “Respira” racking up 4.2 million and 1.4 million streams, respectively.

Born in Armenia, the young Colombian artist currently has over 427,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and she was one of the openers for Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito Fest in Medellín last December. Her audience is largely based in Colombia, Spain, the U.S., Mexico, and Peru.

Stream our Made in Colombia playlist to discover more of the country’s hottest artists.

Celebramos a Medellín con Casa Spotify Medallo, un lugar de encuentro para artistas y creadores emergentes

September 7, 2022

Medellín ha sido uno de los polos gravitatorios de la música latina y pilar de la industria músical en la región por más de un siglo. Esta ciudad es la casa de grandes artistas de la música popular colombiana como Lucho Bermúdez y la orquesta de salsa de Fruko y sus Tesos. Famosamente, la ciudad es la cuna del boom del reggaetón colombiano con estrellas como Maluma, J Balvin, Karol G y Sebastián Yatra, que han puesto a Medellín en el mapa como una capital de la música latina urbana.

Ahora, para celebrar la tradición musical de la ciudad, Spotify presenta Casa Spotify Medallo, un lugar para compartir espacios de educación, colaboración e inspiración, dedicado a los artistas urbanos, productores, compositores y creadores de podcasts.

Casa Spotify Medallo estará en la ciudad del 11 de octubre al 3 de noviembre, y será una residencia y estudio de grabación abierto a creadores de audio emergentes. En ella podrán encontrar una programación diaria que incluye talleres, clases magistrales, paneles y showrooms con productores y personalidades reconocidas, pensados en impulsar y potenciar sus capacidades creativas.

Las puertas de la casa, ubicada en un lugar histórico en el corazón de la ciudad, estarán abiertas para la nueva ola urbana paisa y creadores locales para seguir elevando el talento de la ciudad que le ha dado tanto a la industria musical global

“Celebramos a Colombia por su riqueza cultural y musical que es reconocida a nivel mundial gracias a sus artistas, productores y compositores.”, dice Mia Nygren, directora general para Latinoamérica. “Llegamos a Medellín para escuchar a artistas emergentes y creadores de audio con la meta generar oportunidades de colaboración y de impulsar al talento local para alcanzar nuevas audiencias a través de nuestra plataforma”, “Queremos demostrarle al talento emergente que Spotify es su mejor aliado para lograr que más oyentes descubran su arte”

Situada en un valle que cautiva con sus imponentes montañas, Medellín también ha sido la cuna de legendarios sellos como Discos Fuentes, Codiscos y Sonolux, así como la ciudad que adoptó como propios los tangos de Carlos Gardel.

Desde la década de los ochenta, en Medellín se han gestado diversas escenas con un sabor único en géneros como el rock con Ekhymosis que le dió luego vida a la carrera solista de Juanes, el metal con bandas como Kraken, el punk con I.R.A, y más recientemente el Hip-hop con bandas legendarias como AlcolirykoZ.

En los últimos años, el boom del reggaetón abrió las puertas a la nueva ola de héroes locales representados por Feid, Ryan Castro y talentos que han formado parte del programa de artistas emergentes de Spotify RADAR Andinos como Ovy on The Drums y Blessd, así como Farina, embajadora del programa EQUAL Colombia.

Con Casa Spotify Medallo, buscamos reconocer los sonidos originales y las historias de los nuevos creadores de la ciudad que han demostrado que sus sonidos rompen barreras, demostrando nuestro compromiso de conectar, educar e inspirar a las nuevas generaciones de creadores, productores, compositores y podcasteros. Por eso los creadores interesados en formar parte de esta convocatoria podrán inscribirse del 7 al 13 de septiembre registrándose aquí, y postulando una de sus composiciones favoritas que esté alojada en la plataforma.

Queremos que disfrutes con nosotros la Casa Spotify Medallo.

Conoce la programación de todas las sesiones educativas en Casa Spotify Medallo aquí, donde puedes inscribirte a los eventos que te interesen.

Descubre los sonidos urbanos de Medellín en la playlist Fino.

Celebrate Medellín with Casa Spotify Medallo, an Open Studio Residency for Emerging Artists and Creators

September 7, 2022

Medellín, Colombia, has been one of the gravitational poles for Latin music and a pillar of the music industry in the region for over a century. This city is home to great Colombian popular music artists such as Lucho Bermúdez and the salsa orchestra Fruko y sus Tesos. Famously, the city also gave birth to the Colombian reggaeton explosion with stars like Maluma, J Balvin, Karol G y Sebastián Yatra, artists that have put Medellin on the map as a capital of urban Latin music.

Now, to celebrate the musical tradition of the city, Spotify is presenting Casa Spotify Medallo, a place for inspiration, collaboration and education, dedicated to urban artists, producers, composers and podcast creators.

Casa Spotify Medallo will open in Medellín on October 11th to November 3rd, where it will be an artistic residency and recording studio open to emerging audio creators. Artists and creators will find a daily program that includes workshops, masterclasses, panels and showrooms with producers and influential personalities, designed to promote and enhance their creative abilities.

The doors to the house, located in a historic place in the heart of the city, will be open to the new paisa urban wave and local creators, to continue raising the talent of a city that has given so much to the global music industry.

“We celebrate Colombia for its cultural and musical richness, recognized worldwide thanks to its artists, producers and composers,” says Mia Nygren, General Manager for Latin America. “We are here in Medellin to listen to emerging artists and audio creators with the goal of generating collaboration opportunities and empowering local talent to reach new audiences through our platform. We want to show emerging talent that Spotify is their best ally to get more listeners to discover their art.”

Located within a valley and surrounded by captivating mountains, Medellín is the birthplace of legendary labels such as Discos Fuentes, Codiscos and Sonolux, which shaped Latin music for decades, as well as the city that adopted Carlos Gardel’s tangos as its own.

In the eighties, rock took over withEkhymosis, which later gave life to Juanes‘ solo career, metal with bands like Kraken, punk with I.R.A, and more recently Hip-hop with legendary bands like AlcolirykoZ.

Later, the city’s reggaeton boom opened the doors to the new wave of local heroes represented by Feid, Ryan Castro and talents that have been part of Spotify’s RADAR Andinos like Ovy on The Drums and Blessd, and other artists like Farina, our program ambassador of EQUAL Colombia.

With Casa Spotify Medallo, we seek to recognize the original sounds and stories of the new paisa creators who have shown that their sounds break barriers while also expressing our commitment to a new generation of creative talent. That’s why creators interested in being part of Casa Spotify Medallo can register on this link and submit one of their favorite compositions hosted on the platform. The link will be open from September 7 to september 13 .

We want you to enjoy Casa Spotify Medallo with us.

Learn more about the programming of all the educational sessions at Casa Spotify Medallo here, where you can sign up for the events that interest you.

Discover the urban sounds of Medellín in our Fino playlist.

Spotify Supergrouper Lets Fans Mix and Match Their Favorite Artists Into the Band of Their Dreams

June 28, 2022

Over the years, fans have been surprised by collaborations between their favorite artists onstage and in the recording booth. Remember when Gorillaz and Madonna performed together at the Grammys? How about when Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. came together for “Walk This Way?” The possibilities are endless for these creative partnerships—and fans have plenty of dream groupings of their own. Enter Supergrouper, a Spotify in-app experience that invites music fans in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines to create and share their ultimate all-star assemblies of artists.

Look at your playlists and liked songs on Spotify; you’ll probably notice that the artists you listen to don’t fit into one genre or era. But perhaps you can imagine, say, Luke Combs performing side by side with Khalid and Florence + The Machine.

Maybe they come from different parts of the world, maybe some have passed on, or maybe they just haven’t had a reason to come together—yet. Supergrouper gives you the power to bring together your dream band of artists and share your creative combinations with friends and fellow fans. Here’s how:

First and foremost, make sure your Spotify app is up-to-date.
Visit https://spotify.com/supergrouper on your mobile device.
Choose your artists: Select the artists you’d like in your dream band. You’ll also get to select their roles, whether “The Lead,” “The Lyricist,” “The Hypeman,” and more. If you’re stuck, you can let Spotify randomize artists for you based on your listening habits.
Add a name: Take your personalization one step further and give your super group a special name.
Share and listen: Supergrouper will create a personalized playlist for you that features music from all of your super group artists. Plus, you’ll receive a custom card to share with friends and followers on social media.

Although there’s no guarantee your favorite artists will get together onstage or in the studio, Supergrouper lets you do the next-best thing. Now, you can really imagine—or even try to manifest—a collaboration between Mariah Carey, Charlie Puth, and Maluma.

What are you waiting for? Put your music director hat on and head to spotify.com/supergrouper to start creating the world’s next music super group.

A Beat, a Queen, and a Lot of Gasoline: ‘LOUD’ Podcast Explores a Genre’s Evolution

August 4, 2021

Few genres have taken the world by storm in recent years quite like reggaeton. The beat is said to have originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but it soon became a staple in music throughout Latin America, influencing countless musicians who have become icons of the genre.

Starting today, LOUD, a new Spotify Original podcast, explores the full tapestry of reggaeton music—from its origins in San Juan to the successes of cultural hits like Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to its prominence in cities like Santiago, Chile, and Medellín, Colombia.

And who better to tell this story but Puerto Rican singer, rapper, and songwriter Ivy Queen?

Follow along over the course of 10 chapters and across five countries as host Ivy Queen weaves a story featuring special guests and Latinx music icons such as Nicky Jam, Zion y Lennox, Sech, and Maluma. They speak about their stories within the history of the genre, one that has generated massive hits, global artists, and the futuristic sound defining the 21st century.

For the Record spoke to creative producer Julio A. Pabón about the series, which was three years in the making.

You’ve been reporting on this topic for years. What prompted the idea for this podcast?

I’ve always wanted to make the definitive audio documentary on reggaeton. There are so many stories, rumors, half-truths, and exaggerated facts out there that I knew someone had to set the record straight and tell as close to a definitive oral history as possible. At the time, our team helped with podcast development, so I took the opportunity to develop the series as an audio-exclusive offering.

The podcast is broken down into three parts. How and why did you pick the themes for these chapters? How do they come together to tell the overarching story?

The three parts are essentially created by watershed moments in reggaeton’s history that most people would describe as “genre defining.” Without giving too much away, the release of Daddy Yankee’s song “Gasolina” was an example of one of those moments.

We followed a chronological approach to telling this story, starting with the roots of reggaeton in the Black communities of Panama. As with most documentary storytelling, the themes revealed themselves as we moved forward and did more research from there.

The podcast features the voices of so many influential artists and creators. Did anyone have thoughts or stories that surprised you?

So many things, and I grew up on reggaeton! I had a great experience learning about the origins of certain rivalries between MCs, Jamaican immigration to Panama, and the true meanings of certain colloquialisms, just to name a few. The one that probably will stand out most is that Daddy Yankee was a baseball prospect before getting shot in the leg and deciding to take music seriously. What would the genre be without him? And yet it almost didn’t happen.

What were the main challenges in putting together a podcast of this scope?

Access was our biggest challenge. The genre is now in its thirties, so there are some people who are no longer with us and others who changed careers and never looked back.

What conversations about reggaeton are you hoping this podcast can spark?

I want this podcast to spark conversations about race, sex, and the politics of the culture. In the end, it’s an inspirational tale of how a marginalized community created a genre of music with universal appeal. The idea behind LOUD is to spark that inspiration many times over. This isn’t exclusive to reggaeton though—we want to explore K-pop, Afrobeat, and Brazilian funk in future seasons.

Stream the first episode of LOUD today.

Los Cañonazos Bailables: Los clásicos de la rumba colombiana llegan a Spotify

December 19, 2019

Una de las tradiciones en el mes de diciembre en Colombia es reunirse con familia y amigos durante los nueve días antes de la Navidad para celebrar las “Novenas” para disfrutar platos típicos, risas y, un poco más entrada la noche, música bailable colombiana para prender la rumba.

¿De dónde viene ese ritmo que convirtió una tradición en un baile de barrio? La respuesta está en Los Cañonazos Bailables, el compilado anual de éxitos que produce la reconocida disquera Discos Fuentes.

Los Cañonazos Bailables cambiaron la forma de escuchar y comercializar la música al reunir por primera vez en la historia de la música en Colombia –y en América Latina– los éxitos bailables en una misma entrega. El primer volumen de Los Cañonazos incluyó éxitos de Lucho Bermúdez Y Su Orchestra, Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros y Los Teen Agers.

Después de 1960, Discos Fuentes seguirían publicando cada año un nuevo volumen de Los Cañonazos Bailables, que se convertiría en una pieza clave en la cultura y un acontecimiento anual para los amantes de la rumba. Aún hoy, canciones que fueron grandes éxitos de este compilado como El Preso de Fruko y Sus Tesos con Wilson Manyoma, Rebelión del Joe Arroyo y La Verdad o Isla para Dos de Galileo Y Su Banda, despiertan entre los colombianos un incontrolable impulso de bailar y un sentimiento de nostalgia a las fiestas.

Los Cañonazos Bailables son solo uno de los destacados aportes de Discos Fuentes a la cultura musical en América Latina. La compañía fue fundada en 1934 en Cartagena por Antonio, uno de los seis hermanos de la familia Fuentes, después de un viaje a los Estados Unidos. Impresionado con la tecnología de la industria musical, Antonio regresó a Colombia con la idea de grabar las canciones de los artistas locales.

En una época en que la música se consumía a través de la radio y la gente iba a bailar a los salones inspirados en Cuba, Discos Fuentes llevó la música y el baile al público masivo gracias a la introducción de tecnologías innovadoras para la época como la producción de discos en serie. Con presentaciones como la de Lucho Bermúdez o la de Pacho Galán, la disquera le apostó a la reivindicación de los ritmos tradicionales de la región caribeña junto con grandes actos al mejor estilo de las big bands americanas. La música tropical colombiana conquistaría muchos corazones –y caderas– y atraería la atención de los públicos internacionales.

“Cuando le preguntas a los jóvenes por artistas colombianos de talla internacional, muchos no recuerdan que hace 40 años llenábamos escenarios en todo el mundo con artistas como Los Corraleros de Majagual”, señala Tony Peñarredonda, actual gerente general de Discos Fuentes, recordando los grandes éxitos de la música colombiana antes de Shakira, J Balvin y Maluma. “Teníamos al Joe Arroyo, Rodolfo Aicardi, Latin Brothers y Fruko y Sus Tesos en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York. Era el inicio de una explosión de nuestro folclor por todo el mundo”.

85 años después del nacimiento de Discos Fuentes, la música se escucha diferente. Gracias al streaming, sus canciones están trascendiendo fronteras. Asimismo, su música está evolucionando para responder a las nuevas audiencias, cada vez mejor perfiladas gracias a la data y la información que ofrece la tecnología. Ejemplo de esto son artistas como Afrosound y la DJ Electropika, quienes han tomado las raíces musicales y el folclor latino con instrumentos como la gaita y el acordeón, y le han sumado nuevos elementos provenientes del rock, el pop y la música urbana.

A través de Spotify, la disquera quiere proyectar su idea de música para la posteridad. Una propuesta creativa, más que comercial, seguros de que lo que surge como una manifestación del ingenio y del gusto en la música, puede convertirse en un éxito. “Lo que está naciendo son nuevas propuestas donde hay más apertura, los artistas no están encasillados y son más abiertos a nuevos ritmos. Lo más importante es que tengan calidad y que realmente transmitan alegría, baile y movimiento, que es lo que buscamos con la música”, concluye Peñarredonda.

¿Quieres explorar más? Revisa playlists de la disquera como los Cañonazos bailables 59, Discos Fuentes Top 100 y DICIEMBRE COLOMBIANO.

Riding the Rhythm of the Colombian Music Explosion

April 20, 2018

Without a doubt, the fuego behind Colombian music is spreading fast. And like the salsa dancing at the heart of the “land of a thousand rhythms,” the energy of the movement isn’t missing a beat.

Colombia is a musical melting pot of cultures, styles, instruments, and artists, and this incredible diversity has given rise to a wealth of eclectic music inspired by folkloric styles, modern sounds, and global genres. From pop to reggaeton to rap to indie and folk, Colombian artists from all avenues of music are catching fire, in real life and across the globe through Spotify.

This rise of Colombian artists springs from the popularity of reggaeton and other infectious Latin rhythms bleeding into pop music. You hear it from homegrown powerhouses Shakira and Juanes, to Medellín’s own reggaeton stars J Balvin and Maluma, and the list goes on.

In fact, about 28 percent of tracks in ¡Viva Latino!—Spotify’s popular Latin Music playlist—is from Colombian artists, second only to Puerto Rican artists. And 90 percent of streams for Colombian artists on Spotify happen outside of Colombia—the main audience is in Mexico, followed by the U.S., Spain, Argentina and Chile.

But Colombian music today isn’t limited to pop and reggaeton. Following the lead of alternative Colombian music that burst onto the charts in the ‘90s (with Aterciopelados, and more recently, Bomba Estereo), a generation of alternative artists like the Grammy-winning Monsieur Periné are breaking through.

Monsieur Periné, the female-fronted Afro-Colombian gypsy jazz ensemble, mashes up Latin and European styles and blends languages in surprising ways. Creating a fresh new sound all their own, the Bogotá-based band transforms samples from traditional Colombian music and spins lyrics in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. Their soulful tunes are interwoven with threads of swing and pop, fused with heart-thumping Latin rhythms like cumbia, salsa and Andean instrumentation.

“Colombia is a territory with spirit, and it needs to express it,” Catalina Garcia, Monsieur Periné’s lead singer, says in a new video episode of ¡Viva Latino! featuring an intimate version of the group’s new song “Bailar Contigo.”

“We make music that is a part of us, and a part of where we come from,” says Santiago. Her home is Quindío, nestled in western central Colombia and crossed by the Andes mountains, where her family has grown coffee for four generations. “From the time we are born, we are music because our heart plays the rhythm of life,” she says.

Featuring Monsieur Periné’s music on Spotify has exponentially amplified the band’s reach. Catalina also credits streaming her band’s songs on Spotify with opening up opportunities for Monsieur Periné to be heard in entirely new places. “It has allowed us to access many places where our music didn’t arrive before,” she says.

Being on the largest music streaming service in the world also helps the band connect with their fans on updates from new tour stops to their latest music. “Having our tour dates or playlist curated by ourselves allows us to show things to our fans that we did not have the ability to do before,” Catalina says.

As massive devourers of music themselves, Catalina and her bandmates also look to Spotify as an endless source of creative inspiration—an infinite toolkit to help them take their music to the next level again and again.

“Spotify is a huge encyclopedia of artists and music, an infinite sea of musical influences,” she says. “We have been able to discover songs from all over the world, from all periods, from all genres, and all these things that we listen to influence our way of creating.”

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