Latin New York

Perhaps the greatest era of creativity in New York was the ‘60s and ‘70s, when salsa and bugaloo reigned. The immortal pairing of Willie Colón and Rubén Blades dominate the basics, along with salsa legends Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri, all native New Yorkers. Younger turks like Marc Anthony, Aventura, Prince Royce and Big Pun make their presence felt.

Hailing from the boogie down Bronx, Jennifer Lopez reminds us that in spite of her Hollywood success, deep down inside she’s still “Jenny From the Block.” Romeo Santos found platinum fame as a member of New York bachata-pop group Aventura; “You” is his first hit as a solo artist. Representing the new generation of Latin Alternative artists, New York-based acts like Yerba Buena and Diego Garcia have won over diverse audiences across the States and beyond.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra immediately established itself as the premier salsa combo in the U.S. with their 2002 debut album ‘Un Gran Día en el Barrio.’ Take a ride with bugaloo and Latin funk pioneer Joe Bataan on “Subway Joe.” King Changó came out of the city’s vibrant Latin Alternative scene in the mid ’90s and represents the Big Apple’s musical and cultural diversity on “Melting Pot.”

A large part of what we recognize as Latin music was actually pioneered in New York from the 1940s through the ‘70s. The city acted as a melting pot where musicians from all over Latin America came together, mixed their styles and came up with a different kind of New York sound. Whether it’s jazz, mambo, salsa, house, bachata, or hip-hop, this is all music that could only come from the streets of the Big Apple.