Without a shadow of a doubt, the Spanish-speaking music industry has taken the world by storm in recent years. It has gained unknown territory and has made a solid mark in the English speaking world and music scenes. More and more, we are seeing fusions between the Anglo-Saxon industry and that of the Latino music scene in an ever more globalized world… For example, Despacito and especially Justin Beiber’s remix of this song by Puerto Rican Luis Fonsi, has been streamed 4.6 billion times! This is truly a breakthrough for Latino Music outside of Latin America and the Spanish Peninsular.
If you decide to go on a night out after finishing your Spanish classes one day at Academia Contacto in the great city of Madrid, chances are that you will hear un poco of what they call Reggaeton in the clubs and discotecas. Reggaeton is a genre of music which originated in the Spanish-speaking island of Puerto Rico during the late 1990s. It is influenced by hip hop, Latin American and Caribbean music. It often includes a mixture of rapping and singing. In the past decade, the so-called ‘’La canción del Verano’’, or Summer Song has more often than not been in the style of Reggaeton. For example, in 2005 when Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina was the official song of the Spanish summer.
Listening to music in Spanish is a great way to improve your Spanish course in Madrid, get a taste for the language and also to learn more colloquial phrases that you will never see in a textbook. On the way to class in the morning you could download a playlist and enjoy! You will also be able to start to recognize nuances in the rich and diverse Spanish language in different Spanish-speaking nations.
It’s easy to see right now the breakthrough of Latin American music across the whole world. But…what about Spanish music from the peninsular? There is a rich variety of home-grown talent in Spain, you simply need to know what to look for!
Spanish group: Dorian
Dorian is a Spanish group from Barcelona. They have been active since 2004. Their style is a mix of indie rock with electronic music. One of their most famous albums is La Ciudad Subterránea. This album includes a song, Tormenta de Arena, which was the soundtrack to a Spanish film, starring Mario Casas, Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo. One of my favorites, is Cualquier Otra Parte. The music video for this song features a famous Spanish actress, Maria Valverde. If you like chilled indie rock with a Spanish twist, you are sure to love this band. Dorian will also be present at a music festival in Madrid, at the esteemed Complutense campus in September, for the DCode Music Festival. One not too be missed…
Spain has an up-and-coming indie rock scene which boasts a lot of talent and would be a shame to miss out on. So, after finishing your classes at Academia Contacto, widen your Spotify horizons and discover whether or not Spanish music is for you. You could even have a little go at translating some lyrics! Poco a poco!
Senor Chinarro and Los Planetas are some of the breakthrough artists of the 1990s. Los Planetas have an iconic album called Una Semana en el motor de un autobús.
Moreover, Fuel Fandango is an iconic duo not to be missed! They formed in 2010 in the southern city of Córdoba. Their style is magical and unlike what you will encounter anywhere else. Indeed, it is a mix of electronic beats with a flamenco twist. They continue to tour internationally.
It’s probably fair to say that Spain is yet to reach the sort of international recognition that maybe it desires. However, the Spanish music scene nonetheless is bursting with talent, especially in the niche indie rock scene. If this floats your boat, give it a try.
