In September, rock in spanish lost the great Marciano Cantero, frontman of Los Enanitos Verdes, who left an incredible legacy beyond the Latin rock space. Known for ’90s rock classics like “Luz de Día” and “Lamento Boliviano,” in 2019 the veteran rocker teamed up with Bad Bunny and J Balvin for their urban alternative track “Un Peso,” part of his album their cooperative. Oasis.
Like Cantero, legacy acts who have passed on—such as Antonio Aguilar, Vicente Fernández, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Ariel Camacho, Selena Quintanilla, and Jenni Rivera—remain relevant thanks to their anthemic rancheras or timeless salsa songs that continue to they carry soundtracks of Latino families. in the US and throughout Latin America. They have also inspired the new generation of artists. Eduin Caz of Grupo Firme said Billboard that seeing artists like Rivera on stage, “I realized the kind of artist I wanted to be. I knew I didn’t just want to be a singer, I wanted to be a star.”
To this day, sierreño Camacho, who died in a car accident in 2015 at the age of 23, is cited as an inspiration for today’s new wave of regional Mexican artists, including Eslabon Armado, Natanael Cano and Christian Nodal.
Billboard is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting 16 of the most iconic musical figures in Latin music. From Mexico’s iconic mariachi singer Antonio Aguilar to Puerto Rico’s “voice of salsa” Hector Lavoe to Texas’ unforgettable “Queen of Tejano” Selena Quintanilla and beyond, check out a list of Latin music icons of late, their cultural importance today and the greatest. Billboard hits below:
