Keeping It Fresh

Today we are starting off with an artist from Puerto Rico! It has been ages since my last post regarding Latin music, so today I wanted to bring you some fresh sounds by the singer-songwriter known as Luis Fonsi. And when it comes to musical academia, this guy has a lot going for him. While Luis Fonsi studied music during college, he also participated in a traveling choir which took him all over the US and England. On top of it all, his songwriting skills have earned quite a few awards and nominations, including a Latin Grammy. But I realize that you all didn't come here for a biography lesson, so let's jump into the music! This song reached the top of so many charts and did so very quickly. What is interesting to note though, is that this song is still relatively unknown. How this happened, I am not so sure about, but there are a couple of things I wanted to point out about this. First, this is the first Latin and Spanish pop song to reach the global top 10 playlist on Spoti...

Today I have some really cool music for you by an incredibly obscure artist by the name Massari. Shoutout to my friend who showed me this song! I was honestly really impressed by this song. It has all the sexy elements of a Spanish song while being sung completely in English. Seems less than ordinary right? BUT what makes this song different is the fact that there are a lot of Middle Eastern influences in the song. Which is completely warranted because Massari is actually Lebanese-Canadian. What I love about this song is that we get that cultural immersion with the way this song is composed. The melodies have a very distinct Middle Eastern theme to them, with the scale pattern that is associated with the Middle East. That Arabic sound is coupled with Latin sounding beats. I could be wrong in my opinion as to how they sound. It could be that the percussion and beat is still along the lines of Arabic sounds, but I also get that slight bachata beat. Either way, this son...

Today I have a fun and energetic song by the artist F4ST. Now I had not heard of these guys till today, and I was totally taken in by this song. It is definitely a catchy one and has so much liveliness to it. One of the things I really like about this song is that it kind of has a darker tropical sound. A lot of times tropical electronic music has a very bubbly and happy and beachy sound. But this song takes some of those tropical sounds and warps them to have a chillstep influence. I thought that was pretty cool! The Columbian electronic duo brings their own cultural flavor to this song. The entire second verse is sung in Spanish. It is not often that we get to hear something like that. I mean it is one thing to have a Spanish artist write a song that is produced as a more upbeat electronic song. But having a song that is specifically meant to be and EDM song meshed with English and Spanish? Well that is definitely something you do not hear everyday. And that is pretty cool! I like th...

Today I have some music for you that comes from Latin America. Yandel is one of the more popular artists from the world of reggaeton. This has to be one of my absolute favorite genres to come from the world of Latin music. There is an infectious and fun and sexy energy that comes with reggaeton. What is cool about reggaeton music is that the genre itself is a mix of so many musical styles an influences. We hear Caribbean influences as well as Spanish and American hip hop influences. In fact, much of reggaeton now is influenced by this idea of Latin American hip hop, and it has picked up momentum quickly. This style of music is also rooted in the Latin American beat groove called a tresillo. This beat pattern is standard for Latin American music, especially reggaeton. In fact, this tresillo beat is what makes Latin American music so easy to recognize. Lyrics aside, this tresillo is that beat that every Latin American song has which makes it so unique in comparison to the rest of the wor...

Today I have some really cool music for you by an incredibly obscure artist by the name Massari. Shoutout to my friend who showed me this song! I was honestly really impressed by this song. It has all the sexy elements of a Spanish song while being sung completely in English. Seems less than ordinary right? BUT what makes this song different is the fact that there are a lot of Middle Eastern influences in the song. Which is completely warranted because Massari is actually Lebanese-Canadian. What I love about this song is that we get that cultural immersion with the way this song is composed. The melodies have a very distinct Middle Eastern theme to them, with the scale pattern that is associated with the Middle East. That Arabic sound is coupled with Latin sounding beats. I could be wrong in my opinion as to how they sound. It could be that the percussion and beat is still along the lines of Arabic sounds, but I also get that slight bachata beat. Either way, this song is a very smooth ...

Today I have music for you by the DJ known as Sketchy Bongo and the singer known as Shekhinah. I hadn't really heard of any of these artists till super recently, but I instantly fell in love. I mean to the point where I have listened this song over and over again and still love it. This song gets me up and wanting to dance and enjoy and have fun. Shekhinah has a really nice voice, one that is very strong and clearly powerful, but she has so much control over it. This control is evident with the way she uses her voice, going into the falsetto with ease and returning back to that clear and soulful voice. This song is one that I really appreciate and find so incredible for a couple of reasons. First of all, the general melody of the song is something that is super unique and diverse. It features the use of an Indian instrument called a tabla. This is the sound that you hear as a percussion, keeping the beat. It is the only drum-ish sound that you hear in this song. I seriously love th...

Today I have music for you by one of my favorite DJs ever. Flume is someone who is weirdly in the underground music scene but is also in the mainstream flow of music. What I love about Flume is that he has a sound that is completely his own. There are other DJs who have tried and done a pretty good job at trying to pull off the same musical style that Flume has, but none of them have been able to perfect it the way Flume has. His music has a lot more emphasis on tone and texture than other artists do. Flume is extremely intentional and deliberate with which sounds he decides to use, taking the time to make sure he finds the right ones. A lot of his songs combine the sultry side of R&B with smooth female vocals, and that combined with the synthetic beats and programmed harmonies, is what gives Flume's music the kind of song that it has. It is a more laid back and chill vibe, but still has hard hitting and clear beats. This song in particular has a little bit more of an upbeat vi...

Today I have a remix of one of the most popular songs of 2015. But you see, I am not here to talk about the original song. That has been overdone and overheard for a while. No, today is all about how genius and well done this remix is. This was done by Balvin and Farruko, a duo of Latin American artists. Now what makes this remix one of my favorites is the fact that Balvin and Farruko totally embrace that Spanish and Latin American flair and add it to the song. What is great about this song is that Major Lazer made it a culturally ambiguous one. While it is clear that the instrumentals and beats are more inclined to one cultural style over another, there are a lot of these ethnic sounds that sound so great with the song. And because of this, having a Spanish remix is something that is new and innovative and very compatible. This has a really interesting twist of reggaeton in it, which makes it less noticeable because the original song is moombahton. A quick breakdown of moombahton, it ...

Today I have some really cool music for you by an incredibly obscure artist by the name Massari. Shoutout to my friend who showed me this song! I was honestly really impressed by this song. It has all the sexy elements of a Spanish song while being sung completely in English. Seems less than ordinary right? BUT what makes this song different is the fact that there are a lot of Middle Eastern influences in the song. Which is completely warranted because Massari is actually Lebanese-Canadian. What I love about this song is that we get that cultural immersion with the way this song is composed. The melodies have a very distinct Middle Eastern theme to them, with the scale pattern that is associated with the Middle East. That Arabic sound is coupled with Latin sounding beats. I could be wrong in my opinion as to how they sound. It could be that the percussion and beat is still along the lines of Arabic sounds, but I also get that slight bachata beat. Either way, this song is a very smooth ...

Today I have music for you by one of my favorite Latin artists/duos, Wisin y Yandel. This song is probably my favorite one by them for a multitude of reasons. First, this song has a sick beat and an awesome melody. It retains that traditional Latin sound with the pipes but also integrates the more modern electronic and bass sound to it. There is this perfect marriage between Western R&B and Latin beats which gives the song so much body and dynamism. T-Pain was a great addition to the song because of his extensive experience in the industry, producing and performing. Second, this song is a phenomenal dance song. Seriously. This song comes on and no one can stay still. If you are like me, you dance quietly in your room and if anyone ever walked in they would immediately leave or laugh because I go hard. But even in public, I have to sway a little or head bang, and of course I mouth the lyrics all the time. Which brings me to the next point. This song brilliantly fuses English R&B...

Today's song is by English grime rapper Wiley. This is the first song I heard by him, and I absolutely loved it! The rapping has a fantastic beat with a very Caribbean/Latin American sound to it. I have to say, he reminds me of Sean Paul! This is the kind of song that is meant to be energetic and fun rather than deep and meaningful. I won't lie, the lyrics are a little sparse in terms of actually being deep and thought provoking. However, this is the kind of song you would want to hear when you are at a pool party or hanging out on the beach or doing something totally fun and wild. It has that infectious osund and rhythm that makes you want to move and dance along to it. While I can't say anything else in terms of what this song makes you feel, I can tell you that this would be a great song to add to your summer playlist. Everything that goes with the vibe of a beach summer, is heard and felt in this song. I think that is pretty sick! Today's instrumental song is by Moh...

Today I have music for you by one of my favorite Latin artists/duos, Wisin y Yandel. This song is probably my favorite one by them for a multitude of reasons. First, this song has a sick beat and an awesome melody. It retains that traditional Latin sound with the pipes but also integrates the more modern electronic and bass sound to it. Second, this song is a phenomenal dance song. Seriously. This song comes on and no one can stay still. If you are like me, you dance quietly in your room and if anyone ever walked in they would immediately leave or laugh because I go hard. But even in public, I have to sway a little or head bang, and of course I mouth the lyrics all the time. Which brings me to the next point. This song brilliantly fuses English R&B and rap with the Latin style of music. A lot of people do fusions now, but when this song came out, I had never heard anything better than this. Even today I think this is one of the best fusions I have heard. This song is just so vivaci...

Sorry about yesterday's post! I had a religious event to attend and wasn't able to put out some music for you all. But, today I do have some! It has been an extremely long time since I have posted any Latin or Spanish music. So today, I have some music by the always incredible and one of my favorite foreign artists, Daddy Yankee. This is actually a pretty old song by him but I never get tired of it. This song has so much energy and such a great beat to it. This song cause infectious dancing and if you don't feel the need to get up and dance I bet you caught yourself head banging a little bit or even bobbing. I highly, highly recommend you listen to Daddy Yankee's other music because it is just as good! Today's instrumental song is some reggaeton beats. I love this beat so much, maybe because you can do so much with it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!

Today I have got some really wicked electronic music for you. I may have gone on a listening binge, which is the best kind, and heard a bunch of music. This song is by Major Lazer. Now Major Lazer is an electronic project that I am absolutely in love with. Why? Well, Major Lazer has a style that is so different and uses influences from a lot of different cultural sounds. I think that comes from the fact that one of the members is Diplo. With Diplo, we get so much music and so many sounds from all over the world, but he knows how to mix it in a way that sounds so boss. This song has a little bit of culture mixing. The percussion in this song has a very Latin feel to it and a very traditional Latin sound. Now this Latin American sound is actually a really cool addition to this song because it allows this song to be a trap related song. The way that reggaeton and Latin beats work is that they are generally at half the speed of the rest of the song. So with a song in this style, that kind ...

Today I have some music for you out of Puerto Rico by a duo known as Plan B. This song is really cool because it has an awesome mix of modern electronics and the more traditional Latin beat. This song has a really good energy to it because it is not overly energetic nor is it very languid. I really like the way this song sounds, especially the chorus. This is an awesome song to dance to because you can do so much with it. You can do some salsa or bachata dancing to it but also go with something like hip hop as well. This song has a sound that appeals to a wide range of listeners. I also think it is really cool how every member of the group has something specific to contribute to the song. A lot of times bands and groups of singers provide similar ranges and the rest serve as harmonizers to the person singing the melody. But for this song we have someone who sings the chorus, another who does more of the rapping, someone to cover the low bass notes, and another to get the higher ones. I...

It has been an extremely long time since I have posted any Latin or Spanish music. So today, I have some music by the always incredible and one of my favorite foreign artists, Daddy Yankee. This is actually a pretty old song by him but I never get tired of it. This song has so much energy and such a great beat to it. This song cause infectious dancing and if you don't feel the need to get up and dance I bet you caught yourself head banging a little bit or even bobbing. I highly, highly recommend you listen to Daddy Yankee's other music because it is just as good! Today's instrumental song is some reggaeton beats. I love this beat so much, maybe because you can do so much with it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!

Today I have the best Latin song of 2013 for you! Actually, this was the third hottest Latin song, the first being a Marc Antony song which I recently posted and the second by the always awesome Daddy Yankee, another song which I have posted. So this song is by the artist known as Prince Royce. I have heard this song name dropped quite a few times so I can understand why it is so popular besides the fact that its a great song! It is such a cute song and has a great mix of many music styles. Today's instrumental song is also a Latin song, but by the best Latin instrumentalist of 2013. Bajofondo uses so many elements to create pieces that are recognizably Latin, but also completely different. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!

Today I have music for you from the always incredible, Don Omar! His music can always get me up and dancing, even if its just a little swaying or full out salsa. This song is has some typical Latino beats, but it has been infused with a great techno sound to create a new style of Latin music. I enjoy this song so much and it has been masterfully composed! Today's instrumental song is by the German DJ who goes by the name Tensnake. What I find so intriguing about this song is the use of techno sounds, but also traditional sounds from many different cultures. This song has a distinct reggae sound to it as well, which is just sick! I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!

Today I have some music for you by Alex Clare. What I absolutely love about this song is how he mixed a harder rock sound with electric, and then combines that with reggaeton! I have never heard anything so sick like that before and it makes me excited to hear that experimentation! This song has awesomely catchy beats and a great melody that just sounds so brilliant with a reggaeton beat! Today's instrumental song is by an amazing house artist called Madeon. This song has such a great beat and a bumping melody! I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!

It has been a while since I posted any non-English songs, so today, I have a song from Puerto Rico! This song is by the awesome singer Don Omar. This song is pretty cool because it is sung in both Spanish and Portuguese. This song is so infectious and gets you up and dancing! With a nice beat and great tempo, if you ever need a party song, this is it! Today's song is an instrumental version of a song by Daddy Yankee. It has the usual latin beat and is also a good dancing beat! I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!