Do you like Latin music but want to get deeper than Buena Vista Social Club or Ozomatli while keeping well clear of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias? There is a whole world of popular Latin music that rivals Western music in scope and diversity. Remarkably, many bands with decades-long careers, countless albums and collaborations, and Phish-like concert reputations are virtually unknown north of the border and sound nothing like the music you hear in your favorite Mexican restaurant.
If one of the criteria for being a “jamband” fan is seeking out skillful, habitually improvisational music that makes you dance and is way better in concert, then these bands are for you, even if they are mainstream and well known in the Spanish-speaking world.
Big centers of musical culture are Mexico and Argentina, perhaps because of their larger populations. You will find many good bands from these countries, along with runners-up Spain and Columbia. Besides pop and rock and all their permutations, each Latin country (from Mexico all the way south) has countless unique musical styles that could take a lifetime to fully discover.
From France but of Spanish descent, Manu Chao has been dabbling in the American festival circuit for the past few years, and his music is especially accessible because he often sings in English or really simple Spanish, like “Bongo Bong” or “Me Gustas Tu.” One of his best efforts was his production of the Amadou and Mariam album Dimanche in Bamako, which combined the soulful singing and amazing guitar playing of the blind couple from Mali with Manu’s songwriting sensibilities.
His first solo album, Clandestino, was mostly a mix of reggae and folk, the product of his travels in South America searching for the sound of the street. Now he includes a lot more rock, making a high-energy show with plenty of jamming. If you saw him at Coachella or Lollapaloza, the same band and arrangements are featured in his new live album Baionarena. It’s exciting music, even if a little formulaic – he recycles a lot of chord progressions and uses the same changeup between reggae and punk in many songs.
Manu Chao was a member of the late 80’s and early 90’s French group Mano Negra, a pioneer in what can be called Latin ska. This is ska, reggae, and rock mixed with rhythms from many types of Latin music, like salsa or cumbia. This isn’t your bouncy, punky ska of No Doubt and Sublime, but deep and groove-heavy with horn sections, lots of percussion, and jamming. A standout in the genre is Los Fabulosos Cadillacs from Argentina, a 6-piece band that has been around since the 80’s and reunited in 2009 with their first studio album in 10 years, La Luz de Ritmo. Also listen to one of their best and most famous songs, “El Matador.” Vicentico, the vocalist from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, has a successful solo career, using horns and Latin rhythms but no ska. Check out his version of the Mexican cumbia song “Los Caminos de la Vida,” which you are sure to enjoy even if only for the bassline and/or soccer-brawl music video.
From Mexico, Panteon Rococo released a fine new album in 2010, Ejercito de Paz (Army of Peace). Funkier and more refined than straight-up ska, the songs have hooky horn melodies, political themes, and a deep pocket, like in the songs “Democracia Fecal” and “Payaso de Mentiras.” Panteon Rococo leads the pack of many innovative ska/rock/funk bands in Mexico, like Mama Pulpa, Maskateska, Maldita Vecindad, and Panamanian neighbors Los Rabanes.
If ska isn’t your thing but you like reggae, try Los Pericos, who claim to be the first reggae group in Argentina. Their 25-year-plus career certainly supports this, along with nearly constant touring and close to 20 albums. A good testament to this is their live album “1,000 Vivos.” Also, Los Pericos is included in Outlandos D’Americas, a tribute to the Police and a good introduction to many Latin artists, especially from the world of reggae. The songs are in Spanish and often warped into a soundtrack to a raucous Latin reggae dance party, like in King Chango’s “Venezuelan in New York (Englishman in New York).” Andy Summers himself is featured on Gustavo Cerati’s “Traeme La Noche (Bring on the Night).”
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