Recently there’s been a new wave of indie Latinx artists. Women, especially, have been taking over the indie music industry. Once up-and-coming artists, are now becoming the leaders in their industry.
It feels refreshing listening to new voices and knowing the power that moves all these women. They sing about love, life, pain, nature, and everyday occurrences. Latin America has a lot to offer musically, and these women are here to prove it. Here are some female Latinas you need to listen to.
Born in Lima, Peru, singer, and composer Giovanna Núñez, artistically known as La Lá, brings together with her music jazz, bolero, bossa nova, and so many other styles. The 37-year-old grew up without any formal education on music, and that’s one of the many reasons it’s so impressive her clean and perfect approach to so many different styles.
At 26 she started composing, and her first album ‘Rosa’ came out in 2014 when she started to navigate many approaches and techniques to her music. Her songs denounce violence against women and women’s rights, especially in Perú.
Recommended songs: “Caramelo”, “Mango” and “Salchipapa”
Puerto-Rican singer, songwriter and rapper Ileana Cabra, artistically known as iLe, made her solo debut in 2016 after being part of Calle 13, where she was known as PG-13. iLe is a Grammy-winning artist for Best Latin rock, urban or alternative album with her first album ‘iLevitable’.
Her music flows through different styles but always rooted in classic Latin approaches. She mainly sings about women, touching on topics like sexuality, violence, and social injustice.
Recommended songs: “Te Quiero Con Bugalú”, “Temes” and “Triangulo”
Silvana Estrada, 22, is a Mexican singer and composer who in 2017, at the early age of 20, released her first album ‘Lo Sagrado’. She first moved to New York to pursue her music career, and after acquiring experience in the environment, moved back to Ciudad e México, where she has now collaborated with well-known Mexican artists.
Silvana sings about her feelings, love, and heartbreaks. Her upcoming album, expected to come out in 2020, it’s an album dedicated to her last heartbreak and songs she wrote while she was going through it. Her music mixes Latin folk and jazz, wish gives her music a fresh and young approach to these styles.
Recommended songs: “Sabré Olvidar”, “Te Guardo” and “Tenías Que Ser Tú”
Monsieur Periné is a Colombian band, who won “Best new artist” in 2015’s Latin Grammys. Led by Catalina Garcia, Santiago Prieto, and Nicolas Junca, Monsieur Periné has three albums, one which was nominated to the Latin Grammys for “Album of the year”, and to the Grammys for “Best Latin, rock or alternative album” in 2016.
Their music mixes jazz, Pop and Swing. Since 2007, the band has presented in many countries of Latin America and Europe.
Recommended song: “Veneno”, “Bailar Conmigo”, and “Sabor A Mi”
Andrea Cruz, Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and guitarist released her first album ‘Tejido de Laurel” days after Hurricane Maria hit the island. After years of experimenting with music and experiences, Cruz who previously went by ‘Amapola’, realized her music was too personal for her to use another name than her own.
Her music mixes American folk and Latin American sounds and rhythms giving her music a unique sound. She sings about pain, healing, nature and love. She’s expected to release a new album in 2020.
Recommended songs: “Vernos Crecer”, “Calma Dolor Calma”, and “No Toquemos Tierra”
Luz Pinos is a singer and composer from Guayaquil, Ecuador based in New York City. Growing up, Luz was exposed to a lot of South American pop and traditional music. After her degree in jazz and contemporary music, she found her own sound. She then started turning her personal stories into compositions.
Her main influences are Ecuadorian and South American rhythms. She sings about her life, love, solitude and being exposed to other cultures and environments.
Recommended songs: “Ya No Te Quiero”, “Estrellita Viajera” and “El Aguacate”
Born in the south of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Karina Vismara grew up surrounded by hills and nature. From a young age, her passion for music awoke. Inspired by The Beatles, she moved to Liverpool at 19 to study music.
Karina’s music is folk, and in her songs, she references childhood, love, nature, and everyday occurrences. Her music feels personal and real and gives a sense of belonging. It’s perfect to listen to while relaxing.
Recommended songs: “Qué Fácil Es Hablar”, “Montaña” and “No Le Digas Que Hacer”
Felisa is a Colombian singer and songwriter who in 2017 won the Latin category in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She released her first EP ‘Geometría Natural’ in 2015, which was featured in NPR’s Alt. Latino.
She describes her new album, ‘Real’, with three words: “minimalism, surprise, and movement”. The album was released in 2018 where she mixes indie-pop with African American and Latino genres like hip hop, R&B, bolero, cumbia.
Recommended songs: “Frontera”, “Paso a Paso”, and “Andar Sin Voz”
Fer Casillas, Mexican singer, and songwriter, in only two years of her soloist career, was nominated on the Latin Grammys for “Best New Artist” in 2019. After being part of the folk group ‘Las Delailas’, Fer debuted her soloist project ‘Strangers EP’, and released her first album ‘Imagenes de Olga’ in 2019.
Casillas’ music is a mix of R&B in Spanish, jazz, and soul. Her songs tell the story of a breakup but keeping the R&B sound. She’s experimenting with different styles and rhythms since she doesn’t want to be defined as an “R&B artist”.
Recommended songs: “Sanar”, Olga” and “Nuevequince”
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