The time has come to say “¡Musica maestro!” as the celebration of National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month begins. To honor the month, the Emerald asked UO students to share their favorite Latinx artists. Responses included musical genres ranging from regional Mexican and punk rock to cumbia and bedroom pop.

1. Juan Gabriel

The flamboyant Mexican singer-songwriter, popularly known for his theatrical performance style and hit songs about heartbreak and romance, such as “Amor Eterno” and “Te Lo Pido Por Favor,” was someone that UO senior Isa Ramos always admired, they said.

“I think, for me, he is very representative of my familial ties,” Ramos said. They said they remember their mother blasting his music every Sunday morning as they cleaned their apartment, as well as how their parents and grandmother saw him live in concert.

“He was a musician that both sides of my family just adored through and through,” they said, smiling.

While Gabriel’s music was a staple in Ramos’ childhood, they said he meant a lot more to them as they got older — specifically when they had to move away from their home in Texas to Colorado.

“It was kind of like ‘I’m going to a new environment, and I’m not going to have immediate access to my family,'” Ramos said. This influenced them to listen more seriously to his music and stay connected.

During his career, controversial rumors regarding Gabriel’s sexuality came about. And, while they were never confirmed, they said they also consider the musician a queer icon.

Despite the controversy, Ramos said they recall many of his fans showing their support at the time of his death in 2016 and how he continues to be loved by them and their family.

“So many people, I think, at least of this identity, are aware of him and hopefully his impact,” they said. “I just love that he’s an artist that I can listen to with my family — and it will not be contested.”

2. Kumbia Queers

Hailing all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the punk-rock and cumbia band was also recommended by Ramos.

They said they appreciate how the band was “able to queer [cumbia] that has this machosimoness within the lyrics,” and admires the band’s willingness to be open and highlight significant issues.
For instance, their single “Mi Nombre Es Marilyn” was written for the Argentine film, “Marilyn” (2018), where teenager Marcos struggles to be accepted by his family because of his sexuality and his female alter ego, Marilyn.

When listening to the song, Ramos said it speaks volumes of the power and meaning a name has for someone like Marilyn, as well as for the LGBTQ community.

“The nature of the name, it’s like you’re telling the audience and yourself that ‘Mi Nombre EsMarilyn’, or ‘Is Marilyn,’” they said.

With the band simultaneously blending two different, yet upbeat music aesthetics, Ramos said their music best caters to when you want to dance or need a little push to get up and move.
Other songs of theirs to check out are “Mientes” and “Plantala.”

3. The Marías

Based in Los Angeles, the alternative and indie pop band was the first Latinx indie artist that came across UO junior Ashley Marshall’s music radar.

“I discovered them through Omar Apollo,” she said. Apollo is another Latinx artist known for his work within the R&B, soul and funk music genres. “I follow him on Instagram, and he kept posting about them. And I decided to check them out.”

Marshall said the band’s music encouraged her to branch out to other types of music created by Latinx artists and hopes her peers will give them a listen as they continue to grow their platform.

“[They] just performed for the first time on late night television in America, and I think that indicates how Latinx artists are able to enter the music scene in the States even when some of their songs are entirely in Spanish,” she said. “It feels like a ‘finally’ moment.”

So, if you’re looking to play something while on a late night drive or want a chill evening with your friends, try out a couple of their songs like “Calling U Back” or “Cariño.”

4. Victor Internet

At just 20 years old, the bedroom pop and R&B artist has already gained a following and captured the hearts of his fans, one being UO junior Bryanda Quevedo.

His slower-paced, smooth songs like “Virgo” and “Reason” convey themes such as astrology and learning how to let someone go. These artistic choices are also what made him stand out as an artist for Quevedo, she said, along with being one of the few Latinx artists under the bedroom pop genre.

“By being a Latinx artist who’s gaining a lot of recognition within the music scene is quite inspiring,” she said. “I definitely would want him to gain more listeners than he has right now.”

Quevedo also said the prominence of Latinx artists in the music industry could influence others to become more open to listening to Spanish music and allow the Latinx culture to be further represented.

“There’s so many Latinx artists under every genre,” she said, “that there’s endless options of different Latinx artists to listen to.”