JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the life and music of the legendary Eddie Palmieri.
Category: Latin Music
New Audio: French Producer HOJII Shares Summery ” Báilalo”
HOJII is a mysterious and emerging, French electronic music producer. His latest single “Báilalo,” is a summery, hook-driven blend of Latin house and reggaeton, anchored around skittering beats, a chopped up vocal sample, a looping and arpeggiated synth melody and a bombastic horn line. Inspired by the club music of 2000s era Latin clubs, “Báilalo” sees the French producer specifically crafting a song meant to get you to get on that dance floor and move your body. But it you’re old enough, it’ll remind you of sweaty night’s at BOB’s,. The Canal Room and Webster Hall.
News/Announcements: FME Announces 2025 Venue Showcase Lineups
FME announces the venue showcase lineups for the 2025 edition.
Throwback: Happy 79th LInda Ronstadt!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Linda Ronstadt’s 79th birthday.
New Audio: San DIego’s Franhaus Shares Breezy and Nostalgia-Inducing “No Puedo Ser”
San Diego-based electronic music producer, singer/songwriter and DJ Franhaus, who specializes in creating what he believes is a new wave of Latin music that combines lived-in, earnest lyrics written and sung in Spanish with slick, dance floor friendly melodic, deeply emotional house.
The San Diego-based artist’s latest single “No Puedo Ser” is a breezy, nostalgia-inducing tune anchored around glistening synths, tweeter and woofer rattling thump, skittering beats and bursts of squiggling guitar. The Ibiza-meets-Tame Impala-like production serves as a lush bed for Franhaus’ yearning delivery while showcasing an artist, who can craft a catchy hook.
New Audio: Music 4 Diana Shares Heartfelt Ballad “Mil Años”
Diana Jiminez is a Colombian-American, New Jersey-based singer/songwriter and creative mastermind behind the emerging recording project Music 4 Diana. Jiminez’s latest Music4Diana single “Mil Años” is a slow-burning ballad that showcases Jiminez’s gorgeous vocal and deeply heartfelt lyrics.
The emerging New Jersey-based artist explains that the song was written to pay tribute to her father. And as a result, it captures a sense of gratitude while being anchored around a message about love, legacy and the eternal bond between a daughter and her father.
New Video: Rafa Tena Teams Up WIth Las Negris on Mischievous “Morcilla”
Rafa Tena is a Madrid-born singer/songwriter, composer and music producer. His career started in earnest, behind the scenes as a lyricist and composer, who wrote material that became internationally recognized hits performed by other artists. Tena has also spent several years working as a producer, musical director for TV and as an apprentice poet.
Enamored with Cuban music, the Madrid-born artist has spent lengthy stints living in Havana, where he collaborated with some of Cuba’s most prominent artists, before eventually stepping out into the spotlight as a member of Son DOS, with whom he’ll release an album inspired by Cuba’s beloved son music.
But in the meantime, the Spanish-born singer/songwriter, composer and producer, who’s best known for work in pop and rock, recently collaborated with gypsy band Las Negris on “Morcilla,” a rowdy and raucous tune that will get the party started. Sonically, the song sees Tena and Las Negris meshing elements of flamenco tango and Cuban guagancó and pairing that with mischievous lyrics that reference morcilla, a blood sausages that’s a beloved delicacy across the Spanish speaking world — with some regional differences in ingredients and how its prepared. The song also references Tena’s travels between Spain and Cuba.
The accompanying video is a surreal and playful visual that features Tena and companions at a long dining table with wine, morcilla and other items. We also see Tena calling a someone from a banana phone, while his bags are packed, ready to hit the road. And of course, there’s a ton of dancing.
New Audio: Yeisy Rojas Shares Soulful and Anthemic “Immigrante y Que?
Yeisy Rojas is a Cuban-born, Oslo-based, classically trained, jazz violinist, singer/songwriter and composer. Back in her native Cuba, Rojas received a classical education and performed as a violinist with the National Opera Orchestra in Havana. Her passion for jazz led her to relocate to Norway, where she pursued her Masters studies in jazz violin at Kristiansand‘s University of Agder‘s Conservatory. The cross-cultural experience allowed Rojas to deepen her understanding of the African influences in Cuban music.
As a solo artist, Rojas’ work frequently sees her blending Cuban music, Latin jazz, funk and more with powerful social messages — in particular, she boldly speaks up against racism in her homeland and elsewhere. Her full-length debut, 2023’s Gaston Joya-produced A Mis Ancestros featured two singles I wrote about on this site:
- “Mama Ines,” an adaptation of Nicolás Guillén’s 1930 poem “Ayer Me Dijeron Negro” (Yesterday They Called Me Black) that pairs the poet’s words with a breezy and soulful arrangement that meshes elements of Latin soul, funk and jazz in a way that reminds me very fondly of the sounds of parties in the South Bronx, Lower East Side, Corona, East Elmhurst and so on.
- Album title track “A Mis Ancestros,” a gorgeous and soulful synthesis of bebop-era jazz, salsa, son cubano that not only showcases Rojas’ prodigious talent, but proudly and unabashedly displays a deep, reverential pride for her homeland and her ancestry. The song is a fairly autobiographical story that will be familiar for countless immigrants across the world: The nostalgia for the homeland — the language, the dear ones, the smells, the food — not only sparks memories and comparisons, it also sparks a much deeper appreciation for their culture.
Rojas’ latest single “Immigrante y Que” features a lush arrangement that effortlessly blends Cuban rumba, funk hip-hop and salsa paired with her self-assured and deeply proud delivery. As the Cuban-born, Norwegian-based artiste explains “Immigrante y Que” is anthem expressing pride, reliance and determination, meant to give voice to the millions across the world, who have left their homes in search of a better life and new opportunities for them or their descendants — or for safety.
Considering our current administration’s view of immigrants and anyone not White, CIS-male and heterosexual, “Immigrante y que” is a reminder that immigrants and migrants are supremely ordinary people, forced to make extraordinarily difficult decisions in extremely difficult times. And it’s a reminder that immigration and diversity makes the world much more interesting.
New Video: Niseff Shares Sultry Banger “Ice”
With the release of her debut EP, 2023’s Mami Spicy, the emerging and rapidly rising Puerto Rican artist Niseff quickly established a sound that that blends elements of reggaeton and contemporary pop and pairs it with her sultry delivery and empowering lyrics.
Since the release of Mami Spicy, Niseff has released some standalone singles including “La Nota,” and her latest single “Ice.” Clocking in at a smidge under two minutes, “Ice” is a slickly produced, hook-driven track featuring skittering reggaeton beats, bursts of glistening and atmospheric synths serving as a lush, club friendly bed for Niseff’s sultry Spanglish flow.
The accompanying visual features the rising Puerto Rican artist and some girlfriends dancing in an igloo-styled club. The stylish visual recalls the glitzy, slickly produced visuals of Hype Williams and others.
New Audio: Guatemala’s Cavidades Shares Brooding Dirge “Me Esperas en La Nada”
Nelson Morán is a Guatemala-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, who has spent the past 15 years in the local music scene, including stints with Xb’alanke and Adonis Muerto.
Morán’s solo project Cavidades sees the Guatemalan multi-instrumentalist and producer overseeing all production and composition, which gives the material a deeply personal, idiosyncratic touch. The project sees Morán drawing from doom metal but while venturing into industrial, psychedelia and post-metal. For the Guatemalan artist, this unique fusion of genre and styles helps to create an immersive and boundary-pushing sound.
The project’s full-length debut will feature guest spots from Marleny Ruano (drums) and Carlos Queme (vocals), which add a collaborative touch to a deeply personal batch of material.
Morán’s Cavidades debut single “Me Esperas En La Nada” is a slow-burning and forceful dirge, featuring eerily atmospheric synths, down-tuned power chords paired with guttural howls and a simple yet thunderous backbeat. Sonically, bringing Melvins and BORIS among others, the song according to Morán thematically explores the dichotomy of existence, capturing the beauty and pain of being alive.
New Audio: Zara Wynn Shares a Swooning Ballad on Heartbreak and Indecision
Zara Wynn is an emerging Uruguayan singer/songwriter. From a very young age, music has been her refuge and driving force, leading her to create songs that both sound good and resonate with the listener. And in a short time, Wynn has received attention explosively authentic songs, anchored around bold lyrics and vibrant melodies and a blend of strength, resiliency and earnest emotion.
The Uruguayan artist’s latest single “Tengo Ganas de Llamarte” is a mid-tempo ballad that effortlessly pairs Wynn’s earnest delivery with a soulful and traditional-leaning arrangement that reminds me of the music you’d hear blaring out of cars, businesses and apartments around Roosevelt Avenue.
Wynn explains that the song captures the tension between the excitement of wanting to talk to that special someone and the fear of being rejected by that special someone. The song’s narrator is in a familiar situation to most of us: that struggle with the crippling indecision and self-doubt that affairs of the heart can inspire — no matter how self-assured we are.
New Video: Gerina Shares Defiant, Feminist Anthem “Arrepentido”
Gerina is a BMI Award-winning songwriter, who recently stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist, releasing her own original material. Her multicultural upbringing in both Venezuela and the United States, as well as being multi-lingual — she’s fluent in Spanish, Italian and English — helps to inform her songs with heart and passion, while being anchored in unique storytelling.
Her latest single, the Gerina and Tim Mitchell co-written “Arrepentido,” is a passionate and winning synthesis of classic flamenco rhythms with hook-driven contemporary pop that immediately brings Shakira to mind — but while bursting out of the gate with a defiant, feminist self-assuredness.
Gerina explains that “‘Arrepentido” is a passionate and empowering flamenco anthem that urges women to free themselves from the chains of toxic relationships.” She adds “. . . it serves as a call to women everywhere to rise up, reclaim, and never look back.”
The accompanying video seems inspired by films like Desperado and Kill Bill and features Gerina and a collection of ninja-dressed dancers performing martial arts-inspired dance moves in the desert.
New Audio: Zumba la Calavera Shares Breezy and Nostalgia-Inducing “Selva Gris En Mi Corazón”
Founded by Roberto Alfaro in Villa Alemana in the Valaparaíso region of Chilé back in 2018, Zumba la Calavera has spent their career exploring different styles of music while crafting songs that discuss Latin American social problems and get listeners to think.
The Chilean outfit’s debut EP, 2020’s Ruidos Modesto’s saw the band creating a sound that meshed elements of funk and rock while tackling global warming, the abandonment of the elderly when they cease to be profitable, the perverse incentives of the healthcare industry and corporate image washing through Teletón, a Mexican TV channel that derives its name from a Chilean telethon that raised money for children’s charities.
The band’s latest album Sistema Pachanguers was released earlier this year. The album is an ode to life’s unexpected nature and absurd twists of fate and Peruvian cuisine — because priorities, right? Sonically, the album sees the band at their most defiantly genre agnostic while featuring lyrics and vocals that range from sarcasm to reflection.
Sistema Pachanguers latest single “Selva Gris En Mi Corazón,” is a breezy, nostalgia-inducing bit of dance floor friendly cumbia that captures the bittersweet nostalgia of old lovers and memories of the taste of fish, salsa and ice-cold pilsners on hot days. It’s those small memories that make us human — and give us life.
New Video: Reijy Shares Heartbreaking “SI Te Vas”
Jhon Edison Villamizer is a rising Cúcuta, Colombia-born, Medellín-based singer/songwriter, best known in the Latin music world as Reijy. Villiamizer’s career started in earnest over a decade ago, with a string of hits that captivated audiences in his hometown and elsewhere. Since then he has collaborated with a who’s who list of acclaimed Latin music artists including Feid, Amaro, Kevin Florez and a lengthy list of others.
Solidifying himself as an up-and-coming artist in Colombia, Villamizer recently relocated to Medellín, where he signed with DINASTIA Inc, one of the country’s highly renowned labels.
Last year, the Colombian artist announced plans to release a new song over the course of a year to showcase his unwavering dedication and passion for his craft. One of the singles in that year-long series including “EFECTO w,” a lounge and club friendly bop featuring skittering trap beats, fluttering atmospheric synths and remarkably catchy hooks. The production serves as a lush and sainty bed for Villamizer’s delivery, which sees him alternating between vulnerable croon and swaggering braggadocio. The song reveals an artist, who seems to write an effortless and summery hook-driven bop.
Villamizer’s latest single “Si Te Vas” continues a run of club and lounge friendly material featuring skittering trap beats, twinkling keys paired with the rising Colombian artist’s achingly plaintive delivery. The song and the accompanying video tells a story about the narrator’s lover, who hides a terrible breast cancer diagnosis, which initially raises suspicious of infidelity. Understandably, it leads to a fight. The video suggests that the narrator’s lover tragically succumbs to cancer, leaving the narrator with bittersweet memories of both good times and bad — with the heartbreaking sense of “what could have been.”
Villamizer hopes that the video and song raise awareness of breast cancer and the need for honest communication and trust in all relationships — especially romantic relationships.