Big players and the ones to watch

By Michelle Hopey

With Latin Music heating up mainstream music, here are some of the big players and ones to watch:

Name: Juanes   Country: Colombia

Hailing from a country with a violent past and ample social problems—Juanes's sings of these issues—his own cousin was killed by kidnappers, a close friend was shot by gunmen and his father died of cancer. In short, Juanes sings for the people.  Popular on the Latin rock scene, the honest and fun Juanes is soon to be a chart-stopper on all continents, whether you speak Spanish or not.

Name: Los Amigos Invisibles     Country: Venezuela

A Latin dance band that experiments with disco and acid jazz, Los Amigos Invisibles are spicy and fun. Although they had moderate success with a few albums and songs from 1995 to 2003, it wasn’t until they released The Venezuelan Zinga Son, Vol. 1 in 2003 that they began to see commercial success.  The album also got them a nomination for a Latin Grammy for best Alternative Latin Album. Funky and spirited, Los amigos have a brand of their own, and are ones to watch.

Name: Shakira   Country: Colombia

Perhaps the most famous female Latin singer of all-time, Shakira barely needs an introduction, since she herself, a multi-Grammy award winner, has turned the billboards upside down on at least four occasions with hits like, "Where ever, Whenever," and  "Hips Don’t Lie."  Not bad for a young rock goddess from Colombia. While she has just got her groove on in the past four years, she keeping improving at the speed of light, so its safe to say that Shakira hasn’t even peaked yet—almost unimaginable.

Name: Jaquares  Country: Mexico.

Singing in Spanish, this Mexican rock-band formed in the mid-1990s when Mexican rock was a tough sell on the airwaves, but Jaquares held their own and developed a strong fan base.  While their songs can be dark and moody, they are also dynamic and fun. A combo that makes a performace great.

Name: Gustavo Santaolalla         Country: Argentina

As a composer with blockbuster hits like Motorcycles Diaries and Brokeback Mountain attached to his name, Gustavo Santaolalla is one to watch… and listen to. An eclectic rock musician from Argentina, this composer—and president of Surco Records (which holds the Juanes label) Santaolalla won an Academy Award for Brokeback. He's on the cusp of something big, and it's nearly certain that acceptance speeches are in his future.