Hispanic Heritage Month - What It Means to Us

Hispanic Heritage Month begins today (9/15). With that, we felt it was important for us to discuss what that means to us here. We also felt it was important to take a look at the status of Latin artists in American culture and music.

The purpose of Pa La Cultura, in a lot of ways, has been to carry out the ideals of Hispanic Heritage Month, but year round. This month is essentially just a magnifying glass.

With that, let’s discuss our culture, the market, and some artists we should be celebrating.

La Cultura

For a long period in 2016/2017, it looked like Latin music would become the dominant force in the American marketplace. “Despacito” became the most streamed song of all-time and J Balvin’s “Mi Gente” followed close behind. Both songs had massive remixes with Justin Bieber and Beyonce hopping on respectively.

Months later came Bad Bunny and Drake’s “Mia”, another certified hit.

Bad Bunny and J Balvin joined the group of Latin artists in the American audience’s consciousness, joining Daddy Yankee, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and a few others in this exclusive group. Bad Bunny and J Balvin have gone on to have their own shoes with Adidas and Jordan respectively.

We also cannot forget the unbelievable Super Bowl Halftime show in February 2020.

These are huge moments for the culture, but it still doesn’t feel like Latin artists have achieved the status they deserve. Albums like Timelezz or Jose aren’t topping mainstream charts. The club of American-known Latin artists isn’t really growing. Why haven’t we made more progress?

“I Don’t Understand It”

Looking at the market, especially in my demographic (18-34), we have to try to understand why there hasn’t been a wholesale revolution in American music? A related question, why are Latin artists excluded from projects like Drake’s Certified Lover Boy or albums of that scale?

Language is probably the biggest reason why. It separates artists like Bad Bunny and J Balvin from the rest, from an American perspective. This was one of the first topics I wrote about on this site. Speaking Spanish almost exclusively is what has made them different and made them standout. However, it’s also what scares off a certain audience.

There’s a strong belief among people my age that they need to understand the lyrics to like the song. While I understand that, it’s narrow minded and an excuse to avoid new experiences. People are comfortable with what they know, but that comfort can limit their experience. The markets react to these forces, which causes Latin artists to be excluded.

What songs like “Despacito” and “Mi Gente” should tell artists is that Latin artists are uniquely positioned within the market to deliver massive hits. Their influence is worldwide. The US exports culture, but we could stand to important some.

Who We Appreciate

Hispanic Heritage Month is about honoring and appreciating the contributions of Latin and Hispanic Americans in the US. While there’s a long list of folks who fit that description, I think it’s important that this year, we focus on some of the biggest Latin artists that come from right here in the US.

Eladio Carrion – Kansas City, Missouri