This past week (okay, weekend) I binged Luis Miguel: The Series on Netflix. Read the review here. In short, I loved it. As I finished the first season, I started thinking about what Latin artists deserved their own series. The history of Latin music is filled with incredible stories. Artists who escaped political oppression, poverty, and overcame barriers fill the history of Latin music.
Obviously, not everyone can get their own show but these are the most deserving artists, in our humble opinion.
(If by some chance a producer is reading this, I will gladly accept an Executive Producer role on literally any of these shows).
Julio Iglesias
He’s the greatest selling Latin artist of all-time. His career has spanned almost 8 decades. His son is also one of the greatest Latin artists of all-time. Why hasn’t there been a series on his life? (Evidently there was a movie generally based on his life in 1969 but it’s generally forgotten).
Julio’s personal life is filled with enough intrigue and drama alone to fill multiple seasons, and that’s without even looking at his music. This show needed to be in production yesterday.
Jose Feliciano
Born the 4th of 11 kids, Jose Feliciano has continued to be an icon in Latin music. Feliciano was also born blind due to glaucoma. His musical prowess was evident from the age of 3 when he started playing music with his uncle. Feliciano’s career spans decades and is filled with hits in Spanish and English.
His rendition of the National Anthem in 1968 was a cultural lightning rod. Imagine the moment that would create today. Well, considering the amount of controversy around the National Anthem, maybe we could skip that for now.
Daddy Yankee
The King of Reggaeton deserves his own series. Part of his story is told in the Nicky Jam series El Ganador but DY deserves his own time to shine. From the gunshot wound that ended his baseball career, to the underground days with DJ Playero, to worldwide fame, Daddy Yankee’s story deserves to be told on screen.
In terms of casting, who could be better to play Daddy Yankee than Daddy Yankee himself? He has some acting talent from 2008’s Talento de Barrio. If Nicky Jam can play himself, why not Daddy Yankee?
Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin’s musical career began as a member of Menudo and he has maintained a leading role in Latin culture since childhood. Through his years as a soap-opera star to his leadership in the Latin Music Revolution of the late 1990s, Martin has been one of the most influential people in Latin culture.
When Martin came out as gay in 2010 it was a major moment for both Latin music and Western Culture in general. This moment didn’t come out of nowhere, with the story leading to that moment lending itself to some major analysis and discussion. With some of it’s LGBTQ friendly shows already airing, a Netflix show about Martin’s life would fit in well on the platform.
J Balvin
Growing up in Colombia in the shadow of Colombia’s Civil War, Balvin’s influence has been tremendous. His story has been one of breaking cultural barriers. To run through his resume is to see dozens of firsts for a Latin artist, including being the first artist to have their own collab with Jordan.
Balvin’s story on the silver screen would be a great tale. It would help to tell a story of cultural crossover and exchange. It would also be a great medium for an artist who is committed to expanding the culture and influence of Latinos.
Jennifer Lopez
Jenny from the Block is a Queen of Latin Music. She’s a global icon and a triple threat. She’s been married to Marc Anthony, is engaged to Alex Rodriguez, and has dated P. Diddy and Ben Affleck. What a cast that is already and we haven’t even gotten into her musical career.
JLo probably has the most acting experience of any artist on this list. She played Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film Selena. She’s also starred in a number of shows and movies throughout her career. Why not star in a show about her own life?
What Netflix Series already exist?
In addition to Luis Miguel, there have been a few Latin stars to get the TV biopic treatment.
Celia Cruz received an 80 (!) part series on her life from Telemundo. The series aired between 2015 and 2016. The series is available with English subtitles. I haven’t gotten around to this one and yet and to be honest, the 80 episodes are intimidating. I’ll report back when I get to it.
Nicky Jam’s series El Ganador is currently on Netflix. The series just completed Season 1 with 13 episodes. Nicky Jam plays himself in a number of the episodes, showing off his acting ability. The series also blessed us with Muevelo, a great track from Los Cangris, Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam. (This series is next on my list).
Juan Gabriel has also received the Netflix treatment with the series Hasta Que Te Conoci. The series aired in 2016 and spanned 13 episodes. The series seems to be well-received by fans on IMDb with a 8.5/10. This series is high up on my list.