Bilingual music is the language lover’s dream realized.
- Indie Spanish Bands
- Beautiful Nature, Music Therapy | Romantic Classical Solo Piano Music For Calm / No 256
- Best Spanish Indie Songs
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It’s a pure, joyful celebration of the diverse world we inhabit.
And, as it turns out, it’s pretty freaking cool—bilingual music is starting to both dominate the charts and capture our hearts.
Now it’s only a matter of time before kids are rocking multiple languages for kicks.
Bilingualism, until now, has been either a fact of life (you live in a place where multiple languages are used) or a uniquely fascinating (albeit somewhat nerdy) talent.
Being bilingual might just be the next big trend that takes the world by storm—and wouldn’t that be awesome?
The answer is “yes, it would be awesome.” And here’s why!
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Why Bilingual Songs Are Great for Language Learners
There are just so many beautiful ways to look at it (or, rather, listen to it): Multiple languages are respected as forms of expression, bridges are connected and people from different backgrounds can sing along to the same tune. As they say, languages aren’t just different sets of words for the same objects and ideas—different languages are actually totally different ways of seeing the world and expressing thought. By engaging in musical expression with multiple languages, bilingual songs are intrinsically more nuanced than monolingual songs.
Not to mention, bilingual songs are powerful pieces which capture glimpses of bilingual culture. For example, Chicano music blends English and Spanish to reflect the natural mix of languages found in Mexican-American communities.
Bilingual music is also the best recipe for high-powered learning. When music and multiple languages collide, your brain kicks into overdrive. There’s so much complex information entering your brain that the gears automatically get whirring.
Music boosts brainpower and language retention, while bilingualism boosts your hearing and attentiveness. That means the more music you listen to, the better your brain is at absorbing language. The more time you spend becoming bilingual and learning languages inside and out, the more receptive your brain becomes to music and other input. Now, imagine what your brain is capable of when you feed it both language and music together!
Then there’s the obvious benefit of listening to bilingual songs: It’s fun.
Singing along to music sneakily gives us language learning practice. It’s even ideal for raising bilingual children, as they’ll simply be enjoying themselves while learning languages in the process. Same goes for you, grown-ups. You’re so busy jamming along to the tune that you don’t even realize you’re deftly swapping between languages.
Mastering the Spanish rap interlude in your favorite pop song adds an element of challenge to the experience—and when you finally master that bit of the song, the satisfaction and pride you feel is beyond compare. Like, how cool are you?
How to Learn Languages with Bilingual Songs
Find songs that blend languages.
Many songs use two (or more) languages equally, switching back and forth throughout. These are great for training your brain to work with both languages at once. Sure, you may tell yourself that you don’t want to speak Denglish (Deutsche + English) better than pure German, but it can be pretty freaking useful.
What if you’re translating for a party of German and English speakers? What if you someday need to translate for your English-speaking parents and your German-speaking mother-in-law so they can get to know each other? Maybe someday you’ll even become an ambassador, professional translator or tour guide.
Listen to songs with two different versions, one for each featured language.
Many bilingual artists record multiple versions of their hit songs. For example, you’ve probably been rocking out to Enrique Iglesias’s “Bailando” on the Top 100 channel over the past year. Well, he’s got a 100% Spanish version of the song which is arguably even better.
Try listening to both. Favor the version in your target language until you’ve mastered those lyrics. Once you can sing along perfectly in your target language, switch over to the English version and compare and contrast the lyrics. How has it been changed?
Check out covers in your target language.
Take your favorite English songs and search for them in your target language. If it’s a popular song, chances are good that there’s a sweet cover out there on YouTube or Soundcloud in your target language.
I fell in love the first time I heard this Japanese rendition of “Tomorrow” from Annie. The first time I heard Seu Jorge’s Portuguese version of “The Life Aquatic” album by David Bowie? Pure magic!
Get down with the remix.
Explore the Internet by searching for your favorite song remixed in your target language. For example, are you a Spanish learner who loves (or gets some guilty pleasure from) Rihanna?
Then a search for “Diamonds Spanish remix” will take you to the original RiRi favorite overlaid with a Puerto Rican artist’s original rap. Now you get your favorite song mixed in with some Spanish learning time.
Try some bilingual songs for kids.
The following resources are designed for bilingual kids who are growing up learning English and another language. Use them as a starting place!
- French: Globe Toddlers | Sarah Jordan English-French bilingual collection | Alaine le Lait—French Songs for Kids | Songs for Teaching
- German: German: A bilingual music program
- Spanish: Sarah Jordan English-Spanish bilingual collection | Mariana Iranzi
- Chinese: Sarah Jordan English-Mandarin bilingual collection
- Japanese: MamaLisa
Check out songs in your target language on FluentU.
Bilingual songs are beautiful, but they can be rarer than is convenient for a tune-loving language learner. Luckily, FluentU takes real-world videos—including music videos—and, with the help of interactive captions and quizzes, turns them into personalized bilingual language learning experiences.
19 Bilingual Songs That Bring the World Closer
It’s finally time to listen to some great songs!
The songs I’ve got for you below are grouped by the languages in which they’re sung. We’ll start off with a couple multilingual musical works (sung in 3+ languages). Then we’ll move on to a few English and French bilingual songs, followed by songs sung in German, Spanish, Japanese and more.
1. “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese
What it’s all about: Love, of course! Multilingual, international love (no, not the kind Pitbull sings about). This song sings the same upbeat message about love in six languages.
Nat King Cole’s accent is perhaps a bit off in some languages, but give the guy a break while he tries to spread the love, okay? Anyway, it feels darn good to see an American showing off his linguistic chops.
2. Album: “eXtraOrdinary rendition” by Rupa & the April Fishes
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Hindi
What it’s all about: The song above, “Une americane a Paris,” is only sung in French, but it comes from the extraordinarily multilingual “eXtraOrdinary rendition album,” which is like one long—sometimes tormented, sometimes joyful—love song to the world.
The song itself captures one brief experience had by the lead singer, an American with Indian roots, while living abroad in France. If you’ve traveled or lived abroad, even if you’ve never had an experience similar to what’s told in this story-cum-song, you’ll probably relate to the lyrics to some degree.
The frontwoman of this musical group, Rupa, is a lifelong multilingual, part-time doctor, part-time musician and all-around fascinating human being. Her parents hail from India, she was born in San Francisco and the whole family relocated to France when she was still quite young. So, she has grown up with a beautiful mix of languages—and also some confusion about her roots and identity.
While no one song on the album is bilingual, you can purchase the full album and take a look at the multilingual track list. The colorful, soulful music really manages to capture the ups and downs of an international life that crosses every border imaginable.
3. “Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi” by Kylie Minogue
Languages: French and English
What it’s all about: We kids of the ’90s sometimes forget that Kylie was around, pumping out dance tracks well before our time. This late-’80s pop hit is upbeat, catchy and wonderfully dance-able.
I’m jamming to this at my desk right now, so I say this from firsthand experience. It doesn’t offer any complex language lessons, but it will stick the titular French phrase in your brain for all eternity.
4. “Michelle” by The Beatles
Languages: French and English
What it’s all about: Here we have a classic tale of international, bilingual love. Paul tries to woo his French lover in the little French he knows, as she doesn’t seem to know much English. I’m willing to bet you know the song, and the French is easy to understand by context alone.
5. “Bongo Bong” by Manu Chao
Languages: French and English
What it’s all about: This song humorously depicts Manu’s bohemian existence. It’s in French and English, yes, but Manu sings in so many languages it’s kind of hard to keep count. Off the top of my head, I know I’ve heard songs from him in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.
6. “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quittes Pas)” by Regina Spektor
Languages: French and English
What it’s all about: Regina is well-known for her multilingual lyrics and albums. She sings in English, French, Russian—and she occasionally throws in a Latin verse or two. If you loved this song, then check out “Après Moi”which also has both French and English lyrics.
7. “If That’s What It Takes / Por Que Tu M’aimes Encore” by Celine Dion
Languages: French and English
What it’s all about: It’s all about Celine, naturally. This diva is ripping her heart out for you in two languages. While she usually has the two versions separate, this mash up is ideal for language learners and fans of bilingual music.
8. “Mentirosa” by Mellow Man Ace
Languages: Spanish and English
What it’s all about: This Chicano hip hop song’s music video displays English translations along with all its Spanish-sung lyrics. It’s almost as if they wanted non-Spanish speakers to be able to access their music—let’s take advantage of this!
9. “Stand By Me” by Prince Royce
Languages: Spanish and English
What it’s all about: You’ve undoubtedly heard the original R&B hit “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. Well, this is a Spanglish version by the New York Dominican King of Bachata, and it has every bit as much soul. The first time around it might seem tricky to guess when he’ll switch from Spanish to English and vice versa, but after a couple listens I’m willing to bet that you’ll be singing right along.
This song took Latin America by storm when it was first released—you couldn’t leave the house without hearing it playing somewhere. Put it on constant replay in your house until you master the Spanish!
10. “Promise” by Usher feat. Romeo Santos
Languages: Spanish and English
What it’s all about: You’d never expect Usher to thrive in a bachata song, but the two urban crooners find a lot of common ground as they plead their lovers to stay with them. It’s also funny to hear each artist plug himself, as Usher whispers his name repeatedly in the background and Romeo jumps in with an almost subliminal “escucha las palabras…de Romeo” (listen to the words…of Romeo). I’ll give them a pass because the song is just so lovely to listen to—and all the dancing in the video is so pleasant to watch.
11. “Latinoamérica” by Calle 13
Languages: Portuguese, Spanish
What it’s all about: Wow. Just, wow. Calle 13 is an eclectic Puerto Rican band which integrates virtually all styles of Latin music into their songs, everything from reggaeton to salsa, cumbia and bossa nova. They jump around, they rap, they denounce power-hungry governments and spit rhymes on every major social issue under the sun. They’re an extremely empowering musical act all around—but this song might just be their most potent.
Combining Spanish and Portuguese lyrics, as a way to unify Latin America’s primary spoken languages, Calle 13 sing about exactly what it means to be Latin American—and what you have to endure and rise up against having been born there. While the song batters us with social, cultural, political and economic issues facing this influential region of the world, it also gives us hope in the strength of the people native to it.
This all culminates in the final lines of the song, when the group repeatedly sings about how nobody can buy or control the sun, the wind, the rain—we have to love and respect the natural environment we live in, or no man can be free.
12. “Ilusion” by Julieta Venegas feat. Marisa Monte
Languages: Spanish and Portuguese
What it’s all about: This lovely duet is a melodic dreamland that’s bound to charm you. Julieta Venegas herself grew up bilingual in Spanish and English, but notes that she “feels” in Spanish. This certainly comes through in her Spanish-language musical performances.
Loved it? Try another Spanish-Portuguese song by Julieta featuring Lenine (a bigshot in Brazilian music): “Miedo.”The Spanish and Portuguese are actually overlaid in this song, giving it a fascinating, textured quality. Listen to how the accents combine, blend and contradict one another during the chorus. Cool stuff!
13. “We Are One (Ole Ola)” by Pitbull
Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese
What it’s all about: Ah, just leave it up to the World Cup to unite us in song! This song is the very epitome of what multilingual music is striving for. Even if you don’t see it as a musical masterpiece, just think about the sheer number of people who were exposed to this song worldwide.
Everyone had their eyes and ears glued to the games, in every part of the world, and this song traveled the globe as the official song of the last World Cup. It carried the spirit of the games in English, Spanish and Portuguese, united as one to spread a message of excitment, national pride and international cooperation.
14. “Somos Sur” by Ana Tijoux featuring Shadia Mansour
Languages: Spanish and Arabic
What it’s all about: Oh. my. God. If you haven’t heard of one (or both) of these kickass lady rappers, then you’re in for an amazing treat. Bumping beat, wild, bombastic sounds, a cacophony of instruments from around the world—and two pissed off, multilingual, revolutionary social activists who are speaking for the voiceless people in their home regions.
During their “joyful dancing rebellion,” they shout out a list of nations too often ignored, undermined and oppressed by the “empire” of the countries that colonized them. Whether or not you agree with their statements, you have to admit—they rage over a hot beat.
Ana Tijoux raps about political justice and revolutionary ideals in both Spanish and French, having been born in France to Chilean parents who left during a traumatic time of upheaval in their country’s history. Shadia Mansour is a British Palestinian rap goddess. Enough said?
15. “Stirb Nicht Vor Mir (Don’t Die Before I Do)” by Rammstein feat. Sharleen Spiteri
Languages: German and English
What it’s all about: Rammstein is one of those rare bands that can get their messages across with their sound alone. The sound of buzzing guitars and a deeply booming voice remains constant, as do the band’s dark, brooding, morbid and often violent lyrics—but you’ll find a lot of diversity in the languages they use. This one uses German and English, but others combine German with Spanish, Russian or French.
16. “99 Luftballons” by Goldfinger
Languages: German and English
What it’s all about: We all know it, we all love it—I’ll just give you a minute while you replay (for the 1,000,000th time) this anti-war song that brought German music into ’80s vogue. This English version is a punk rock favorite, but keep in mind that Nena, the artist behind the original German song, never liked the English translations.
In case you never heard the plot to this imaginative song, it illustrates the effect of wartime paranoia by telling a story: 99 balloons float up gently into the sky, the nations sharing the airspace get engaged in a 99-year war after failing to properly identify them as harmless objects. Oops.
17. “Picture This” by Kero Kero Bonito
Languages: Japanese and English
What it’s all about: This is one of the most recently-released tracks on the whole list, so you may not find it surprising that it’s all about selfies and posting on social media. It’s a weirdly universal idea now, isn’t it?
The soft Japanese “rap” in the middle of the song introduces a lot of useful, common Japanese phrases clearly and cleanly. If you listen to this song (and their other releases) as obsessively as I do, you’re bound to pick up a few things.
18. “Sumahama” by The Beach Boys
Languages: Japanese and English
What it’s all about: Did you know that the Beach Boys sang something in Japanese? Well, they did. This is a slow, melodic, poetic song about love and loss in Japan, worth a listen on a rainy day.
19. “Party Poison” by My Chemical Romance
Languages: Japanese and English
What it’s all about: I had to wake you up after that last song. We’re going from romantic to aggressive at full speed here. While My Chemical Romance screams about parties and dance floors and darkness (you know, all the usual stuff) a Japanese girl pipes in and loudly encourages listeners to join in the party madness.
That’s where our bilingual music journey ends for today!
I’m leaving you with some great places to start if you want to keep searching for more of the same.
When I started this, I just wanted to share all my favorite songs from around the world. But you can’t listen to so much powerful music without starting to dig a little deeper.
One big takeaway from all this music—boasting topics and genres as diverse as its languages—seems to be that we all have more in common than we think we do.
No matter where we come from, we love to rock out, we love to groove, we love to sing about lost loves, we love to dance, we love to scream at the top of our lungs.
Sometimes all it takes is a great beat to break down our boundaries.
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And One More Thing…
If you’re digging these songs, you’ll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.
With FluentU, you learn real languages—the same way that natives speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:
FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.
Didn’t catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.
You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s “quiz mode.” Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
And FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.
If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn languages with real-world videos.
It’s time to go against the grain.
We’re taking a step away from the mainstream.
You won’t find any Shakira, Juanes or Marc Anthony here.
You’ve heard those names before, right?
If you’ve been searching the web for some Spanish-language music suggestions, there’s a good chance that you’ve run into those common recommendations.
And while they are all fine artists (in my humble opinion, at least), they may leave something to be desired for pickier music fans.
So, if you’re looking for Spanish music from a bit further out of left field, you’ve come to the right place!
In a moment, I’ll be suggesting ten of my absolute favorite Spanish-language “alternative” music albums for your listening enjoyment.
But first, some nuts and bolts stuff—why listen to Spanish music in the first place?
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Does Spanish Music Make Such a Great Language Learning Tool?
- Music naturally stimulates memory. Now I’m no neuroscientist, but I’ve heard this is the case and I believe it 100%. Have you ever heard a pop song from ten years ago, only to surprise yourself by still knowing all the words? Imagine being able to unlock this same power for language learning—that’s what good music can do.
- Singing along with music can help improve your pronunciation. There are sounds that exist in Spanish that simply aren’t found in English, and sometimes learning to pronounce them correctly can prove quite challenging. Singing along with music is great practice.
- Music is a language learning tool you can use anywhere. Modern technology like the smartphone and the mp3 player now gives us access to vast musical libraries pretty much everywhere we go. By listening to music you can practice your Spanish in the car, on the subway, out jogging, wherever.
- Music is an excellent window into other cultures.Much like literature, music is a fantastic tool for understanding other people all around the world. This is perhaps even more true when it comes to “alternative” music—it’s able to take a more honest look at a wider variety of topics than radio pop ever could.
Tips for Learning Spanish with Alternative Music
- Read along with the lyrics the first few times you listen to a song. This will help you connect the sounds with the words and also become familiar with any difficult accents. If you can, try to find an official source of lyrics like an artist’s website. Spanish language lyrics sites are notorious for neglecting to include accent marks and often contain other orthographic errors that can be confusing to non-native speakers.
- If you don’t know a word, look it up! This is how you learn, isn’t it? Once you’ve figured out what a word means, make sure to include it in your preferred study routine so you don’t forget it.
- If you can’t find a word in your dictionary, it may be slang. If you suspect this to be the case, a simple Google search will clear things up nine times out of ten.
- If you’re trying to learn a specific variety of Spanish, make sure to choose music from the right region. As you probably know, Spanish in Spain is quite different from Spanish in Latin America—and even there, there’s a lot of variety. If you’re planning a trip to Buenos Aires, try to find an Argentinian band, and if you’re headed to Santiago, look for an artist from Chile. Luckily for you, we’re about to take a look at ten albums representing a wide variety of countries from around the Spanish-speaking world!
If this sounds like a lot of work, you can always use FluentU to learn songs. FluentU lets you learn Spanish through the web’s best Spanish music videos. There’s a wide variety of videos—topics like soccer, Disney musicals, TV shows, music videos and even magical realism, as you can see here:
Choose any video that strikes your fancy! You’ll see how many Spanish vocabulary words you can learn from it, and you can even look at the transcript of the dialogue and practice vocabulary before watching the video.
Every video comes with interactive subtitles. So, when you choose a music video or something else to sing along with, you’ll find that all the lyrics are translated for you. You can hover over any word or phrase to see the translation, along with a helpful image.
Clicking on the word shows you useful example sentences, as well as other video clips which use the word. For example, check out this screenshot from a popular song by Carlos Baute:
You can even review the words in a review session that uses video context to help embed the words in your memory. You’ll be able to create vocab lists and track your progress as you advance through video after video.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and it recommends you examples and videos based on the words you’ve already learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
The best part? You can try FluentU for free.
Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the App from iTunes or the Google Play store and bring FluentU’s innovative language-learning experience to your iOS and Android device.
So without further ado…
10 Spanish Alternative Music Albums for Language Learners
1. Los Planetas – Pop
Where and when: Granada, Spain, 1996
Sounds like: Somewhere between Weezer and My Bloody Valentine
This only semi-ironically named record was the second full-length from Spanish group Los Planetas. It catches them in a transitional period, morphing from underground darlings into a more mainstream alternative rock act.
Though they’d later go on to add some indigenous Spanish elements into their music—flamenco, specifically—at this point their sound was still firmly planted in their English-language influences, chief among them an American group called Mercury Rev. If you’re a fan of ’90s rock that bridges the gap between poppy, noisy and experimental, this should be a great album for you.
2. Los Amigos Invisibles – The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera
Where and when: Caracas, Venezuela, 1998
Sounds like: If Talking Heads turned the funk—and the raunchiness—up to eleven
“Güelcome,” the brief introductory track from this Venezuelan group’s second album, features a narrator clearly outlining the two major themes of the record: “Latin dance” and “sex culture.” You can’t fault them for a lack of honesty. The lyrics, which do at times get pretty darn lascivious, explore the seedier aspects of Caracas nightlife—so maybe don’t play this one in front of your Spanish-speaking grandmother.
However, the music is undeniable, an infectious mix of funk, disco and acid jazz with plenty of Latin American rhythms thrown in for good measure. For one of Latin America’s most adventurous groups and exciting live acts still going strong, check out this record.
3. Soda Stereo – Canción animal
Where and when: Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1990
Sounds like: A harder rocking, infinitely more likeable U2
Soda Stereo, formed in Buenos Aires in 1982, was the first rock band to achieve widespread success throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and this album was the one that truly elevated them to superstardom.
Originally adopting more of a classic rock sound, this album is where they began to experiment a bit with new influences including progressive rock, shoegaze, and electronic music, fascinations that would continue to grow with time. This album, however, was their commercial high water mark; “De música ligera,” the song included above, was the last song played at their final concert in December of 2007.
4. Juana Molina – Segundo
Where and when: Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2000
Sounds like: A poppier The Books toying with Argentinian folk music
If the above “sounds like” leaves you drawing a blank, I apologize—it’s just that it’s nearly impossible to succinctly describe the style of this Argentine singer-songwriter. Once a popular television host/comedian, she quit her job to release her first album in 1996, only to have it panned by bewildered local critics.
Nonetheless she soldiered on, and with this, her second album, the critics in her home country and around the world finally caught on. Characterized as “folktronica,” “indietronica,” “ambient,” and plenty of other genre names that might raise more questions than answers, I suggest just listening to her music. Her beautiful, ethereal songs combine acoustic and electronic elements.
5. Cultura Profética – M.O.T.A.
Where and when: San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2005
Sounds like: A roots reggae band discovering the sounds of jazz, rap and more
This is the fourth record by Puerto Rican reggae group Cultura Profética, which started out as a pretty standard roots reggae outfit before eventually transforming into one of Latin America’s most compelling and interesting groups.
This record, clocking in at an astounding one hour and 18 minutes, is a tour de force, combining their classic Caribbean sound with influences from around the world including jazz (“Nadie se atreve“), rap (“Canción despojo“), and even indigenous styles (“Yavida“). The lyrics are a real treat on this one, spanning from evocative love songs to political contemplations and more.
Indie Spanish Bands
6. Los Tres – La Espada & la Pared
Where and when: Santiago, Chile, 1995
Sounds like: A less debauched Rolling Stones filtered through a Chilean alt-rock lens
Prior to the 1990s, many forms of popular media—especially typically counter-cultural ones like rock music—were banned under Chile’s right-wing military dictatorship. When things began to change during that decade, there was an explosion in new art, and Los Tres was at the forefront of the movement.
While many bands began adopting the newest trends hoping for quick commercial success, Los Tres went the other way, incorporating Chilean folk music into their international blues/rock blend. Nevertheless, the public loved them, proving yet again that musicians can achieve success without comprising their sound or their ideals.
7. Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado – La dinastía Scorpio
Where and when: La Plata, Argentina, 2012
Sounds like: The guitar pop of Built to Spill with the loud-quiet-loud dynamics of the Pixies
Beautiful Nature, Music Therapy | Romantic Classical Solo Piano Music For Calm / No 256
Just as the classic alt-rock sound of the ’90s never seemed to quite die off in the English-speaking world, it carries on in Spanish-speaking Latin America as well. The oddly named Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado formed in 2003, but it may as well have been 1993 based on the sort of sounds they make.
These sounds encompass an endearing mix of classic guitar pop with loud-quiet-loud dynamics and the occasional noise freakout à la Sonic Youth. This is their newest album, released back in 2012.
8. Javiera Mena – Esquemas juveniles
Where and when: Santiago, Chile, 2006
Sounds like: The intimate and nostalgic twee pop of Camera Obscura or Belle and Sebastian
It’s almost as if Chilean pop star Javiera Mena’s first album was released by an entirely different artist. While her two more recent efforts are huge, club/festival-ready electronic pop albums made for the dance floor, this record, her first, is something else—a generally subdued, understated piece created mostly with acoustic instruments.
The end result is simply a beautiful pop album. Besides for her immense talent, Javiera Mena is also recognized for being one of the only openly lesbian pop musicians in Chile and wider Latin America—a fact that may subtly shine through in the video clip above.
9. Manu Chao – Clandestino
Where and when: Spain via Paris, France, 1998
Sounds like: A melting pot of reggae and Latin American folk music with a punk edge
Manu Chao, raised in France as the son of exiles from Franco’s Spain, is a strange figure—a political and musical outsider with a penchant for exploration and experimentation who nevertheless became one of the most popular musicians in the Spanish-speaking world!
That’s not to say that this, his first solo album after the breakup of his band Mano Negra, is only sung in Spanish—there’s also French, English, and a bit of Portuguese thrown into the mix. Spanish dominates though, which makes me feel comfortable including it on my list. Check out the songs “Clandestino,” “Mentira,” “El viento,” and the above-included “Desaparecido” to see what this incredible album is all about.
Best Spanish Indie Songs
10. Café Tacvba – Re
Where and when: Mexico City, Mexico, 1994
Sounds like: …just keep reading!
Café Tacvba is arguably the “biggest” Spanish-language alternative music act in the world today, and this is why I’ve saved them for last! Though it isn’t their first album, Re is really where the legend begins. It’s an hour-long exploration of music in general, compared to the Beatles’ self-titled record (The White Album) by none other than the New York Times.
Throughout its 20 tracks you’ll hear Mexican genres like norteño and banda (half parody, half homage), international Latin sounds like samba and flamenco, loud, distorted, straight-up punk rock, and much more. “Las Flores,” the song included above, is a favorite from the record—but it’s only a small slice of what Re has to offer.
Now it’s time to choose what you like and continue your musical exploration from there. And don’t forget—make sure to include at least a little bit of time studying!
Jim Dobrowolski is a freelance writer, a passionate language learner and the proud husband of a dentist from Mexico. When he’s not working or blogging at Spanish Learner Central, he might be found strumming a guitar, climbing a small mountain or exploring his newly adopted hometown of Buffalo, New York.
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