Spanish music artists list

Like reading in the target language, listening to a range of musical forms also introduces you to the poetry of the language – the limitations and possibilities of its grammar and vocabulary, slang, puns, the many and the varied ways native speakers “play” with the language.

Best of all, you can pick and choose the artists and bands you enjoy listening to, and language learning becomes even more of a pleasure – not to mention the additional kudos gained from being able to sing along with the cover band in a local Nicaraguan dive bar! Here are seven bands and artists that have helped me with my Spanish studies.

1. Amparanoia

Her sometime-collaborator Manu Chao has said that Amparo Sánchez must have swallowed a microphone as a child, to have a voice like she does. And it’s true: her rich, powerful, bluesy voice is a pleasure to listen to, and a delight for language learners in its clarity.

Amparo founded the group Amparanoia in 1996, and the band’s albums all have a distinct feel, drawing from Latin, reggae and rock elements – catchy, bouncy and exuberant, with the anchor of Amparo’s powerful voice. La Vida Te Da is a nice place to start.

Amparanoia toured for the last time in 2008, and Amparo’s forthcoming solo album is expected to take on a more intimate, jazzy style – think Billie Holiday, Chavela Vargas and Nina Simone.

2. Chavela Vargas

“I was me and I lived, ” Vargas told the New York Times in 2003. And did she ever. Leaving her birthplace of Costa Rica at the age of 14 to flee to Mexico’s music scene, dressing as a man and carrying a gun in her tequila-soaked youth, enjoying a passionate love affair with Frida Kahlo, Vargas lived the romance of her music.

A legend in the Mexican ranchera genre, Vargas is, for me, the latina Tom Waits: a cigarettes-and-whisky voice that drips honey, music for a lazy Sunday morning with the papers and a Bloody Mary. Far beyond its language learning benefits, Vargas’ music is a cultural cornerstone for those who want to live Spanish, not just speak it.