Trends come and go, stars wink and fade out. How long will this new crop hold out? "It's impossible to predict who will be a pop star forever," says Wayne Isaak, executive vice president of music and talent for VH1. "But [Martin, Anthony and Lopez] could have a longer career than most. Even if their pop following wanes a bit, they will always have this Latin fan base that can keep them playing Madison Square Garden and working with the best producers of the day."
And no doubt Latin music will continue to thrive as well. The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once wrote a story about an empire so obsessed with maps that its cartographers constructed a map as large as the empire itself. Indeed, one by one, Spanish-language stars are being mapped, represented in another form. This new map will no doubt prove useful for Anglo listeners unfamiliar with the territory. But true music lovers would be well advised to check out CDs like Anthony's Contra la Corriente or Elvis Crespo's Pintame or Shakira's Dónde Están los Ladrones? in addition to any Latin-tinged pop CDs they might buy. There is real ground beneath the map.
With reporting by Meenakshi Ganguly/New Delhi, Stella Kim/Seoul, Donald Macintyre/Tokyo, Isabella Ng/Hong Kong and David E. Thigpen and Autumn de Leon/New York
Major Crossover Moments in Latin Pop
Xavier Cugat, 1934
Breakthrough Song: La Cucaracha
The colorful "King of the Rumba" became a U.S. sensation when Nabisco sent him on a six-month tour. In the '40s he recorded with Bing Crosby and made movies
Tito Puente, 1949
Breakthrough Song: Abaniquito
Raised in Spanish Harlem and trained at Juilliard, this showman has fronted his Latin jazz band for more than 50 years, setting the model for the younger set
Ritchie Valens, 1959
Breakthrough Song: La Bamba
He was only 17 when he died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly. His just-released La Bamba, a rock 'n' roll update of a traditional Mexican wedding song, became a genre-blending classic
Carlos Santana, 1969
Breakthrough Song: Evil Ways
Woodstock sent him to the top of the charts and into the mainstream of rock. But Latin influences never left his work: one of his biggest hits was Puente's Oye Como Va
Julio Iglesias, 1984
Breakthrough Song: To All the Girls I've Loved Before
The suave crooner was a '70s superstar--selling the most albums in the most languages--long before he arrived on the American scene
Gloria Estefan, 1985
Breakthrough Song: Conga
The Cuban-born emigré and her Miami Sound Machine's blend of salsa, pop and jazz sold millions of records to fans of both cultures. She became Latin's first crossover diva
Selena, 1995
Breakthrough Song: Dreaming of You
She was the beloved queen of Tejano music, but the Anglo world discovered her only when she was shot to death. Her albums still sell in both linguistic worlds
Ricky Martin, 1999
Breakthrough Song: La Copa de la Vida
As a billion viewers can attest, he electrified an otherwise boring Grammy show with a hip-shaking performance of the award-winning song he recorded for the World Cup
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THIS WEEK'S TABLE OF CONTENTS
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June 28, 1999
Latin Music POPS!
We've seen the future. It looks like Ricky Martin, sings like Marc Anthony, dances like Jennifer Lopez. And Asians love it
Godfather of the Miami Sound
When Emilio Estefan makes a prediction, industry moguls listen
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Photo Essay
El Mundo Loves Ricky
Get Ready for Ricky
Latin pop's hot new star has gone from Menudo to mainstream, with a stop at a soap. What's not to like? (TIME, May 10, 1999)
Spicing The Mix
Latin pop prepares to take on America (TIME, March 15, 1999)
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