Colombia’s Juanes was raised on music: he learned guitar under the tutelage of his father and brothers, and cut his teeth on everyone from Nueva Cancion singer Silvio Rodriguez to Led Zeppelin and Eminem. He’s absorbed diverse influences from around Latin America, from vallenato and salsa to punk. After a stint with Latin Rock band Ekhymosis, Juanes struck out on his own in the late 1990s. The result of his musical explorations is evident: he’s got a powerful sense of dynamics that keeps the sensitivity in check with swinging rhythms and expert instrumental flourishes. No two songs on his solo albums sound alike, and the personal and political comfortably rub shoulders in his work. Even his pop-oriented efforts maintain a certain subtlety, and his Latin Grammys are clearly richly deserved. One to watch for years to come.
- Sarah Bardeen

Initially considered a Latin version of Madonna, Gloria Estefan developed from a dance diva into a respected songstress. With her husband on keyboards and in the producer’s seat, Estefan’s band Miami Sound Machine evolved from a wedding band to a veritable hit machine in the 1980s, composing accessible dance tunes that fused Disco with Salsa. “Conga” and “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” were chart-topping dance anthems rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythms that foreshadowed the tropical music explosion. In 1993 she released a Spanish language record, “Mi Tierra (My Land),” which was a mix of nostalgic ballads and contemporary Salsa. Singing in her mother tongue, Estefan’s voice reached a new level of sophistication and highlighted her formidable range. Featuring a guest appearance by Celia Cruz on “Alma Caribena (Latin Soul)” (2000), Estefan wholeheartedly embraces her Cuban heritage with superb arrangements. Gloria and her husband Emilio can be credited with putting Miami on the musical map and reconnecting across a great divide back to their motherland — Cuba.
- Robert Leaver

When Ricky Martin crossed over to English language audiences in 1999, he seemed to come out of nowhere. But this former member of Menudo had been a Latin Pop star for most of the 1990s. The charismatic Martin is a throwback to a time when musicians were also entertainers. He can sing up a storm, dance, and smile, all at the same time — a refreshing change of pace in an era when most modern pop and hip-hop stars have little to offer but seriousness. Martin may not have the substance of Marc Anthony, but he is one of the hardest-working people in show business, seemingly able to work in any musical style — neo Salsa, romantic ballads and Jangle Pop, to name a few.
- Nick Dedina

Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico in 1977, Daddy Yankee (aka Raymond Ayala) got his start singing with DJ Playero while he was still in his teens. After a few appearances on compilations, he released his platinum-selling debut El Cartel De Yankee I in 2000, which was quickly followed by El Cartel De Yankee II in 2001. Now firmly established as a star in the crowded reggaeton field, Daddy Yankee began his crossover bid in 2004, when his song “Gazolina” (off of 2004’s Barrio Fino) climbed charts at home and abroad. Ayala’s heart doesn’t belong to reggaeton alone, however — he’s toured with Olga Tanon and sung with salsa greats Domingo Quinones and Andy Montanez.
- Sarah Bardeen