Hispanic Heritage Month

J Balvin took NPR's Tiny Desk concert series to a new level by performing live on a barge in the middle of New York's East River in September 2021. A native of Colombia, Balvin is one of the most successful Latin recording artists of all time. His achievements include being the first artist to have a spanish-language song hit the top of Spotify's Global Top 50 chart, the first Latin artist to headline Coachella and Lollapalooza, and the first artist to fill Spotify's entire top ten with his own songs.

J Lo and Shakira's legendary Superbowl Halftime Show in Miami, Florida on February 2nd, 2020 was full of tributes to their Colombian and Puerto Rican heritage, Latin American culture in Miami and beyond, contemporary political issues affecting Latin Americans, and even a nod to Shakira's Lebanese heritage in the form of a zaghrouta! Take another look and see how many references and tributes you can spot.

In 1968, Puerto Rican songwriter and musician José Feliciano experienced his first taste of fame with the popularity of his cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire". As a result of his new-found fame, Feliciano was invited to perform the National Anthem at Game 5 of the 1968 World Series. Feliciano's Latin jazz-influenced rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" met with controversy, however, with some fans supporting his version, while others, including recent Vietnam veterans, found his interpretation to be disrespectful. Feliciano soon realized that critics of his performance at radio station around the country stopped playing his songs. Feliciano persevered until he was able to rightfully regain his title as American pop star. Feliciano did not know it at the time, but his interpretation of the National Anthem established a tradition of artistic interpretation by artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, and Lady Gaga.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion raised eyebrows and topped the charts this year with their sex-positive hit "WAP". Cardi B, who has Dominican and Trinidadian heritage, faced immediate backlash for the explicit nature of the song. Her fans across the world rose to her defense, claiming the song to be a celebration of female empowerment, not to mention a memorable addition in the history of Sex Rap. Listener advisory: EXPLICIT CONTENT.

Cult film legend Danny Trejo grew up in Los Angeles, the son of Mexican-American parents. Trejo received his first break in the film indstry when he was asked to act as a boxing trainer and film extra after he was noticed working as a drug counselor on the set of the movie Runaway Train. The rest is history. Trejo has become ubiquitous in contemporary pop culture due to his role as Isador "Machete" Cortez in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids movies and the eponymous Machete. Trejo has starred in over 250 film and TV roles, is an accomplished chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author, and has even been spotted coming to the rescue of his fellow Angelenos!

Are you also tired of the wait to see Wonder Woman 1984? Will it ever come out? While the delay is excruciating, some awesome details about the film have been making the rounds on the internet, including this 13-minute recap of the Wonder Woman 1984 discussion panel at the 2020 DC Fandome event. Gal Gadot and her fellow cast members were looking gorgeous and glamorous as usual, but the real highlight of the discussion was a surprise visit by Lynda Jean Cordova Carter, the original Wonder Woman. Carter, whose mother has Mexican, Spanish, and French heritage, crashed the panel party in the best way when she suddenly appeared to bond with Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins, who she thanked for making Wonder Woman someone a new generation could look up to.

Arguably the queen of Latin-influenced American pop music, Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan made her name as part of Miami Sound Machine. The legendary, chart-topping group formed in Miami, Florida when Gloria and her cousin were approached by Emelio Estefan, Gloria's future husband and co-founder of Miami Sound Machine, after hearing them sing at a wedding. Gloria soon joined Emilio's band Miami Latin Boys. As the group locked into a groove, they became Miami Sound Machine and embarked on one of the most successful musical careers in American history and helped popularize Latin music and the use of Spanish language in pop music. On November 24, 2015, President Barack Obama presented Gloria and Emilio with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, for their contributions to American music.