Americans who still think of Latin music as mariachi bands and gyrating Ricky Martins and Shakiras might want to lend a closer ear to the genre. This country's Hispanic population isn't just growing, it's growing more diverse. More and more unique musical styles are being gobbled up, and that should come as good news to alternative gringos hoping to spruce up their castellano. This year's Latin-music highlights come from all over the Spanish-speaking map. We'll start in the farthest geographic c
If there's such a thing as Miami royalty, Gloria Estefan is undoubtedly
the queen. Along with husband, producer, musician and impresario,
Emilio Estefan, she's literally changed the landscape of the Magic City
over the years, first putting the town on the map with Miami Sound
Machine's run of rampant success through the 1980s, then with her own
triumph as a solo artist, releasing such hits as "Coming Out of the
Dark" and "Don't Wanna Lose You". As if that weren't enough, the
Estefan'
CuCu Diamantes' solo debut CUCULAND is at once a breath of fresh air and a nostalgic whiff of a more glamorous time. It shimmers with the glitz and glamour of an era when catching a show meant dinner jackets and hair tonic, evening gowns and diamonds. But it also bares its teeth and bites down on the modern sounds of New York City's streets, and if you close your eyes a sudden almost tangible perception of the faint smell of tastefully applied Chanel can just as quickly become the st
