Repping for the oft-neglected city of Miami, Cuban-American rapper Pitbull hit the scene in the summer of 2004, finding big success with his Lil Jon collabo single “Culo.” With a potent mix of crunked-out production, sex-fiend lyrics and Hispanic pride, his debut LP M.I.A.M.I. (Money Is A Major Issue) catapulted the young emcee into rap stardom, especially in the South and among Latinos. With releases like El Mariel and The Boatlift, he has continued making songs with insightful social commentary while proving his ability to move the masses with his club anthems. - BWINNING

Latin pop diva Shakira has achieved phenomenal success and become a genuine pop icon. Born to humble beginnings in Barranquilla on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, she left for the capital city of Bogota as an aspiring model at age 13. Ironically it was her music that garnered attention. Singing and writing lyrics since she was 8, her first album for Sony was released when she was 14. Although sales were meager, the album helped launch her career as a soap opera actress. Then came Pies Descalzados (1995), an album which showcased her bold, flexible voice and yielded a string of huge hits. Her mixture of rock ballads and Dance Pop (with an occasional tropical touch) is filtered through her image as a talented, beautiful and headstrong young woman. Departing from the traditional image of Latin American women, Shakira’s music and persona aroused controversy when her multiplatinum records put her in the spotlight. Following in the footsteps of Selena, she represents a bold new Latina who will be neither obsequious nor silent. As Shakira has matured, so has her music, as demonstrated in songs such as the Arabic-inflected “Ojos Asi” as well as in her live performances. - RLEAVER

As the son of Julio Iglesias — perhaps the most famous singer in the Spanish-speaking world — Enrique was born to stardom. He recorded his demo tape under a false name, not wanting to be seen as the son of Julio, but the relationship was ultimately a factor in the blockbuster success of his first record in 1995. Possessing a strong natural voice that is well suited to both romantic and dance material, he sings confidently in Spanish and English. His first monster hit, the power ballad “Experiencia Religiosa,” topped the charts in every Spanish-speaking country. Teaming up with top writers and producers, he continued with eleven No. 1 hits in a row on the Billboard Latin charts. His song “Bailamos” began his crossover career, and soon after he was performing at the Superbowl. The ultimate marker of success is that three Spanish soap operas are named after his songs. Although his father is still revered, Enrique’s popularity has now eclipsed his father’s, as any Latina teenager can testify. - RLEAVER

Carlos Santana has been mixing blues, Afro-Cuban jazz, rock, fusion, and psychedelic guitar elements into his brand of Latin rock since the 1960s. Many of today’s musicians hold Santana responsible for picking up where Ritchie Valens left off, bringing Latin sounds to the forefront of popular music. Shortly after Santana’s start playing music halls of San Francisco in the liquid light-show heyday (mid-’60s), his eclectic band found itself at the first Woodstock festival, playing one of its most memorable performances. The band has undergone many lineup changes since, but Carlos Santana continues to radiate global soul, playing new material as well as the hits that brought him acclaim back in the day of the longhairs. - ESHEA

Considered the king of the rancheros, Fernandez’s romantic, nostalgic sound typifies old Mexico. He wields exquisite control over his voice, surging from intimacy to drama at the drop of a hat. Fernandez is heir to singers like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, but his story is also bound up with the rise of television. Born in Jalisco in 1940, Fernandez had his first brush with musical success when he won a Guadalajara singing contest. But it wasn’t until he won a small role on a television show called La Calandria Musical that his career really got moving. He began singing for many of the major mariachi groups of the 1950s, and famously gave an impassioned concert in Mexico City just after learning his father had died. - SBARDEEN

Touring with Santana in support of Supernatural, this Mexican rock band has arrived at the pinnacle of Latin Rock stardom. They’ve marched forward since the early ’90s with a blend of pop hooks and hard riffs, shocking conservative Latinos while developing a dedicated following. Their song “Se Me Olvido Otra Vez” won a Latin Grammy in 2000 for Best Pop Performance. - RLEAVER

Ex-thrash metal bandmates turned itinerant musicians, Mexican musicians Rodrigo and Gabriela met in Mexico in the band Terra Acida. Not much later, they gave up their electric guitars, wandered through Europe and settled in Dublin. Inspired by flamenco’s technical virtuosity, the duo began playing a fiery (if less mournful) version of flamenco that brings bands like Led Zeppelin and Metallica into the musical fold. The group polished their chops busking in Dublin’s Grafton Street and, after gaining a devoted following there, they started seducing audiences outside Ireland. Their first album Foc was named for the Catalan word for fire (perhaps with some double entendres attached). In 2006, they teamed with producer John Leckie (Stone Roses, Radiohead) to record their self-titled international debut. - SBARDEEN

More an institution than a band, Banda el Limon was founded in 1965. The group played banda music for over thirty years, primarily in its home state of Sinaloa, before it finally signed to a record label and began releasing recordings in the late 1990s. Once the band laid down tracks, it shot to the top of the regional charts, earning Grammy nominations and awards across the Latin musical spectrum. Through the years, a succession of banda’s top vocalists have passed through the group, including Julio Preciado, El Coyote, Jorge Cordero and Nico Flores. - SBARDEEN

Born William Omar Landron in Puerto Rico, Don Omar got his start in reggaeton producing tracks for Hector El Bambino, who would later become known as Hector El Father. His talent caught the ear of other artists, and before long, he was a respected songwriter and artist in his own right. The Last Don released in 2003, made him a bona fide hero in the community, and VI Records released a live double album a year later. 2005’s Da Hitman Presents Reggaeton Latino, which rehashed Don Omar’s hits, rocketed off with the hugely successful single “Reggaeton Latino,” an all-star posse cut, and some remix work from Swizz Beatz. On King of Kings (2006), the Don adopted a post-apocalyptic warrior alter ego (onstage and on the album cover art) and departed from run of the mill reggaeton conventions by enlisting collaborators like Juelz Santana and Miri Ben-Ari, and working salsa, rock and arabesque rhythms into the mix. He also expanded on subject matter beyond love and adultery; the hit “Angelito” tells the tragic tale of a life cut short by AIDS while “Munecas de Porcelana” is a leftfield lesbian coming of age story. In March 2008, Don Omar and fellow reggaetonero Daddy Yankee squashed their epic beef at a Wisin y Yandel concert in Puerto Rico. By this time Omar gained a wider audience after friend Vin Diesel insisted his single “Bandoleros” be included in the film The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift; three tracks from his 2009 release, the futuristic-themed iDon, found their way onto the soundtrack of follow-up Fast & Furious. - SBARDEEN

You may recognize Romeo Santos’ sweet-talking tenor (or good looks) from a little bachata group called Aventura. - RDEVITT