The Mexican and Latino/Latinx community has a large part to play in country music, with musicians who've made a profound impact on the genre, such as Rick Treviño, Freddy Fender, Linda Rondstadt and Johnny Rodriguez. Presently, these artists have inspired a whole new class of Mexican and Latino/Latinx artists, whose range and variety have made it clear that the torch left behind by these great icons is moving forward in new ways. The following artists and groups exemplify the legacy of "nuestra comunidad" ("our community") in country music.
Laura Denisse y Los Brillantes
Blending country and Norteño music, Laura Denisse, who hails from Monterrey, NL, Mexico, started her career under the tutelage of Mexican regional icon Ramon Ayala. Over the years, her career has showcased her own brand of country Americana that honors her roots and highlights the international influence and power of country.
George Navarro
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and currently living in the U.S., George Navarro is part of a Spanish country music legacy. His father, Jorge Navarro, and other relatives make up the Latin Grammy-winning group Caballo Dorado, which gained widespread acclaim with their smash hit Spanish rendition of Billy Ray Cyrus' hit "Achy Breaky Heart" ("No Rompas Mi Corazón"). Navarro carries the legacy of his family's country music impact, with his own solo career that has allowed him to tour nationally and continue to grow as a rising star on the scene.
Veronique Medrano
Courtesy of artist
Hailing from South Texas, Veronique Medrano's music is one-of-a-kind sound that refuses to stay perfectly within the confines of country or Tex-Mex music. She has spent her career celebrating her border town upbringing with songs such as "Wasted Days," The "Tamale Man" and "Crying/Llorando." Medrano's command of her dual identity as a Mexican American and Spanish, English and bilingual lyrics make her a force as both an artist and songwriter, and it is best showcased with her recent full-album release MexiAmericana.
Sammy Arriaga
Courtesy of artist
Taking back Miami, Sammy Arriaga proudly showcases his Cuban/Latino upbringing with songs such as "Country Side" and "Cold in Miami." On top of his prowess as a songwriter, Arriaga has garnered attention — not just musically but also through his unconventional approach to the music business with the implementation of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in his music releases. This has given him a unique perspective and independence in financing his country music career in a way no one else has currently been able to achieve on as big of a financial scale.
Valerie Ponzio
Hannah Burton
Since being catapulted into the spotlight with her run on Season 12 of NBC's The Voice, Valerie Ponzio has made it her mission to shatter every precedent set for Latin artists in the world of country music. Hailing from El Paso, Texas, Valerie went to Nashville and in turn became one of the leading pioneers for a new wave of inclusivity in the Nashville country music space. Ponzio was recently inducted into the inaugural class of CMT and mtheory's Equal Access program. Her songs "Just a Border Town" and EP Frontera are her way of bringing a little bit of El Paso to Music Row.
Shaun Mecca
Puro Yeehaw abounds with Shaun Mecca, a TikTok rap/country artist hailing from Dallas, Texas. With over 20 years in the hip-hop/rap market, he used his experiences performing alongside Chris Perez, Lil Wayne and Bone Thugs N Harmony to influence his unique take on country music. The TikTok and YouTube success of his recent single, "Beer Drinkin' SOB," has started his upward influence of this sound.
Louie TheSinger
Bringing R&B and rap to country, Louie TheSinger, who hails from Fort Worth, Texas, has gained over 1 million followers on social media and has used his sound to gain a community that has allowed him to tour across the U.S. Working alongside Paul Wall and releasing a full album titled Country My Way in 2022, it is clear that his star is on the rise with every sold-out show, and doing country his way.
Ramona & The Holy Smokes
Tristan Williams
The honky-tonk band Ramona & The Holy Smokes, from Charlottesville, Virginia, offers original country music that recalls classic country from the 1950s and '60s. The band is fronted by Ramona Martinez, a prolific singer-songwriter whose sincere and heartfelt music pulls from her Mexican American roots to perform and compose traditional mariachi music in a country-western style. Rather than moving to Nashville like so many songsters, she is developing her career in Charlottesville and bringing honky-tonk music to the next generation.
Frank Ray
BBR Music Group
In addition to being named an "Artist to Watch" by Rolling Stone, New Mexico native Frank Ray has cemented himself as one of the top voices of current Latino artists in country music. Ray's music is a blend, drawing influence from '90s Texas country, Latin, R&B and pop. He has toured and shared stages in support of artists including Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan and more. Sharing his brand of country music has landed him on the Texas Radio and Billboard charts with the single "Country'd Look Good on You."
Andrea Vasquez
Jessica Amerson
The Nashville-based country artist Andrea Vasquez, who grew up in a musical family in Los Angeles, Calif., is spreading the power of "Country with a Little Tajin." Partnering her powerful vocals with compelling lyrics, this Latina country artist is spotlighting the power of the next generation of country Latino artist with songs such as "Overthink" and "Hangover" and her recent EP Bed You Made.
Angie K
Angie K entered the scene in 2016, landing a spot on Blake Shelton's team for TV competition The Voice. Since then, K has made a huge impact on the country music scene. Her first bilingual single, "Real Talk," made her a "Highway Find" on Sirius XM's The Highway. She was the only independent artist to play on the Nissan Stadium stage during the 2022 CMA Fest. She was recently named to the 2023 class of CMT's "Next Women of Country" after scoring three back-to-back No. 1 music videos on the channel's 12 Pack Countdown. Angie has shared the stage with artists including Tanya Tucker, Sammy Kershaw, Trace Adkins, Melissa Etheridge and more.
Carin Leon
While many know the acclaimed singer-songwriter from Hermosillo, Sonora, for regional Mexican music, Carin Leon has been staking a claim in the country music scene for some years now. Recently announced to perform at Stagecoach in 2024, Leon is bringing his regional Mexican sounds and old-school country blends to a wider audience in the years to come.
Alyssia Dominguez
Alyssia Dominguez, a Wisconsin native and current Nashvillian, has been featured on Apple Music Country Radio and is part of Rissi Palmer's Color Me Country's Class of 2023, which celebrates the new rising stars of country music. Her recent single, "En La Calle," celebrates her duality of inspiration and culture.
Matt Castillo
Hailing from Edinburg, Texas, Matt Castillo has made a name for himself on the Texas country radio charts and is a star on the rise. You can feel the Texan oozing out of his music as he hearkens back to the heyday of the honky-tonks and cantinas. With bilingual music at the forefront, Castillo is set to make his mark on the scene.
Stephanie Urbina Jones
Chris Hobdy
The No. 1 Billboard country songwriter is making history with her honky-tonk mariachi sound. Blending the hallowed Mexican mariachi sounds with country-rock, Stephanie Urbina Jones is inspiring and building a bridge between Mexico and the U.S. with her sound, which finally contextualizes traditional country music and its the Hispanic influences. With sold-out shows at the Bluebird Cafe, The Opry and more, Urbina Jones is taking her honky-tonk mariachi on the road.
Below, enjoy almost two hours of artists and groups who exemplify the legacy of country music for Hispanic Heritage Month.
