Though Latin music fans tend to be Latin Americans, artists like Shakira and Pitbull prove that Latin musicians can find wider success. With the 12th Latin Grammy Awards being given out tonight in Las Vegas (airs live on Univision, 8 p.m. ET/PT), it's the perfect time to assess potential crossover artists in everything from rock and pop to reggaeton and kuduro.
Smallz & Raskind
Ignazio Boschetto (17), Gianluca Ginoble (16) and Piero Barone (18) make up Il Volo. The teen tenors are nominated for two awards.
Calle 13
Backstory: The alternative Puerto Rican rap duo made up of stepbrothers René "Residente" Pérez (the act's confrontational frontman) and Eduardo "Visitante" Cabra (producer) has had major cross-genre success since its first chart-topping Latin album was released in 2005. This year, Calle 13 is nominated in alternative, urban and tropical categories.
Nominated for: Ten awards, including album of the year (Entren Los Que Quieren), record and song (both for Latinoamérica), and another album nod for Shakira'sSale el Sol, for which they helped produce.
Crossover potential: Calle 13 is one of Latin music's biggest acts and has 2.7 million Twitter followers.
Signature style: The group delivers streetwise lyrics over inventive beats that combine reggaeton, hip-hop and electronica. Songs like Latinoamérica speak to the struggle and beauty of living in Latin America.
For fans of: Eminem, Das Racist
Backstory: Operatic tenors Piero Barone (18), Ignazio Boschetto (17) and Gianluca Ginoble (16) won Italian talent show Ti Lascio Una Canzone. The teens' self-titled debut album reached No. 1 on Billboard's classical album chart.
Nominated for: Best new artist and pop album by duo or group.
Crossover potential: The trio appeared on Ellen, performed on American Idol and guest-starred on the series finale of Entourage. The boys of Il Volo are on Billboard's 2011 "21 under 21" list and their Christmas Favorites EP is out Nov. 21.
Signature style: Hit single O Sole Mio, which has garnered 3.8 million YouTube views, showcases the trio's mature, classically trained voices and emotional deliveries. The album contains songs in Italian, Spanish and English.
For fans of:Josh Groban, Jackie Evancho
Sie7e
Backstory: Puerto Rican guitarist and singer/songwriter David Rodriguez broke through when AT&T picked up his feel-good music for use in the company's commercials. After becoming spokesman for a Puerto Rican anti-drug alliance in 2009 and releasing hit single Don't Worry Be Happy in 2010, Sie7e put out the 2011 album Mucha Cosa Buena.
Nominated for: Best new artist and alternative song (Tengo Tu Love).
Crossover potential: The romantic sunset-on-the-beach music video for Tengo, his biggest hit to date, has more than 4 million YouTube hits. Pop-culture references in his songs —Justin Bieber, Twitter and Lady Gaga are all mentioned in Tengo— could endear him to a broader audience.
Signature style: Sie7e often poses with his hands in peace signs. His music is a happy fusion of rock, reggae and samba.
For fans of: G. Love & Special Sauce, Bob Marley
Don Omar
Backstory: The former preacher left the church to make reggaeton music in the early 2000s, hitting big in 2005 with single Reggaeton Latino. After that, Omar made the first reggaeton album to break the top 10 on Billboard's album chart (2006's King of Kings). His latest album, Don Omar Presents Meet the Orphans, has yielded two No. 1 Latin singles.
Nominated for: Best urban album, urban song (Danza Kuduro).
Crossover potential: Omar's video for Danza Kuduro featuring Lucenzo has more than 255 million views, making it the most-viewed Spanish YouTube video ever. The Puerto Rican rapper has been solidified as one of reggaeton's superstars with 470,000 Twitter followers.
Signature style: Omar sings atop skillfully produced dance beats in Danza Kuduro, begging listeners to dance to his upbeat music. Translation: "Don't lose your breath now/ Because this has just started/ Move your head/ Dance to kuduro."
For fans of: Pitbull, Timbaland
Backstory: Born Martha Ivelisse Pesante, Ivy Queen started releasing rap music in the '90s. In 2007, her album Sentimiento reached No. 4 on Billboard's Latin album chart. Latest album Drama Queen hit No. 3.
Nominated for: Best urban album.
Crossover potential: The Puerto Rican dubbed the "Queen of Reggeton" is the most prominent female voice in the Latin hip-hop world. Ivy Queen was featured in Pitbull'sCulo Remix.
Signature style: Ivy Queen has that aggressive "I am woman, hear me roar" attitude that comes across in her single La Vida es Así, which has charted in tropical, Latin pop and rhythm airplay. In her deep voice, she sings that she's happy a woman stole her man, because he was worthless in bed, anyway.
For fans of: Missy Elliot, Nicki Minaj
Source: USA Today
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