If quarantine has given us anything during these trying times, it’s time. We all of a sudden have time to read a book, enjoy old and new music and discover fresh artists who weren’t on our radar and should be.
While they might not be topping the charts (yet), these 17 Latina artists have gifted us with their beautifully crafted music and distinctive voices that we want to share with our readers.
Below, check out the new hidden gems we discovered during quarantine. (And next week, we’ll be posting about male artists you should discover during quarantine.)
Alaina Castillo
The 19-year-old Mexican-American bilingual singer-songwriter showcases her powerful voice in achingly beautiful ballads. The Texas-born artist made her debut in 2019 with her single “i don’t think i love you anymore,” included in her bilingual EP Antisocial Butterfly.
Ambar Lucid
The teen singer-songwriter’s rich vocals are on full display in her alternative, R&B bilingual tracks. The Mexican-American artist recently dropped her new EP Garden of Lucid.
Angélica García
The Barack Obama-approved singer-songwriter is making waves in Latin pop and indie rock while embracing her Mexican-Salvadoran roots along the way and documenting her multicultural experience in her lyrics. Fun fact: The former president included García’s “Jícama” on his 2019 year-end list.
Catalyna
The rising 21-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter is making a name for herself in the urbano world. Influenced by female powerhouses Ivy Queen and Nicki Minaj, Catalyna was recently signed by Yandel‘s Y Entertainment label. Her new song “Acompañame,” featuring Yandel and Guaynaa, drops Friday.
Cheli Madrid
Signed to DEL Records, up-and-coming regional Mexican singer-songwriter Cheli Madrid is making a name for herself in the male-dominated genre. The banda singer got her start in the music industry at the young age of 10 singing Marisela and Joan Sebastian songs.
Daniela Brooker
Born in Venezuela but raised in the United Kingdom, soulful pop singer/songwriter Daniela Brooker is tapping into her Latino roots with the release of her Martina La Peligrosa-assisted track “Playita,” a Caribbean bop that brings to the forefront Brooker’s melting pot of sounds and rhythms.
Denise Rosenthal
Hailing from Santiago, Chile, Denise Rosenthal is a singer-songwriter who’s making waves with empowering lyrics and dance-pop-R&B fusions. During quarantine, Rosenthal has teamed up with artists such as Cami, Mala Rodriguez and Javiera Mena to drop “at-home” versions of her songs.
Elena Rose
With her enchanting soulful vocals, Elena Rose is a singer-songwriter from Venezuela who has composed some of today’s hottest jams, including CNCO’s “La Ley,” Becky G’s “Dollar” and Rauw Alejandro’s “Tattoo,” to name a few. On Friday, Rose will drop her debut single “Sandunga.”
Gabriela Guaba
La Gabi (real name: Gabriela Guaba) is an 18-year-old Dominican rapper who, thanks to her sick freestyles and crisp voice, landed on J Balvin’s radar and is now one of his signed artists. In early March, Balvin revealed that he discovered Gabi on social media after she covered his songs.
Kablito
Kablito is a rising artist from Guayaquil, Ecuador, whose musical influences include Bad Bunny, Drake and Frank Ocean, helping to bring her lush indie-pop-urban fusions to the table. Kablito is currently making the rounds with her single “Bye Bye Baby,” whose music video was made on TikTok.
Marem Ladson
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter’s striking vocals caught our attention and introduced us to Ladson’s well-crafted folk-pop music with raw and honest lyrics. The Spanish artist released her self-titled debut album in 2018.
María Pino
Venezuelan singer Maria Pino (real name: Maria Paula Gonzalez) is a Miami-based upcoming artist who’s sugary voice and pop-urban melodies is putting her on the map. Pino, who attended New World School of the Arts in Miami and is a graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a major in Music Business, released her soothing single “Sábado” in the midst of quarantine.
Nathy Peluso
Following her debut at the 2019 SummerStage in New York, the Argentine rising urbano artist is making a splash in the Spanish urban scene standing out with her unique music style that fuses rap and soul and other Latin beats.
Nesi
Nesi is a freestyler from Puerto Rico who is behind the empowering hook of Bad Bunny’s “Yo Perreo Sola.” But before jumping on the track, Nesi gained viral recognition with her freestyle videos on Facebook. Thanks to social media, she was discovered by the Latin trap artist.
Vanessa Zamora
Mexican singer-songwriter and producer has been making waves in the psychedelic pop world with experimental beats that range from electronically charged tracks to indie folk tunes.
VF7
VF7 (real name: Valeria Fernández) is a Puerto Rican artist who’s engaging a new generation of music lovers with her catchy reggaeton tunes. At 13 years old, she’s already landed a collaboration with Rauw Alejandro and is making the rounds with her latest single “Aprovecha” with Adexe & Nau. Her dream is to one day work with Bad Bunny.
Zhamira Zambrano
Giving the pop-urban scene a fresh sound comes Zhamira Zambrano from Venezuela, endorsed by Vicente Saavedra and Dimelo Vi. She first gained recognition from her YouTube videos and as a contestant on Univision’s La Banda 2 before debuting her single “Me Alejo de Ti” under Dimelo Vi’s record label. She’s now making the rounds with “Me Alejo de Ti.”
