Latinos in U.S. Popular Music: Timeline

1930–1939 As leader of the house band for New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, Xavier Cugat glamorizes Latin music • 1930: The Pedro J. González radio show and his band “Los Madrugadores” is a hit with Latinos in Los Angeles • 1936: Narciso Martinez and Santiago Jimenez begin recording Tejano music

1940–1949 New York-based musicians shape Caribbean styles like mambo and cha cha chá; Lalo Guerrero becomes a symbol of Chicano music playing Pachuco • 1941: Mario Bauzá joins Machito’s Afro-Cubans as musical director, creating one of the most famous partnerships in Latin music • 1946: Desi Arnaz has hit record with “Babalú” • 1948: Don Tosti records “Pachuco Boogie” • 1949: Pérez Prado and Beny Moré collaborate on hit “Que rico mambo;” Tito Puente forms his first mambo band

1950–1959 Afro-Cuban dance begins to integrate new genres and instrumentation; mambo and charanga are popular dance styles; 3rd generation of Mariachi Vargas band popularizes mariachi music to wider audience • 1952: Pérez Prado records “Mambo No. 5” • 1955: Lalo Guerrero records “Pancho Lopez” • 1958: Ritchie Valens appears on American Bandstand; The Champs win Best Rhythm & Blues Performance Grammy for “Tequila” • 1959: Bassist Israel “Cachao” Lopez leaves Cuba for the United States

1960–1969 Boogaloo combines Latin rhythms with an R&B backbeat in New York; the “Eastside Sound” develops in Los Angeles, including The Blendells, The Premiers, Cannibal and the Headhunters, The Romancers and The Village Callers; Latin rock scene active in San Francisco with groups like Santana and Malo • 1960: Lalo Schifrin moves to New York and joins Dizzy Gillespie’s quintet playing cubop (Latin-influenced bop) • 1961: Salsa musician Celia Cruz emigrates from Cuba to New York City • 1963: “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente is #1 on Billboard pop chart, followed by “If I Had a Hammer” by Trini Lopez; Herb Alpert records “The Lonely Bull” • 1964: Fania Records, important salsa label, is launched by Jerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco • 1965: Willie Colón signed to Fania Records; Cannibal & the Headhunters record “Land of 1000 Dances” and open for The Beatles’ second U.S. tour; “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs reaches #2 on the Billboard charts; Doug Sahm founds the Sir Douglas Quintet • 1969: Santana performs at Woodstock

1970–1979 The East LA punk scene develops, including bands with Latino members: The Zeros, The Plugz, The Bags, and Nervous Gender; Latino artists performing salsa and hip-hop in New York City • 1970: Little Joe and the Latinaires changes name to Little Joe y la Familia; El Chicano releases first album; Santana releases Abraxas with hit track “Oye Como Va” • 1971: R&B vocal group Tierra created • 1973: Tito RodrÍguez sells out Madison Square Garden in New York for the final appearance before his death • 1974: Freddy Fender records “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” • 1978: The album Siembra by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades becomes the best-selling salsa record in history • 1979: Zoot Suit is first Chicano play on Broadway; music by Lalo Guerrero and Daniel Valdez

1980–1989 Rap and hip-hop emerge on the national music scene, including Latino artists • 1985: “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine hits #1 in U.S. • 1987: Los Lobos records Ritchie Valens songs for the soundtrack to the film La Bamba; Linda Ronstadt celebrates her Mexican heritage with Canciones de Mi Padre

1990–present Narcocorridos, corridos focusing on the drug trade, begin to emerge–banned by many radio stations; a number of Spanish-language artists successfully cross over to English; Latino pop artists including Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, and Paulina Rubio make global impact; multicultural bands like Bacilos, Nuclear Valdez, and Spam Allstars that blend Latin rhythms with genres such as rock, funk and electronica flourish in Miami • 1990: Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval leaves Cuba for the United States • 1993: Selena Live! wins the Grammy Award for Best Mexican American album; the album Dreaming of You, released shortly after Selena’s 1995 death, is extremely successful • 2003: Akwid breaks through with banda rap album Proyecto Akwid • 2004: Daddy Yankee’s reggaetón hit “Gasolina” on mainstream radio