It’s no secret that the Hispanic community is one of the largest and most influential in the USA. It will also not surprise you that Spanish-speaking singers are some of the most talented and well-known in the world!
From balladeers to pop stars, these men have entertained us for years with their amazing voices and impressive performances.
And in this post, we’re going to take a quick look at the lives and careers of the greatest and most famous male Hispanic singers who have inspired us and made us fall in love with music.
Related: Check out our list of the most famous Hispanic singers here.
1. Juanes
Born Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez in Antioquia, Colombia, Juanes fell in love with music at a young age. He was only two when he started playing the piano, and seven years old when his family began to teach him the guitar.
When he was 17, he started the band Ekhymosis, but in the late ’90s, he decided to focus on a solo career. As a solo artist, he dropped a number of well-received songs, but “La Camisa Negra” is considered his top hit.
He has also earned Latin Grammys, and he has gone platinum and multi-platinum across the Spanish-speaking world.
2. Ricky Martin
King of Latin pop Ricky Martin was born Enrique Martin Morales in Puerto Rico and began his career as a performer and entertainer at the young age of 11.
He then went on to launch his solo career in the early ’90s, starting with traditional ballads and transitioning to Latin Pop with his third album, A Medio Vivir.
International fame came with his Grammy-winning album Vuelve in 1998. The following year, he dropped “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” skyrocketing his popularity even more.
He has since become one of the best-selling Hispanic artists in history, selling over 70 million albums and earning over 200 awards and a Hollywood Star of Fame.
3. Enrique Iglesias
Son of the legendary Spanish singer and pro soccer player Julio Iglesias, Enrique Miguel Iglesias followed in his father’s footsteps.
Though he was born in Spain, he grew up in Miami and began recording Latin pop music in the ’90s under a Mexican label. He first garnered acclaim for his song “Por Amarte,” which became the theme song in a famous Mexican telenovela.
His songs topped the Latin charts throughout the ’90s, but it wasn’t until the turn of the 21st century that he began singing in English.
His first crossover hit song, “Bailamos,” featured a mix of English and Spanish and has since gone on to record 11 albums, star in various blockbuster hit movies, and win hundreds of music awards.
Related: Check out our list of male Spanish singers here.
4. Marc Anthony
Born Marco Antonio Muniz Rivera in New York City, Marc Anthony grew up in a musical household in Spanish Harlem. His Puerto Rican parents instilled in him a love for Latin music, encouraging his interest in rock, R&B, and blues.
He channeled the musical influences of his childhood into his own music, a fusion of salsa with soul and R&B.
He sang exclusively in Spanish during the ’90s, winning six Latin Grammys before signing with Sony Records. For his song “I Need To Know,” he received a Grammy nomination, and his other English songs were made famous as soundtracks in movies like The Mask of Zorro and Runaway Bride.
5. Manu Chao
The music of Spanish-born, French-raised musician Manu Chao is in a category of its own. He is multilingual, singing songs in Spanish, French, English, Arabic, Italian, Portuguese, and various other languages.
He formed the band Mano Negra in 1987, an underground fusion band that combined rockabilly, funk, punk rock, and Latin party music. They garnered acclaim in France but broke up by the early 90s.
Chao then embarked on a wildly successful solo career, beginning with the hit album Clandestino and its title track, followed in short order by Proxima Estacion Esperanza and La Radiolina.
6. Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny is the stage name of Puerto Rican rapper and reggaeton sensation Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. He grew up in Puerto Rico and began self-recording music while he was a college student on the popular platform SoundCloud.
His music was so popular that it caught the attention of famous pop and rap artists like Drake and Cardi B, who invited him to collaborate. “Mia” with Drake reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Soon after, he dropped his debut album, x 100pre, and won a Latin Grammy for it. His 2020 YHLQMDLG, won him his first Grammy in the US for Best Latin Pop Album.
7. Daddy Yankee
Dubbed King of Reggaeton, Daddy Yankee was born Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez in Puerto Rico. He earned his title because he globalized the genre and came up with the name “reggaeton” in 1994.
Yankee is the product of urbanity, growing up in the projects outside of San Juan. When his aspirations of an MLB draft were quashed by a gunshot wound, he channeled his energy into a musical career. He achieved international recognition with his hit single “Gasolina.”
His fame climbed to an all-time high in 2017 with the release of “Despacito,” which is the most popular Spanish-language hit in the Hispanic and Anglo markets since “Macarena.”
8. Chayanne
Elmer Figueroa Arce of Puerto Rico took the name stage name Chayanne, which was coined by his mother to describe his obsession with his favorite childhood TV series, Cheyenne.
Like Ricky Martin, Chayanne began his musical career as a member of a boy band. He actually auditioned for Martin’s band Menudo but didn’t make the cut and joined another hit band called Los Chicos.
In 1984, Chayanne launched a solo career and earned international acclaim with his 1988 self-titled album. However, his greatest hit came in 2002 with “Y Tu Te Vas.”
Chayanne’s music is exclusively in Spanish, with many of his songs featured as theme songs for telenovelas in Mexico and Venezuela. With more than 50 million albums sold, he is one of the best-selling Latin pop artists of all time.
9. Julio Iglesias
While Enrique Iglesias may be more well-known to the younger generations, his father, Julio Iglesias, was the biggest Spanish singer and songwriter in the world, having sold over 100 million albums during his stunning career.
He grew up in Madrid and became a professional soccer player before focusing on a singing career in the ’60s. Many of his songs are in Spanish, but one of his English songs is particularly well-known, the 1983 ballad “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
He has performed in over 5,000 concerts around the globe and is recognized as the most prolific international singer, having recorded songs in more languages than any other artist. Iglesias’s honors and awards are too many to count, but it includes a knighthood from France and a Grammy Lifetime Award.
10. Devendra Banhart
Houston-born, Venezuelan-raised folk singer Devendra Banhart started his musical formation in high school. As a teen, he relocated to California to attend the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute.
He began recording music in 2002 but found commercial success in his 2005 album Cripple Crow. Often cited as the forerunner of freak folk, he has released ten albums, all of which combine a classic American folk sound with neo-psychedelic sounds.
Six of his albums made it to the Billboard charts in both the US and the UK.
Aside from singing, Banhart has an interest in visual arts with Nicodim Gallery in Los Angeles featuring his work in 2020.
11. Luis Miguel
Known as the Sun of Mexico, Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican multi-genre singer who remained faithful to his Latin roots by never singing in English like most of his fellow Hispanic artists during the ’90s.
Nevertheless, he still garnered international fame, becoming the first Latin artist to have Platinum-certified albums in the US. He’s also the youngest Grammy winner, receiving a Grammy at 14 for “Me Gustas Tal Como Eres,” a duet he sang with Sheena Easton.
He has since won five more Grammys and 15 nominations, not to mention Latin Grammys, World Music Awards, MTV Video Music Award, and many more.
Summing Up Our List Of Famous Hispanic Male
Vocalists
We’ve come to the end of our list of Hispanic male vocalists. We hope you enjoyed reading about them and discovered some new ones!
However, this list barely scratches the surface, and there are plenty more talented singers out there.
Who do you think we missed off that deserves to be on this list? Let us know, and we’ll add them in!
