SOMOS

From its diverse array of voices and sounds to its complementing movements and legacies, Latin music represents—and unites—people worldwide. To commemorate Latinx Heritage Month, Apple Music proudly presents SOMOS—“we are”—a celebration of the unifying cultural contributions of the singers, songwriters, and musicians whose work has provided a soundtrack to Latinidad. Each week over the next month, SOMOS explores a different foundational theme of this music and its traditions, with curated playlists, a four-episode Apple Music 1 radio series, landmark albums, and historical and cultural context via original artist videos and illuminating essays by Latinx writers. The first week is Voces, which highlights the role of storytelling with a focus on the distinct influence of mariachi—just in time for Mexican Independence Day on September 16. Next up is Fuerza, spotlighting the ways in which Latin music has helped provide a platform and inspiration for social movements—including the ones gripping the world right now. Ritmo addresses the many ways that African and Afro-Latinx peoples have shaped the music’s sonic foundations and hallmarks. Finally, Legado ties together how tradition, family, and culture keep Latin music alive and thriving. Fans of reggaetón, norteño, salsa, Spanish-language pop, and more can find something to love, and learn more about, here.

So much of Latin culture—that monolithic term describing the myriad cultures within and beyond borders—relies upon tradition. In perpetuating foodways, mores, faiths, and superstitions, our past informs and guides our present. Honor and explore these rich musical customs and conventions, drawing a straight line between the biggest hits and stars of today and the stories and struggles of generations past.

Genres may go out of style, but the signature sound of Mexico endures thanks to the centuries of balladeers, with violin, trumpet, vihuela, and guitarrón soundtracking rich stories of heartbreak and despair. Explore how this tradition of storytelling has evolved through the ages—from catalogs of greats like Pedro Infante and Lucha Villa to the work of rising international stars Christian Nodal and Ángela Aguilar.

Whether they’re delivering messages of rage and rebellion in the face of oppression or expressions of joy and celebration that are acts of defiance merely by existing, Latinx artists have long been a force for positive social and political change. Explore the many ways this defiant, courageous spirit has manifested itself across eras and genres at a moment when speaking—and singing—out is more important than ever.

When congas slap or the clave ta-ta-ta ta-taps, that’s the real language that binds many Latinxs—not Spanish or Portuguese, but a musical lingua franca with roots in Africa. For West Africans who were enslaved and survived the transatlantic journey to the Caribbean and the Americas, however, these rhythms weren’t just a means of emotional connection. They became a way to communicate, a lexicon of spiritual practices and instruments that—while certainly suppressed—did not vanish entirely along the Middle Passage. Whether forged in secret or permitted by Spanish and Portuguese enslavers as a way to placate rebellions, entire cabildos, or brotherhoods, were formed to preserve ties to the motherland. Explore the history and the roots of the sounds that move the world.