Being able to dance to Latin music in venues around North Texas wouldn’t be possible without the performers providing the sounds. Latin artists of all ages and backgrounds are playing everything from traditional conjunto and cumbia to more modern son Cubano and electronic music across D-FW. Here are a few Latin performers you should be following right now.
Elkin Pautt
This Colombian music producer and DJ plays music from all around the world, including Latin sounds. His own work is influenced by Afro-house, Latin grooves, Mediterranean and more and incorporates electronica and analog synthesis.
Cayuga All-Stars
Cayuga All-Stars is a Dallas-based party band formed by frontman Cesar Vargas and percussionist Champ Cantu. The band is made up of trash, punk and psychedelic musicians who come together to make cumbia and barrio music. They wear suits and fedoras and play in Deep Ellum venues until closing hours.
Los Gran Reyes
This8-piece cumbia group from Dallas was inspired by different styles of cumbia sounds, including cumbia Lagunera, Colombian cumbia and Argentine cumbia. They also incorporate urban and electronic music for a more modern twist. Brothers Augustin Granados Jr. and Christian Granados started the band in 2006 and have been performing in different North Texas nightclubs since.
Sabor Puro Cumbia
Feeling nostalgic? Sabor Puro Cumbia performs popular Latin covers from artists such as Selena, Celia Cruz, Caifanes and more. Frontwoman Sylvia Paola Ortiz channels the late Queen of Tejano as she sings and twirls on stage and, sometimes, the dance floor.
El Nick DGO
If you’re looking for something more than cumbia and interested in other Latin sounds, El Nick DGO is the one for you. The Duranguense Texan music producer and DJ plays diverse Latin sounds, such as funk carioca, afroperreo and guaracha. You can catch him playing at Wild Detectives, Tiny Victories, The Limbo Room at Ruins and more.
Ceci Ceci
Ceci Ceci is a Latin indie singer-songwriter with a Nicaraguan-Ecuadorian background. Drawing influences from Julieta Venegas and Jorge Drexler, her music is a modern take on son Cubano, reggae and ska. Last month, Ceci Ceci was awarded Best Latin Act of 2023 at the inaugural Dallas Entertainment Awards.
Kowboy
If you’re looking for a different pace, this Fort Worth DJ and producer plays tejano, conjunto, chicano soul sets. Can’t make the trip to Fort Worth? Kowboy also plays in Dallas venues such as Doublewide and LadyLove Lounge.
Faded Deejays
Faded Deejays is a collective of five DJs and an MC, including Trino, Mutemor, Lil Chris, Ekzile, Storm and Roc-It. You can catch any of these DJs performing at parties and venues all over North Texas. They each bring their own mix to the group, so you can hear sounds from hip-hop and trap to cumbia and crunk.
Know someone who should be on this list? Let us know! Email Stephanie Salas-Vega at ssalasvega@kera.org.
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