5 Latin Country Artists to Know During Spanish Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15-October 15. Country music and Latin culture are in the midst of a blossoming relationship with the genre, which is hungry for music that bridges lifestyles and celebrates commonalities and differences.

To conclude Hispanic Heritage Month, here are five Hispanic country artists you should know.

MORIAH

A multi-faceted film and music artist, MŌRIAH showcases her Mexican heritage across her platforms. However,  she refocused her spotlight on her roots with her new song “Hasta Mañana,’” the first song from her Latin country LP that will be available in 2025.

“During Hispanic Heritage Month, I wanted to celebrate my lineage through music,” she said. “It’s only by the sacrifice of my grandparents and parents that I’ve been able to actively work as an artist.”
Paul Mabury (Lauren Daigle, Sheryl Crow, TobyMac) produced the song, which he co-wrote with Paul Duncan; the track represents the effervescent spirit MŌRIAH embodies.

 “I was working with Paul in Nashville and L.A., and through the creative process, we shared some of our early demos with a mariachi arranger in El Paso, Texas,” she explained. “His response was this, ‘Country is the folk of America. Mariachi is the folk of Mexico. You’ve found the bridge. And the bridge isn’t as long as you might think!’”

Angie K

On the heels of her recent Grand Ole Opry debut, Angie K proudly celebrated her Latin heritage with new song “Stay.” “Stay” is a bilingual, sultry song combining Latin and country music elements.
Rising country singer/songwriter and Holler “Artist You Need to Know,” Angie K is bringing her penchant for authentic storytelling,  powerful vocals, and unwavering pride in her Latin heritage to her latest release, “Stay.” Available today, the sultry and bilingual new track, released in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, effortlessly weaves together heartfelt lyrics

K’s new EP will be available on October 25, 2024. Listen to “Stay.”

“I wrote ‘Stay’ about my relationship of nine years,” K said. “That may not seem long in the scope of things, but it’s long enough to have truly had to give each other the space to change and grow. There’s such a depth that comes with that. We’ve seen so many sides of each other, both given each other reasons to give in when it gets tough, but every day we show up for each other. We learn to be better for each other. Over and over again. It’s beautiful.”

K wrote the song with David Borys, Tom Pino, and Jason Haag.

Lyrics include:
Contigo me quedare   
Mi corazon para siempre
On the edge but we won’t break
With you my heart will always
 Stay stay

Kat Luna

Formerly of the duo Kat & Alex, this American Idol alum is stepping out on her own following a messy divorce. She released a new song, “That Girl,” to celebrate her independence.

“This song is about choosing yourself, not settling for less than what you deserve, and leaving that chapter behind you,” Luna wrote on Instagram. “This is me stepping into my new era of who I really am, knowing my worth, and saying what I want to say. Writing ‘That Girl’ helped with my healing journey, and I hope it helps others.”

Matt Castillo

Edinburg, Texas native Matt Castillo grew up listening to Garth Brooks, George Strait, and John Michael Montgomery with his mom in her Chevy Cavalier.

“I always knew I wanted to be like my heroes,” Castillo said. “I’d pick up a pair of headphones, turn them sideways, and be Garth Brooks in front of the bathroom mirror. That’s what I wanted to  be.”
Castillo got a guitar for Christmas his sophomore year in high school, found a chord book, and learned how to play Brooks’ “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old).”

But now Castillo is singing his own songs. Four albums and four No. 1 songs on Texas Country Radio into his career, Castillo recently released Pushing Borders. He co-wrote 13 of the 14 songs on his album.

“Every time I touch down in Nashville to write or record, I stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself how much of a blessing this life is,” Castillo said. “I am a kid from South Texas who grew up on country radio listening to and studying artists like Freddy Fender, Johnny Rodriguez, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Loretta, Dolly, Blake Shelton, Neal McCoy; I wanted to be just like them. It seemed impossible because I didn’t see many people from South Texas making a living in music. So, while I didn’t have a roadmap, I did have a strong desire to make my family proud. Being of Hispanic heritage, the idea of family is ingrained in me. It informs everything about me and it often goes from my heart right into my lyrics. I think that’ll always drive me to keep working, keep dreaming, and always remember where I came from”.

Veronique

Veronique Medrano was featured by the Grammy’s as one of “5 Latin Artists Reimagining Country Music. A Tejano Country Artist from Brownsville, Texas, Veronique has released three full studio albums, Lotería, Mi Año Dorado, and Encantadora, and two EPs: La Novela and Crying — an homage to Roy Orbison.

Her newest MexiAmericana came out on Sept. 22, 2023.

“Country Americana has been a space that has welcomed me with open arms and given me the ability to celebrate my roots,” she said. “Being a Mexican American artist, I have the gift to weave stories through my songwriting in both English and Spanish. I feel a strong calling not just to showcase my art through my music but also through preserving the history of those in the genre who came before as an archivist/historian. My recent museum exhibit honoring and celebrating Freddy Fender and his artistic legacy is only scratching the surface of preserving the impact of the Latinos and Mexicanos who came before in this genre.” 

(Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)