Editor's Note: To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month this year, World Cafe is going on a musical tour of Latin America. Every weekday from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we'll spotlight the music of a different Latin American country with a curated playlist of essential tracks, fresh voices and wild cards.
To kick off our 21 Days of Musica Latina project, World Cafe heads to Argentina.
The second largest country in South America is not only the home of tango (a status it shares with its neighbor Uruguay), but Argentina also has a rich history of folk and rock music. This playlist includes some hugely influential Argentine artists like folk singer Mercedes Sosa, whose resonant alto voice reverberated across all of Latin America and beyond.
Argentine musicians also played a big part in the evolution of rock en español as a discrete genre contributing a slew of rock bands to the movement, from Los Enanitos Verdes to Soda Stereo and Arco Iris. That legacy continues today with exciting young acts like Usted Señalemelo.
Included in the mix is also one of the year's breakout producers, Bizarrap. His signature Bzrp Music Sessions have exploded in popularity following collaborations with Shakira, Spanish rapper Quevedo and, mostly recently, Mexican singer Peso Pluma.
You may notice a few oddball choices in this playlist that aren't necessarily Argentine bands, but they do boast members of Argentine descent — as is the case with Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin of Magdalena Bay.
Enjoy, and make sure you come back on Monday to find out where World Cafe's headed next.
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