Pop stars reflect the times

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April-May, 2004

Latinos have already become the largest and the fastest growing minority in the US. In some traditionally Anglo (or white) US cities, such as Houston, the white majority has been reduced to a plurality; i.e., still the largest group but no longer making up more than 50% of the population, reminding us of what one Latino community, leader has warned: "We will not overcome; we will overwhelm."

On a lighter and a musical note, this demographic change was reflected in the recent Pollstar concert-rout rankings. At the very top were familiar names dating back a generation--Simon and Garfunkel, back together on a nostalgic tour, and the ageless Chef, whose has had a number one hit in every decade since 1960, on her farewell tour.

But the most interesting entries in the Pollstar list are numbers 6 and 7: singer Luis Miguel and pop band Maria.

Luis has been a pop superstar in Mexico for a decade. He has won Grammys in both general and Latino categories, and was nominated in the favorite-Latin-artist category at the American Music Awards. In looks and talent he is the forerunner of such talents as Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Marc Anthony.

Mana is a Mexican pop-rock band with eclectic tastes and a leftish social conscience that has sold 16 million albums.

With 35 million Latinos in the US and growing fast, such performers are becoming a strong concert draw, more popular than the country star of the moment, Toby Keith, the heartthrob John Mayer, or the perennially popular jam band Widespread Panic. It is now only a matter of time and demographics that a concert in Spanish and an album in Spanish will top the charts in Billboard, and they won't even be crossovers, just talent with enough Latino fans to put them at the top in the US.