Securing the Future of Music in Spanish 

In a world in which digitization and globalization are bringing us all closer together, we are probably on the verge of organizing our society in new ways. Until now, our cultural groups have been defined by the countries we feel a part of. Today, it is different languages that, through the internet, unite or separate us. 

The six most widely spoken languages ​​in the world are English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French, and Arabic. All the people who speak Arabic, for example, consider themselves part of the same cultural world—one in which music and the arts play a crucial role. The same holds true for the Spanish-speaking world. But something historic is happening with the Spanish language, in particular, that will probably change the course of the music industry for decades. 

There is nothing that travels better than music, there is no content more highly digitized than music, and there is no industry with a better future in our digital world than the music business. In particular, music in Spanish has grown extraordinarily in recent years. In the United States, there aren’t Grammys for French or Chinese music, only for English and Spanish music, and that is for one reason: the impact that Latin culture has had in the U.S. 

In a few years, the United States will be one of the countries with the highest number of Spanish speakers. According to projections by the United States Census Bureau, in 30 years the number of people in the U.S. who are of Hispanic origin will be over 111 million, or 27.5 percent of the country's population. These numbers are corroborated by Harvard’s Instituto Cervantes, which Berklee has worked with since the institute’s founding 10 years ago. This rise in Spanish speakers, along with U.S. economic strength, makes the U.S. an extraordinarily strong market for Latin music. 

But not everything is perfect for the Spanish-language music industry. Most of its mainstream success is related to a type of music of low lyrical quality. It is true that the production, arrangements, and enthusiasm of music with Latin roots is extremely exotic and attractive. However, as Latin musicians and as Spanish speakers, if we really want this industry’s revolution to be solid and something that constitutes a legacy for future generations, we must demand that artists and composers raise their level of writing. We must ensure that the stories, emotions, metaphors, and experiences that our songs in Spanish tell are worthy of inclusion in an exquisite repertoire that represents some of the greatest artists in history. It’s extremely important for new generations to learn from artists such as Rubén Blades, Jorge Drexler, and Juan Luis Guerra ’82 ‘09H in order to write exceptional songs with great texts, melodies, and harmonies. 

Berklee is a leader in the effort to secure this legacy. Ever since the college awarded flamenco artist Paco de Lucía '10H an honorary doctorate more than a decade ago, we at Berklee’s Mediterranean Music Institute have been creating a series of classes that focus on improving the quality of work by young artists and composers of music in Spanish who will soon lead the Latin music industry. Specifically, the class Songwriting in Spanish teaches skills that are fundamental for young musicians, future Latin Grammy winners, and those who currently collaborate with industry greats such as Alejandro Sanz ’13H or C. Tangana and contribute material of the highest quality. Young Latino graduates of Berklee can feel proud that our institution has equipped them with all the necessary tools to be able to write good songs in Spanish, with great texts and unforgettable melodies. 

Increased knowledge of all the wonderful musical traditions of Latin America, combined with the potential for this music to reach a mainstream audience, ensures that the evolution music in Spanish is going through, particularly in the United States, will not be temporary. It will endure, helping to build a foundation that guarantees the place of the Spanish-speaking community in the most important music industry in the world.

Javier Limón is the artistic director of the Mediterranean Music Institute.

This article appeared in the fall/winter 2022 issue of Berklee Today.