Favorite Latin & Global Albums

Al Di Meola

Twentyfour

Recorded over four years, this double-length is a startling microcosm of the guitarist's development as both a player and composer.

Ana Tijoux

Vida

First album in ten years by the Chilean-French rapper whose poetry expands to embrace a wealth of instructive experiences.

Arnaud Dolman / Arnaud Dolmen / Leonardo Montana

LéNo

Drummer Arnaud Dolmen and pianist Leonardo Montana got together for a vibrant, globally minded jazz collaboration.

Arooj Aftab

Night Reign

On her solo debut for Verve, the Brooklyn-based singer, composer, and producer delivers a poignant, sensuous meditation on the night.

Ayra Starr

The Year I Turned 21

The chart-topping, Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer/songwriter broadens her global appeal with her lively second album.

Carin Leon

Boca Chueca, Vol. 1

The música mexicana singer/songwriter experiments radically, wedding his beloved folk traditions to doo wop, R&B, and indie pop.

Dave Grusin / Lee Ritenour

Brasil

Forty years after the duo brought Brazilian musicians to L.A. to record Harlequin, the pair traveled to Brazil to record its sequel.

Daymé Arocena

Al-Kemi

The Cuban singer-songwriter teams with producer Eduardo Cabra to deliver an album that melds neo soul, beats, pop, and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Draco Rosa

Reflejos de Lo Eterno

While the singer and songwriter regularly surprises listeners, this set of covers from the classic Latin rock era is revelatory.

Espinoza Paz

Corazón

On this self-issued long-player, the música mexicana singer/songwriter delivers a spare, emotionally powerful meditation on love's many expressions.

Ezra Collective

Dance, No One's Watching

On the follow-up to their Mercury Prize-winning Where I'm Meant to Be, this quintet was inspired by touring international dance clubs.

Gabito Ballesteros

The GB

On this collaboration-rich, 22-track set, the artist extends his reputation for innovation in the música mexicana song-space.

Grupo Frontera

Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada

The sophomore long player from this norteño quartet steps up the game with greater production polish, catchier songs, and resonant collaborations.

Hermanos Gutiérrez

Sonido Cósmico

The sixth offering from the Ecuadorian-Swiss siblings and guests retains their desert-blown guitar sound but explores outer space, not the horizon.

Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti / Frank Rosaly

MESTIZX

This couple's debut reflects cultural identity, resistance, and possibility through ancient and modern sounds with abstraction, keen focus, and authority.

Ibibio Sound Machine

Pull the Rope

With Ross Orton producing, mixing, and programming for the first time, the band comes off as a driving, futurist funk machine.

Irakere

Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital

A reissue of the seminal Cuban group's debut album, showcasing their wildly inventive blend of Afro-Cuban jazz, psych-rock and funk.

Kali Uchis

Orquídeas

Recorded at the same time as Red Moon in Venus, the artist's second Spanish-language album stands ready to break into the mainstream.

Linda Sikhakhane

iLadi

The South African saxophonist teams up with a rhythm section and producer/pianist Nduduzo Makhathini to explore the heartbeat of spiritual jazz.

Marcos Valle

Túnel Acústico

The samba icon's 23rd studio album offers new songs, songwriting collaborations with MPB stars, and a completed Leon Ware track.

Mdou Moctar

Funeral for Justice

A sonically thrilling and rallying dispatch from the Niger-based guitar hero.

Meridian Brothers

Mi Latinoamérica Sufre

The solo studio project of Eblis Alvarez looks to Colombia's Caribbean coastline and Africa on this danceable, futurist concept album.

Myke Towers

La Pantera Negra

A sophisticated fifth album from the Puerto Rican star hits all the right reggaetón, trap, and sultry R&B vibes.

Orquesta Akokán

Caracoles

On their third album, the hard-swinging Daptone Afro-Latin band reflect and innovate on the mambo as a core for danceable, creative exploration.

Sheila E.

Bailar

After a seven-year break from recording, the iconic percussionist and composer returns with her first collection of salsa jams.

Tems

Born in the Wild

The Nigerian R&B star's debut is captivating and self-assured with uncluttered production and an organic feel.

Tyla

TYLA

The debut album from the amapiano-influenced South African pop star, featuring her Grammy-winning single "Water."

Various Artists

Congo Funk! Sound Madness from the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982)

An overview of the Congolese scene of the late '60s and early '70s, when fresh possibilities for musical expansion and collaboration abounded.

Various Artists

Ghana Special, Vol. 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds in the Diaspora 1980-93

Stellar compilation documenting the influence of post-disco, new wave, and Caribbean sounds on Ghanaian music post-1980.

The AllMusic 2024

Year InReview

2024 featured plenty of excellent albums from beyond the mainstream framework of Western music, including Kali Uchis' Orquídeas, an amapiano-influenced record from South African pop star Tyla, and Niger-based guitar hero Mdou Moctar's searing Funeral for Justice.

Arnaud Dolman / Arnaud Dolmen / Leonardo Montana

Dave Grusin / Lee Ritenour

Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti / Frank Rosaly

Various Artists

Various Artists

Various Artists

Year In
Review