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Decoding Despacito: An Oral History of Latin Music
A behind the scenes look at the music that is currently the soundtrack of the globe, reported on and written by Leila Cobo, Billboard's VP of Latin Music and the world's ultimate authority on popular Latin music.
Decoding Despacito tracks the stories behind the biggest Latin hits of the past fifty years. From the salsa born and bred in the streets of New York City, to Puerto Rican reggaet�n and bilingual chart-toppers, this rich oral history is a veritable treasure trove of never-before heard anecdotes and insight from a who's who of Latin music artists, executives, observers, and players. Their stories, told in their own words, take you inside the hits, to the inner sanctum of the creative minds behind the tracks that have defined eras and become hallmarks of history.
FEATURING THE STORIES BEHIND SONGS BY:
Jos� Feliciano Los Tigres Del Norte Julio Iglesias Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine Willie Col�n Juan Luis Guerra Selena Los Del R�o Carlos Vives Elvis Crespo Ricky Martin Santana Shakira Daddy Yankee Marc Anthony Enrique Iglesias with Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee J Balvin with Willy William Rosal�a
Decoding Despacito tracks the stories behind the biggest Latin hits of the past fifty years. From the salsa born and bred in the streets of New York City, to Puerto Rican reggaet�n and bilingual chart-toppers, this rich oral history is a veritable treasure trove of never-before heard anecdotes and insight from a who's who of Latin music artists, executives, observers, and players. Their stories, told in their own words, take you inside the hits, to the inner sanctum of the creative minds behind the tracks that have defined eras and become hallmarks of history.
FEATURING THE STORIES BEHIND SONGS BY:
Jos� Feliciano Los Tigres Del Norte Julio Iglesias Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine Willie Col�n Juan Luis Guerra Selena Los Del R�o Carlos Vives Elvis Crespo Ricky Martin Santana Shakira Daddy Yankee Marc Anthony Enrique Iglesias with Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee J Balvin with Willy William Rosal�a
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 12, 2021
A delightful and insightful look into the Latin music industry spanning five decades worth of history from the early 1970s covering its rise to popularity, resonating beyond niche markets, and becoming part of the pop culture mainstream and our contemporary social constructs.
Leila Cobo, a pianist, novelist, journalist, TV host and executive editor for Latin content and programming for Billboard, delivers a rigorous and carefully constructed historical outline using 19 songs as its vehicle, each becoming a stepping stone in the fabric of the Latin music’s industry.
As we read through the book and listened to each of the songs (something which we highly recommend), we found a much larger sense of appreciation, thanks to Cobo’s technical insights into the tunes, arrangements, and melodic quality, as well as the carefully outlined backstories that provided the appropriate context to better understand their origins and what made them so unique.
Decoding Despacito is a history lesson on what makes Latin music so fascinating. Each of the songs representing a major milestone towards becoming familiar sounds in the mainstream. These were songs that served as flag bearers for the Latin culture, written by pioneers and innovators, sometimes staying dormant for years until finding their voice.
The book presents a unique perspective of each of those who fought to bring the song to life and into the market; songwriters, artists vocalists, producers, arrangers, spouses, and the anonymous stories that inspired some of the lyrics.
The beautiful and poetic narrative full of colorful and rich stories are evidence of Cobo’s mastery as a seasoned storyteller and her extensive knowledge of the music industry. It all makes for a beautifully written, timeless, and extremely relevant read.
Highly recommended.
Leila Cobo, a pianist, novelist, journalist, TV host and executive editor for Latin content and programming for Billboard, delivers a rigorous and carefully constructed historical outline using 19 songs as its vehicle, each becoming a stepping stone in the fabric of the Latin music’s industry.
As we read through the book and listened to each of the songs (something which we highly recommend), we found a much larger sense of appreciation, thanks to Cobo’s technical insights into the tunes, arrangements, and melodic quality, as well as the carefully outlined backstories that provided the appropriate context to better understand their origins and what made them so unique.
Decoding Despacito is a history lesson on what makes Latin music so fascinating. Each of the songs representing a major milestone towards becoming familiar sounds in the mainstream. These were songs that served as flag bearers for the Latin culture, written by pioneers and innovators, sometimes staying dormant for years until finding their voice.
The book presents a unique perspective of each of those who fought to bring the song to life and into the market; songwriters, artists vocalists, producers, arrangers, spouses, and the anonymous stories that inspired some of the lyrics.
The beautiful and poetic narrative full of colorful and rich stories are evidence of Cobo’s mastery as a seasoned storyteller and her extensive knowledge of the music industry. It all makes for a beautifully written, timeless, and extremely relevant read.
Highly recommended.
November 22, 2023
Even though it says oral history in the title- I didn't know that this book is literally a collection of oral histories of 19 songs that made in impact in the music and cultural history of Latinx music.
I loved the format: being able to hear directly and in first person narratives about how each of these songs came to be was powerful. It's easy to take music you love for granted. It can seem like these beloved songs have just always existed, but each one has such a thrilling history with so many players involved. It really makes you appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship of these musicians.
I loved the songs Cobo chose- I think I'm going to make a playlist out of them.
The experience of reading this book was enhanced for me because I'd just finished reading '60 Songs That Explain the '90s' by Rob Harvilla- which had significant overlap. That book is a great companion book for this one.
I read the audio version of this which was read by the author herself, and she did a great job of bringing these oral hostories alive with her enthusiasm.
I loved the format: being able to hear directly and in first person narratives about how each of these songs came to be was powerful. It's easy to take music you love for granted. It can seem like these beloved songs have just always existed, but each one has such a thrilling history with so many players involved. It really makes you appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship of these musicians.
I loved the songs Cobo chose- I think I'm going to make a playlist out of them.
The experience of reading this book was enhanced for me because I'd just finished reading '60 Songs That Explain the '90s' by Rob Harvilla- which had significant overlap. That book is a great companion book for this one.
I read the audio version of this which was read by the author herself, and she did a great job of bringing these oral hostories alive with her enthusiasm.
June 1, 2021
Not quite as educational as I was hoping, but delightful nonetheless, and a great excuse to go back and listen to all these wonderful songs.
January 31, 2024
I enjoyed the first person accounts of the development of songs and putting them out to the world. I wish there was more of the type of content that started each chapter, giving context. Could have worked as a podcast mini-series for each song as an episode. Overall informative and definitely learned some things I didn't know.
April 2, 2021
Cobo's oral history of latin music in the U.S. reads like that of an editor for Billboard Latin: incomplete.
I have no nitpicks with Cobo's selections, though there are notable absentees ("La Bamba," "Rico Suave," "Bailamos," etc.). But much of the history of each songs avoids the influence the song has on mainstream American (largely white America) consumer and listening habits, which is her thesis. Instead, many chapters break down into minutiae that does not define anything about the song, the musicians, the circumstances, the goals, etc. There are glimpses of it, such as the chapters that cover "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Smooth" but its rare. And in these instances, the magic is often about ancillary characters (for example, Draco Rosa who has a great career of his own as a singer/songwriter and producer) that aren't the main focus of the chapter.
That said, as a starter kit for people interested in some Latin music benchmarks and basic stories, Cobo's book has merits. But there's more to mine in the undercurrents that helped bring more and more Spanish, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Columbian, and other Latin nations and territories into mainstream music charts. And there are better examples of oral histories (such as the recent one on the film Dazed and Confused) that do a great job of allowing the storytellers to weave a captivating story.
I have no nitpicks with Cobo's selections, though there are notable absentees ("La Bamba," "Rico Suave," "Bailamos," etc.). But much of the history of each songs avoids the influence the song has on mainstream American (largely white America) consumer and listening habits, which is her thesis. Instead, many chapters break down into minutiae that does not define anything about the song, the musicians, the circumstances, the goals, etc. There are glimpses of it, such as the chapters that cover "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Smooth" but its rare. And in these instances, the magic is often about ancillary characters (for example, Draco Rosa who has a great career of his own as a singer/songwriter and producer) that aren't the main focus of the chapter.
That said, as a starter kit for people interested in some Latin music benchmarks and basic stories, Cobo's book has merits. But there's more to mine in the undercurrents that helped bring more and more Spanish, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Columbian, and other Latin nations and territories into mainstream music charts. And there are better examples of oral histories (such as the recent one on the film Dazed and Confused) that do a great job of allowing the storytellers to weave a captivating story.
June 10, 2021
I cracked Decoding "Despacito" ready for a deep dive into the roots and evolution of Latin music, expecting a heavy history full of songs I don't know but should. Then I saw the chapter titles. "Feliz Navidad." "Conga." "Macarena." "Livin' La Vida Loca." And, of course, "Despacito." These are not obscure cuts; in fact, they're some of the hugest hits of the past half-century.
By the time I finished the book, I realized that a complete history of Latin music would be even more daunting than I'd imagine. This is a genre that includes entire nations, even entire continents, worth of music: sounds from Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States, just to name a few hubs. Even the common-denominator definition Cobo offers for Latin music — literally anything sung primarily in Spanish — doesn't include songs like "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," "Smooth," and "Whenever, Wherever," all of which get chapters in Decoding "Despacito."
Leila Cobo's focus is understandable; the author has been a leader of Billboard’s Latin music coverage for the past two decades. She's fascinated with songs that moved the needle for the growth of Latin music in the U.S., and her oral history makes clear that there were plenty of stories to tell about these huge hits alone.
I reviewed Decoding "Despacito" for The Current.
By the time I finished the book, I realized that a complete history of Latin music would be even more daunting than I'd imagine. This is a genre that includes entire nations, even entire continents, worth of music: sounds from Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States, just to name a few hubs. Even the common-denominator definition Cobo offers for Latin music — literally anything sung primarily in Spanish — doesn't include songs like "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," "Smooth," and "Whenever, Wherever," all of which get chapters in Decoding "Despacito."
Leila Cobo's focus is understandable; the author has been a leader of Billboard’s Latin music coverage for the past two decades. She's fascinated with songs that moved the needle for the growth of Latin music in the U.S., and her oral history makes clear that there were plenty of stories to tell about these huge hits alone.
I reviewed Decoding "Despacito" for The Current.
May 5, 2021
This is a solid 3.5 stars for me. The author chose 19 songs which I am sure was too few to really tell the history of the Latin Music, but after about 15 songs, they all started to run together. A lot of the stories were very similar. The artist or artists come up with a new song that is like nothing ever before, they try to sell it or distribute it, but no one thinks it will be a hit except for the artists who believe in it passionately and eventually get it out there and everyone loves it. The song is a hit and the artists were right after all! My favorite songs to hear about were Shakira's Whenever Wherever, Feliz Navidad, and Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca. I loved hearing about what a nice person Ricky Martin is, I think I would like to meet him! This was a very interesting book and made even better when listening to the Spotify playlist with all the songs from the book. It was like taking a music history class from home!
August 16, 2022
I listen to all types of music and over forty years ago when I married into a Hispanic family I added another. Here the author takes songs and also the people who sang them and does an interview of the artist and sometimes a little story of how they began their carrier. Gloria Estefan was originally The Miami Sound Machine I think I still have one of the discs still around. Anyway, she talks about how she and her husband got into the music business and the formation of the group. Los Tigres Del Norte which I also listen to as well as many others. The one interview that really stood out was the one with Julio Iglesias and when he did the song with Willie Nelson that whole description of the meeting and what happened after they met and then how the song took was really good and a show of how two people from two totally different backgrounds can come together and make everything work. Really a good book and I am glad I read it.
I received this book from Netgalley.com
I received this book from Netgalley.com
October 6, 2021
This is a great survey of Latin songs that became mainstream hits, and the artists behind them. I've been learning more about the recent artists and their work so this book was interesting to me as it provided more background to the artists I'm currently listening to, and also taught me about the forerunners, starting with Jose Feliciano and "Feliz Navidad". In reading the chapters, I look up the songs on YouTube and understand the interviews and descriptions of the process in making the songs. Serendipitously I saw that Jose Feliciano is performing near me soon! What a great follow-up to reading about his hit.
October 19, 2021
Interesting survey of modern Latin music. I think the oral presentation was appropriate considering how oral storytelling is such a prominent form of narration throughout Latin America. Sometimes information gets repeated a lot, especially when it appears in different talking heads’ sections, but I think that was Cobo’s attempt to stay authentic to the reportage.
It’s also fun to hear these musicians and artists and technicians be confident in their songs, know they were going to be a hit, only to have the tracks explode. Or buck against the label, who always want to classify them as being one thing. Good stories. Good music. (Not sure why they didn’t talk about “La Bambi” though. Maybe it was out of the range Cobo gave herself.)
It’s also fun to hear these musicians and artists and technicians be confident in their songs, know they were going to be a hit, only to have the tracks explode. Or buck against the label, who always want to classify them as being one thing. Good stories. Good music. (Not sure why they didn’t talk about “La Bambi” though. Maybe it was out of the range Cobo gave herself.)
September 20, 2024
As a Latin music enthusiast, I knew this book was a must-read. It delves into the history and features interviews with artists who sang some of my favorite songs. I grew up listening to these tracks, and it was wonderful to finally understand how they came to be. I met Leila at Billboard Latin Music Week 2022 and brought my book for her to sign as well! If anyone wants to learn more about some of the hits that shaped Latin music today, this book is essential. I was also thrilled to see Enrique Iglesias, Gente de Zona, and Descemer Bueno's "Bailando" mentioned, as I strongly believe it’s a global hit.
November 1, 2021
Loved it. Loved telling my smart speaker to play the song I was reading about and I like how my smart speaker suggested other songs I liked too. I didn't love how this book was put together. It read like disjointed, verbatim interview excerpts instead of each chapter having more of a narrative arc. Never the less, I enjoyed learning about the history of the songs and their impact on music and culture.
January 5, 2022
As a human of mixed ethnicity, and a huge fan of Latin music in general, I enjoyed it, though it did all sort of run together. This is an audiobook but feels more like a podcast binge, if that makes sense. Perhaps that would have felt differently if I had spaced out my listening over a longer time frame.
I liked the set up, and it did give me a handful of Latin songs to dig in on for my personal music collection, which I am always here for.
I liked the set up, and it did give me a handful of Latin songs to dig in on for my personal music collection, which I am always here for.
March 1, 2022
A fun, interesting, quick read about the relatively recent evolution of Latin music. Learned some new songs and learned about some favorites - Conga! lol. Listened to the audio which was nice since the book is told through interviews/in the artists/producers/writers/etc own words. Also, fun and helpful to listen to the songs as I went through the book.
December 5, 2022
This a pretty engaging book, very enjoyable to read & re-listen to some of the songs.
I did find it odd that "I Like It" by Cardi B wasn't included, and the fact that neither she nor Bad Bunny were even mentioned seems odd in a book about the mass/pop music appeal of Latin music.
But I might be biased ;)
I did find it odd that "I Like It" by Cardi B wasn't included, and the fact that neither she nor Bad Bunny were even mentioned seems odd in a book about the mass/pop music appeal of Latin music.
But I might be biased ;)
July 27, 2023
Quite an interesting book with a lot of anecdotes about the different songs and the people who wrote and composed them. However, many of the stories were something like "we didn't expect the fame that we got" and "we feel this song was right." I felt all the stories of the songs weren't as connected as they could have.
Still enjoyable though.
Still enjoyable though.
June 18, 2021
Spectacular and super fun to read. If the author does more books like this one, I’ll read them! This book definitely needs a podcast or Netflix series a la Song Exploder. It was so lovely to revisit these songs while reading about them.
November 16, 2021
An interesting short history (comprised of interviews) of Latin music's rise in the USA. I read some parts and listened to the audiobook for others and I have to say the audio format was far more enjoyable.
September 28, 2022
Very interesting, with lots of information, but also light and moves quickly.
I will want to read it again after listening to a lot more music, because for as much as it focuses on a few songs, there is much more musical history hinted at.
I will want to read it again after listening to a lot more music, because for as much as it focuses on a few songs, there is much more musical history hinted at.
August 27, 2021
Really enjoyed this, throw on some headphones and listen to the songs while reading!
December 22, 2021
this book would be more illuminating if the author's own summaries and analysis featured more prominently before we get into the oral histories
March 24, 2022
I loved hearing the back story of where songs I know and love came to be. I also was introduced to a lot of new and great songs. Over all a great book for music lovers or someone in a musical funk.
December 31, 2022
I read the pperback edition
March 26, 2023
I was excited for this book but couldn’t finish it. I think I’m just not a fan of the format. I actually feel like this would make a better podcast series than a book.
June 4, 2024
Not what I was expecting, it's more of interviews from those involved with big songs by Latin artists. As a fan of nearly all these songs, I did still really enjoy hearing how they came about.
July 3, 2024
Interesante si te interesa la música
August 19, 2024
3.5 stars. I wasn’t super familiar with a lot of the music and felt that some of the quotes got very repetitive but it was interesting to learn about the history of Latin music in the US market.
May 23, 2021
What a great read!
Some of the material was known to me, some was not.
Some of the stuff about Juan Luis Guerra was completely unknown to me - inspired by the Beatles?!
I listened to the book and kept on pausing to play songs and watch videos.
I do hope there is another volume.
Though there is a lot of repetition. I appreciated the quotes, but felt that at times they repeated what had already been said.
Some of the material was known to me, some was not.
Some of the stuff about Juan Luis Guerra was completely unknown to me - inspired by the Beatles?!
I listened to the book and kept on pausing to play songs and watch videos.
I do hope there is another volume.
Though there is a lot of repetition. I appreciated the quotes, but felt that at times they repeated what had already been said.
January 1, 2024
Decoding Despacito analyzes the impact of 19 songs from Latin American artists. It analyzes songs from “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano (1970) to “Malamente” by Rosalia (2018). Lelia Cobo breaks down who is involved with the song and sheds light of the hard work and impact each song has had from multiple perspectives. Each chapter is compiled from interviews from the artist or producer themselves but also family members of the artists. I loved how going into each song all the players involved did not anticipate the song to become as popularized as it did.
As an avid music listener, I loved learning about the history of the song and how confident a lot of the musicians were in their song. They often wanted to prove how songs sung in Spanish have the power to deliver their message even when some listeners don’t speak the language. For instance, Carlos Santana is mentioned for his song “Smooth”. Santana is not a singer, instead as a guitar player, "Smooth” has become an anthem for latinx community through his guitar skills. As soon as you hear the guitar introduction to the song, you know it’s Carlos Santana and you know it’s Smooth. Not only do the vocals represent the latinx community but the video was shot in Spanish Harlem that serves as a visual reference as well. There is so much thought that went into this legendary song and explains how it was the #1 song of the 1990s.
A more in-depth review will be on @latinxpublishing blog!
As an avid music listener, I loved learning about the history of the song and how confident a lot of the musicians were in their song. They often wanted to prove how songs sung in Spanish have the power to deliver their message even when some listeners don’t speak the language. For instance, Carlos Santana is mentioned for his song “Smooth”. Santana is not a singer, instead as a guitar player, "Smooth” has become an anthem for latinx community through his guitar skills. As soon as you hear the guitar introduction to the song, you know it’s Carlos Santana and you know it’s Smooth. Not only do the vocals represent the latinx community but the video was shot in Spanish Harlem that serves as a visual reference as well. There is so much thought that went into this legendary song and explains how it was the #1 song of the 1990s.
A more in-depth review will be on @latinxpublishing blog!
June 14, 2021
I was looking for a book on Mexican culture.
I found this book and loved it!!
It’s like reading a documentary. Each chapter is about a different artist and how they influenced American culture through music. I listened to each artist on Spotify while reading about them. 5 out of 5 and recommend this book 😍👌🇲🇽🇵🇷🇨🇴🇪🇸💃
I found this book and loved it!!
It’s like reading a documentary. Each chapter is about a different artist and how they influenced American culture through music. I listened to each artist on Spotify while reading about them. 5 out of 5 and recommend this book 😍👌🇲🇽🇵🇷🇨🇴🇪🇸💃
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews