Famous Mexican Musicians

Known as El Gallo de Oro, Mexican singer Valentín Elizalde was a master of the Regional Mexican format and soared to fame with hits such as Vete Ya. He was 27 when he was shot to death in an ambush, shortly after he had finished a concert in Reynosa.

Agustín Lara was a Mexican composer and songwriter. Apart from gaining popularity in Mexico, Lara's work has also been appreciated in places like the Caribbean, United States, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Central and South America. Many of his songs have been recorded by several international singers like Enrico Caruso. Lara's life inspired the 1959 film The Life of Agustín Lara.

Daniela Romo is a Mexican singer, TV hostess, and actress. She is counted among the best-selling Latin music artists, having sold more than 17 million records over the course of her career. Daniela Romo has also won several prestigious awards such as the Premios TVyNovelas, Bravo Awards, and Premios El Heraldo de México.

The son of musician Ramón Covarrubias, Ramón Ayala was naturally drawn to music as a child and began playing the accordion. He has performed with several bands such as Los Pavoreales and is considered a master of Norteño music. He was also part of the popular duo Los Relámpagos del Norte.

Mexican Mayan singer-composer Armando Manzanero was one of the finest Latin American musicians ever. He had composed hundreds of songs, won a Latin Grammy for his album Duets, and later became the first Mexican to win the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He died of COVID-19 at 85.

José Alfredo Jiménez was a Mexican singer-songwriter whose work is widely regarded as the foundation of modern Mexican music. Over the course of his illustrious career, Jiménez composed over 1,000 songs. Such is the popularity of his songs that many popular artists from around the world have recorded his songs for their own albums.  

Yuridia Gaxiola is a Mexican singer best known for her first album La Voz de un Ángel which became one of Mexico's fastest-selling albums of all time. One of the most successful singers of her generation, Yuridia has received several prestigious awards such as a Latin Billboard Award and Premios Oye awards.

Espinoza Paz is a Mexican composer and musician, specializing in the styles of Mariachi, Norteño, and Banda. From working as a gardener to becoming a successful musician, Paz's heart-warming story has inspired many budding musicians. Apart from releasing songs and studio albums, Espinoza Paz has also appeared in popular TV shows.

Fey is a Mexican singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, designer, actress, and director. She is best known for her fifth studio album La Fuerza del Destino which earned her a Latin Grammy Award nomination. A multi-talented personality, Fey has also appeared on TV shows, judging contestants in dance shows like Bailando Por Un Sueño. 

Antonio Sánchez is a Mexican-American composer and jazz drummer. He is best known for his association with American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and his work as a film composer of the popular 2014 film Birdman. His work in the film earned him critical appreciation, Critics' Choice Movie Award, Satellite Award, and nominations for a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award.

Alaska is a Spanish-Mexican television personality, DJ, and singer. She is best known for her association with a countercultural movement called La Movida Madrileña. Considered an icon of 1980s Spain, Alaska is credited with co-founding one of the first punk rock bands of Spanish language, Kaka de Luxe.

Celso Pina was a Mexican singer, accordionist, and composer. He is credited with popularizing the cumbia rebajada style of music. Pina is remembered for his unique music which stemmed from the fact that he had no formal training as an accordionist. Celso Pina's album Barrio Bravo earned him a Latin Grammy Award nomination in 2002.

Jorge Blanco is a Mexican musician, singer, dancer, and actor. He is best known for playing León Vargas in the Disney Channel TV series Violetta. He began his career as a teenager by appearing in a few TV shows. Eventually, he launched his music career as well and has released numerous singles. He is multilingual. 

Tony Perry is a musician currently associated with the rock band, Pierce the Veil, as the lead guitarist. He joined the band in 2007 and has since released many albums and singles. He has toured all across the world and played in venues in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. He has also performed at many big music festivals. 

Emmanuel is a Mexican singer best known for his ballads which achieved popularity during the 1980s. He has been honored with prestigious awards such as Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award and Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to music. In 1997, Emmanuel's work in philanthropy was honored with the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award.

Juan García Esquivel was a Mexican pianist and composer for films and television. He is regarded as one of the leading exponents of a unique style of instrumental music that brings together elements of jazz and lounge music with Latin flavors. His music became popular in the 1950s and 1960s and is now known as Space Age Bachelor Pad Music.

Mexican composer Carlos Chavez was known for his signature mixture of the traditional and modern elements of music. Best remembered for his works such as Sinfonía India and Sinfonía de Antígona, Chavez experimented with indigenous Mexican tunes, too. He was also the founder-director of Mexico’s Symphony Orchestra.

Jose Maria Napoleon is a Mexican composer, singer, and actor. Such is his popularity in Mexico that many of his songs have been recorded by other popular singers like Pepe Aguilar, Vicente Fernández, Franck Pourcel, and Pedro Fernández among others. A prolific singer, Jose Maria Napoleon has released several studio albums and a couple of compilation albums so far.

Adan Jodorowsky is a French-Mexican actor, musician, and director. Apart from his work as a musician, Jodorowsky has earned fame as a director, winning critical appreciation and prestigious awards for his 2012 film The Voice Thief. In 2014, the movie was selected by Diane Pernet to compete at the world's first festival about fashion films, ASVOFF.

Rigo Tovar was a Mexican singer, musician, and actor. Best remembered or his cumbias, Tovar achieved huge popularity for incorporating traditional Latin and Mexican music with contemporary instruments like a synthesizer. Rigo Tovar managed to sell more than 30 million albums and his music continues to influence several artists of all genres.

Silvestre Revueltas was a Mexican composer of classical music. He was also a violinist and a conductor. Along with fellow composer Carlos Chávez, he did much to promote contemporary Mexican music. He wrote film music, chamber music, and songs as well. He had a troubled personal life and fell into alcoholism and died young. 

Ernesto Cortázar II was a Mexican pianist, composer, and arranger. He is credited with scoring music for over 500 films. In 1958, Cortázar was honored at the International Festival of Cartagena with the Best Background Music Award for his work in a Latin American film. Between 1999 and 2001, Ernesto Cortázar's songs were downloaded over 14 million times on mp3.com.

Julián Carrillo was a Mexican composer, violinist, conductor, and music theorist. He is best remembered for creating a theory of microtonal music which he called The Thirteenth Sound. Early in his life, Julián Carrillo developed an interest in the study of the mathematical and physical basis of music, which later helped him in creating The Thirteenth Sound.

Adolfo de la Parra is a Mexican musician and drummer best known for his association with the popular American blues and rock band Canned Heat. Over the years, Adolfo de la Parra has also helped popularize other important Mexican rock bands like Los Hooligans and Los Sinners. As a drummer, he is renowned for his brilliant technique and fantastic solos.

Eduardo Mata was a Mexican composer and conductor. He is best remembered for his work as the principal conductor of the popular American symphony orchestra, Phoenix Symphony. Eduardo Mata is also credited with co-founding the Mahler Mexico Society where he also served as an honorary president.

Oscar Chavez was a Mexican singer, actor, and songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the Nueva Trova movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Although he began his career as an actor, Oscar Chavez achieved international prominence through his music. During his four-decade long career, Chavez used music to influence social changes.

Daniel Catán was a Mexican writer, composer, and professor. Credited with popularizing the Spanish language in the international opera scene, Catán is best remembered as the first composer from Mexico to have an opera produced in the USA. He is also remembered for composing Florencia en el Amazonas, which became the first Spanish-language opera to be commissioned in the USA.

Cornelio Vega Jr. is a Mexican multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of his father's music group Cornelio Vega y Su Dinastia. Even before establishing himself as a musician, Cornelio Vega Jr. had achieved fame on social media. He then went on to contribute immensely to the success of the band Dinastia.