MTV was hip to the huge Hispanic music audience earlier than most, featuring its first Spanish-language artist on Unplugged in 1995 ( Los Fabulosos Cadillacs received that honor).
They did one or two per year after that, with the most popular coming in August of 1999 when Shakira recorded her acoustic session in Manhattan. Shakira ended up releasing this set as an album which sold 5 million copies worldwide and won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop album.
I’m a lyrics guy.
I’ve never been into instrumental music, apart from the occasional jazz or classical album that slips through the cracks. I hate jam bands. I like verses, choruses and bridges. I like words in my music.
So I never found room for foreign language artists in my collection. I’ve enjoyed a Puccini aria or two, sure, but no international pop or rock stars. I just didn’t see myself getting into songs performed in another language.
And then I found Shakira.
Meet Me In Montauk 