This is a list of notable events in Latin music (i.e. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking music from Latin America, Europe, and the United States) that took place in 1995.
Events January 7 – Fonovisa, Global Records, and Sony Discos settle out of court after an infringement with Marco Antonio Solís and Los Bukis in December 1994. January 20 – The Los Angeles Police Department raided a piracy business in a San Fernando Valley area and confiscated 55,000 Latin music cassettes worth an estimated $500,000 (1995 USD). January 21 – The Latin music categories for the 37th Annual Grammy Awards are revealed. In addition, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences introduces a new category for Latin jazz albums. January 28 The Mexican peso crisis sets off an uncertainty for Latin music, as regional Mexican music remained one of the biggest music genres and could have negatively affect Latin music as a whole. Due to the crisis, EMI Music Mexico began reducing stuff, becoming the first Latin music company to do so. KAFY-AM (based in Bakersfield, California) and KELF-AM (based in Santa Barbara, California) were dropped from the Hot Latin Tracks reporting radio panels due to format changes. February 4 American executive and musician Jay Ziskrout forms Grita Records a label aimed at the Latin Alternative, or rock en español, market in the United States. A report published by Billboard magazine showed that unsigned Latin music acts in Canada were easily selling thousands of copies, showing a correlation in Canada's melting pot cities Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. February 11 – Little Joe and La Mafia decided not to attend the 1995 Tejano Music Awards and spoke out against the organization for what they believed to be a faulty voting process. February 18 The rise of samba paulista sees a spike of interest among major record companies such as music club Bertelsmann Music Group, Polygram Records, EMI Brazil, Continental Records, and Sony Music Brazil. Early estimates by Sony Music believed that the Brazilian music market would increase 10% in 1995 from 1994 sales figures provided by the Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD). February 23 – At the 37th annual Music Business Association (NARM), Warner Music Group director of Latin music sales, Gustavo Fernández is awarded for Luis Miguel's Segundo Romance (1994) for best-selling Latin album. February 25 – The emergence of zumba music begins as music companies began marketing the genre. March 1 – The 37th Annual Grammy Awards are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Luis Miguel wins the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album Segundo Romance. Cachao wins the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Performance for his album Master Sessions, Vol. 1 Vikki Carr wins the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance for her album Recuerdo a Javier Solís Arturo Sandoval wins the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for his album Danzón (Dance On). March 4 – The A-Z directory of the Hot Latin Songs chart debuts in Billboard magazine. March 17 – The first annual Chilean Music Awards ceremony is held in the Chile de Santiago Stadium. Andean band Illapu won the most awards including Song of the Year, Best Group, and Best-selling Chilean Album of the Year. March 31 American Tejano performer Selena is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former manager of the singer's boutiques. The impact of the singer's death had a negative impact on Latin music, her genre—which she catapulted it into the mainstream market—suffered and its popularity waned following Selena's death. It was called an end of an era, as the Tejano market's "golden age" ended and never recovered. Following Selena's death, the US state of Texas cancels all concerts that were scheduled for that day. American regional Mexican music television host Johnny Canales marries his wife Nora. April 1 – Beginning with the April 1, 1995 issue of Billboard magazine, the weekly column of Latin music called "Latin Notas" began incorporating a column dedicated to the Music of Chile spearheaded by Pablo Marquez of the El Mercurio. April 4 – American disc jockey Howard Stern jokes about Selena's murder, burial, and mourners, and criticizes her music, saying "Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." He then plays Selena's songs with gunshot noises in the background. After an arrest warrant for disorderly conduct was issued for him, Stern made an on-air statement, in Spanish. The League of United Latin American Citizens found Stern's apology unacceptable and urged a boycott of his show. April 8 Jose Antonio Eboli succeeds Jorge Undurraga as general manager of Sony Music Chile. Sergio Fasanelli establishes Argentine indie label Disco Milagrosos, aimed at the Latin metal market. April 15 – Rodolfo Castro, Danny Barrocas, Gustavo Méndez, and Anthony Gonzalez founded Miami indie label Radio Vox, releasing its first maxi single by Fulano de Tal titled "Revolucion". April 29 – Selena becomes the first Hispanic artist to have five charting titles on the Billboard 200 chart simultaneously. May 18 – The 7th Lo Nuestro Awards: Selena posthumously wins four awards, becoming the biggest winner. A tribute is held in honor of Selena. June 5-7: The sixth annual Billboard Latin Music conference took place. The second annual Billboard Latin Music Awards is also held on June 7. Selena becomes the most awarded artist of the award ceremony, receiving four award posthumously including Hot Latin Tracks Artist of the Year. She is also posthumously inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame. July 18 - Dreaming of You, the crossover album Selena was working on at the time of her death, was released. On the day of its availability, 175,000 copies were sold in the U.S.—a record for a female vocalist—and 331,000 copies sold in its first week. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first predominately Spanish-language album to do so. November 24–26 – ShowMarket holds the first trade fair in Barcelona, Spain to focus on Latin music and relations among the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking markets in Latin America, Europe, and the United States.
Bands formed
Angel (electro-Latin) Dos Almas (Latin jazz) Llamame "Yanko" (Cuban salsa) Grupo Raça (samba paulista) Os Morenos (samba paulista) Ginga Pura (samba paulista) Grupo Tempero (samba paulista) Adryana Ribeiro (samba paulista) Freddie Ravel of Earth, Wind & Fire begins his short venture in Latin music (Latin fusion) Los Filis (zumba music) Caribbean Jazz Project (Latin jazz) Pez (Latin psychedelic/progressive) Verde (Latin metal/thrash) No Demuestra (Argentine punk) Bobby Pulido (Tejano) Grupo Limite (Tejano) Jennifer Pena (Tejano) Enrique Iglesias (Latin pop) Donato y Estefano (Latin pop) Millie Ilegales Jailene Cintrón Mayra Mayra
Bands reformed Djavan (on hiatus in 1991) Myriam Hernandez (on hiatus in 1994)
Bands disbanded Selena y Los Dinos (formed in 1980)
Bands on hiatus Arizita (on hiatus until 1996)
Number-ones albums and singles by country List of number-one albums of 1995 (Spain) List of number-one singles of 1995 (Spain) List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 1995 List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1995
Awards 1995 Premio Lo Nuestro 1995 Billboard Latin Music Awards 1995 Tejano Music Awards
Albums released First quarter January Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label24 Hecho Con Fernando Angel Villalona MERENGAZO RECORDS Llamame "Yanko" Guianko Salsa Soho Latino31 Tras la Tormenta Willie Colón and Rubén Blades Salsa Sony Tropical
February Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label7 Pampas Reggae Los Pericos Reggae-Pop "Runaway""Home Sweet Home" EMI18 Ansias Lilly Ponce 25 Taiyo Okoku Freddie Ravel 28 El Piano Armando Manzanero y Sus Amigos BMG U.S. Latin, RCAUnknown Day Pure Emotion Chico O'Farrill and His Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra Afro-Cuban Jazz, Bop "Variations on a Well-Known Theme""El Loco Blues" Milestone
March Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label7 Una Vez Más Barrio Boyzz RnB Swing/Swing SBK Records Diez Elsa García Tejano EMI Latin Reencuentro Alvaro Torres EMI Latin14 Fusion Moises Y La Gente Del Camino BMG U.S. Latin Cuban Gold, Vol. 2: Bajo Con Tumbao Various Artists "Pare Cochero" The Best of the Gipsy Kings Gipsy Kings Flamenco "Djobi, Djoba""Moorea""Quiero Saber""Bem, Bem, Maria""Bamboleo" Nonesuch, Atlantic, Nonesuch, Atlantic15 Pochi y Su Cocoband (1995) Pochi y Su Cocoband Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, Soca Kubaney21 El Tiempo Es Oro Paulina Rubio Synth-Pop, Soft Rock, Dance-Pop EMI Latin25 Guitarras Hermanas Lara & Reyes Higher Octave Music28 Reunion '95 Little Joe y la Familia Tejano, Conjunto, Corrido, Ranchera, Cumbia, Bolero Tejanos Discos International Amor Los Dinnos "El Taxista""Amor"
Second quarter April Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label4 Sola Millie Ballad, Vocal Capitol/EMI Latin Las Reinas Del Pueblo Selena and Graciela Beltrán "Como la Flor""¿Qué Creías?""La Carcacha" 11 Para Mi Pueblo Cornelio Reyna Ranchera RCA, BMG U.S. Latin13 Lágrimas Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte14 Mi Corazon Lloró Ritmo Rojo Discos Fonorama16 ¿Dónde Estarás? Industria del Amor Conjunto, Mariachi Ramex Realidades Los Bondadosos Conjunto Profono Internacional, Inc. Damelo Los Bravos del Norte de Ramón Ayala Norteno, Ranchera Freddie Records Alberto Vázquez Alberto Vázquez Ballad Musart No Hay Nada Eterno Los Invasores de Nuevo León Mi Acordeon y Yo Ramón Ayala Norteno, Ranchera Freddie Records Sabor a Chocolate Banda Pachuco Poeta y Campesino Román Palomar 18 Mar Adentro Donato y Estefano Rumba, Ballad Sony Latin En Cuerpo Y Alma Rey Ruiz Salsa Sony Tropical25 Cuando los Ángeles Lloran Maná Pop rock Wea Latina, Inc. Con el Primero Mayra Mayra Merengue BMG Music
May Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label2 Que Seas Muy Feliz Alejandro Fernández Ballad, Mariachi Sony Discos, Sony Discos Por Amor a Mi Pueblo Marco Antonio Solís y Los Bukis Bolero, Cumbia, Ranchera FonoVisa Otro Mundo Intocable Norteno, Tejano "La Mentira""Coqueta""Parece Que No" EMI Latin Café con Aroma de Mujer Margarita Rosa de Francisco Mariachi Musart4 Jaliene Jailene9 Para Todos los Gustos El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico Salsa Fonovisa Tropical
June Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label1 Turn Me Loose Steve Jordan Tejano, Norteno RCA International6 Viva! Ottmar Liebert Flamenco, Latin Jazz Epic, Epic Records Group13 15 Éxitos con Tambora Antonio Aguilar Ranchera, Corrido Musart Especial20 Presumida Banda Zeta Rey Azúcar Los Fabulosos Cadillacs "Mal Bicho""Carmela""Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina" SDI, SDI23 Mamonas Assassinas Mamonas Assassinas Pop rock EMI, EMI27 Se Pegó Charanga de los 4 Macarena Mix Various artists Latin, Hip-House, Merengue, Dance-Pop "Macarena""Macarena""Macarena" BMG U.S. Latin Amor Sin Barreras Los Tiranos del NorteUnknown Day No Se Parece a Nada Albita House, Latin, Deep House Epic
Third quarter July Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label18 Por Derecho Propio Tito Rojas Salsa Musical Productions La Trampa Ana Bárbara "La Trampa""Me Asusta Pero Me Gusta""No Se Que Voy a Hacer" Fonovisa Music Corporation25 La Tierra del Olvido Carlos Vives Cumbia, Pop rock, Vallenato EMI Latin
August Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label2 Ritmo y Candela: Rhythm at the Crossroads Patato and Changuito y Orestes15 Sueño Stereo Soda Stereo Pop rock "Ella Usó Mi Cabeza Como un Revólver""Zoom""Paseando por Roma" BMG U.S. Latin, Ariola Gisselle Gisselle Merengue BMG U.S. Latin, MC Records, RCA22 Loco Corazón Giro Salsa SDI, Ray-Ban Raza Odiada Brujeria Grindcore, Death Metal Roadrunner Records29 Tesorito Angel Salsa DUR Music
September Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label6 ...No Se Cansan! Jaime y los Chamacos Tejano, Conjunto Freddie Records12 Solo Para Ti Mazz Tejano EMI Latin26 Abriendo Puertas Gloria Estefan Salsa, Sonero, Rumba Epic
Fourth quarter October