# 1997 in Latin music

This is a list of notable events in Latin music (i.e. music from the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas Latin America, Europe, and the United States) that took place in 1997.

## Events

* February 26 – The 39th Annual Grammy Awards are held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.
** Enrique Iglesias wins the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance for his self-titled album.
** Rubén Blades wins the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Performance for his album La Rosa de los Vientos.
** La Mafia wins the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance for their album Un Millón de Rosas.
** Paquito D'Rivera wins the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance for his album Portraits of Cuba.
* April 28–30 – The 8th annual Billboard Latin Music Conference is held in Miami, Florida.
** The 4th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards are also held and Colombian singer Shakira becomes the biggest winner with three wins. Mexican singer José José is inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame.
* May 8 – The 9th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards are held at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias is the biggest winner with three awards.
* June 21 – The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) announces the creation of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS). The organization was created to expand NARAS's operations in Latin America and Spain. Mauricio Abaroa is appointed as the executive director of LARAS.
* September 5 – Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz releases his fifth studio album Más. The album would go on to become the bestselling album of all-time in Spain.
* September 10 – SESAC launches its own Latin Music Awards to honor Latin songwriters signed under the publisher.

## Bands formed

* Frankie Negrón (salsa)
* Jordi (Latin pop)

## Bands disbanded

Bronco

## Number-ones albums and singles by country

* List of number-one albums of 1997 (Spain)
* List of number-one singles of 1997 (Spain)
* List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 1997
* List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1997

## Awards

* 1997 Premio Lo Nuestro
* 1997 Billboard Latin Music Awards
* 1997 Tejano Music Awards

## Albums released
### First quarter
#### January

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 14 | Con Amor y Con Sabor | Fito Olivares | | | |
| 21 | Vivir | Enrique Iglesias | Latin pop | "Enamorado Por Primera Vez" "Sólo En Ti" "Miente" "Revolución" "Lluvia Cae" "Al Despertar" | Fonovisa |
| 21 | Te Sigo Esperando | Brenda K. Starr | Salsa | "Herida" | |
| 22 | Mi Gusto Es...El Mariachi | Liberación | | | |
| 28 | La Pipa de la Paz | Aterciopelados | | | |
| 28 | Musica Sin Frontera | La Tropa F | | | |

#### February

| Day | Title | Artist |
| 11 | Recuerdo Especial | Michael Salgado |
| 11 | Hands of Rhythm | Giovanni Hidalgo |
| 11 | Ven a Mi | The Barrio Boyzz |
| 11 | El Maquinista | Los Rieleros del Norte |
| 25 | Me Dicen El Tirador | Ezequiel Peña |
| 28 | Só Prá Contrariar | Só Prá Contrariar |

#### March

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles |
| 4 | La Ultima Huella | Bronco | | |
| 4 | En Concierto, Vol. II | Los Temerarios | | |
| 11 | De Nueva Cuenta | Los Incomparables de Tijuana | | |
| 11 | Persona Ideal | Adolescent's Orquesta | Salsa | "Persona Ideal" |
| 12 | Atrapados En Azul | Ismael Serrano | | |
| 18 | Te Quiero, Te Amo, Te Extraño | Banda Los Largos | | |
| 18 | Aldeia | Banda Mantiqueira | | |
| 25 | Canta Conmigo | La Diferenzia | | |
| 25 | Tuya | Graciela Beltrán | | |

### Second quarter
#### April

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 8 | Mi Encuentro | Yolandita Monge | | | |
| 15 | Te Sigo Amando (soundtrack) | Various artists | | | |
| 22 | Tucanes de Oro...Secuestro de Amor | Los Tucanes de Tijuana | | | |
| 22 | Red Hot + Latin: Silencio = Muerte | Various artists | | | |
| 22 | Piel de Ángel | Lucero | Latin pop | "Tacticas de Guerra" | |
| 29 | Juntos Otra Vez | Juan Gabriel and Rocío Dúrcal | Latin pop | "El Destino" | |
| 29 | Passion Dance | Herb Alpert | | | |
| 29 | Malembe | ¡Cubanismo! | | | |
| 29 | Hasta Siempre | Milly y los Vecinos | Merengue | "Porque Me Amaste" "Quizas" | |
| 30 | Y Es Facil | Los Hermanos Rosario | Merengue | "Fin de Semana" "Rompecintura" | KAREN |

#### May

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 5 | Llévame Contigo | Olga Tañón | Merengue | "Serpiente Mala" "El Frío de tu Adios" "Llegó el Amor" | WEA Latina |
| 5 | El Descreto | Kinito Méndez | | | |
| 13 | Ginastera: The Three String Quartets | Cuarteto Latinoamericano | Classical | | |
| 16 | Con Amor Se Gana | Frankie Negrón | Salsa | "Inolvidable" "Hoy Me Vuelto a Enamorar" "Una Gota de Lluvia" | |
| 20 | Rebotando | Ilegales | | | |
| 20 | Si Tu No Estas | Pete Astudillo | | | |
| 20 | Solo | Raúl di Blasio | | | |
| 21 | El Mundo Gira | Banda Maguey | | | |
| 24 | Sonho Azul | Sandy & Junior | | | |
| 27 | Palabra de Mujer | Mónica Naranjo | | | |
| 27 | Cuando Tú No Estás | El Tri | | | |
| 27 | Con El Machete en La Mano | Zafra Negra | Merengue | "No Llores Por Ella" | |
| 27 | De mi alma latina, Vol. 2 | Plácido Domingo | | | |

#### June

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 3 | A Pesar de Todo | Víctor Manuelle | Salsa | "Dile a Ella" "He Tratado" "Así es la Mujer" | |
| 3 | En Tus Manos | La Mafia | | | |
| 3 | Habana | Roy Hargrove's Crisol | | | |
| 3 | Un Loco Romántico | Liberación | | | |
| 3 | Secada | Jon Secada | | | |
| 17 | Jefe de Jefes | Los Tigres del Norte | | | |
| 17 | IV | Intocable | | | |
| 17 | Así Es el Amor | Grupo Bryndis | | | |
| 23 | Hermanos de Sangre | Viejas | | | |
| 24 | Amor a la Mexicana | Thalía | Latin pop | "Amor a la Mexicana" "Por Amor" "Mujer Latina" "Noches sin luna" "Ponle remedio" "Es tu amor "De dónde soy" "Dicen por ahí" "Echa pa'lante" | EMI Latin |
| 24 | Orozco | León Gieco | | | |

### Third quarter
#### July

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 1 | El Ultimo Paso | Los Terribles del Norte | | | |
| 1 | Pa' Otro La'o | Chichí Peralta | Merengue | "Amor Narcotico" | |
| 1 | Estatua de Marfil | Vicente Fernández | | | |
| 1 | Mirame | Ana Belén | | | |
| 1 | Ven Por Mi | Los Nocheros | | | |
| 1 | Plomo revienta | Desorden Público | Ska | | |
| 8 | Me Quedé Vacia | Laura Flores | | | |
| 12 | Tengo Fe | Carlos Vives | | | |
| 14 | De Parranda Con La Banda | Banda el Recodo | | | |
| 14 | Desesperadamente Enamorado | Jordi | | | |
| 15 | Aqui Estoy | Jailene | | | |
| 29 | Fabulosos Calavera | Los Fabulosos Cadillacs | | | |
| 29 | El Chile Pelaiz | Grupo Exterminador | | | |
| 29 | Norteno de Corazon | Raúl Hernandez | | | |
| 30 | En Las Alas de Un Angel | Ramon Ayala | | | |
| Unknown date | Uma Outra Estação | Legião Urbana | Rock, Post-punk | "As Flores do Mal" | EMI-Odeon |

#### August

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 5 | Swing On | Dark Latin Groove | Salsa, tropical | "La Quiero a Morir" "Juliana" | |
| 5 | Seguire | Toño Rosario | Merengue | | |
| 12 | Romances | Luis Miguel | Bolero, Latin pop | "Por Debajo de la Mesa" "El Reloj" "Contigo (Estar Contigo)" "De Quererte Así (De T'Avoir Aimee)" "Bésame Mucho" "Sabor a Mí" | WEA Latina |
| 12 | Jennifer y Los Jetz | Jennifer y Los Jetz | | | |
| 12 | Puntos Cardinales | Ana Torroja | | | |
| 26 | ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas? | Molotov | | | |
| 26 | Al Frente de Todos | Mazz | | | |
| Unknown date | Ser humano!! | Tiro de Gracia | Hip hop | | |

#### September

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 2 | Leaning Into the Night | Ottmar Liebert | | | |
| 2 | Alta Suciedad | Andrés Calamaro | | | |
| 2 | En Mi Imperio | Ivy Queen | Reggae en Español, Hip hop | "Como Mujer" "Pongan Atencion" | Sony Discos |
| 5 | Más | Alejandro Sanz | Latin pop | "Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?" "Corazón Partío" "Amiga Mía" "Aquello Que Me Diste" "Siempre Es de Noche" "Si Hay Dios..." | |
| 9 | Sobre el Fuego | La India | Salsa | "Me Cansé de Ser Otra" "Mi Mayor Venganza" "Costumbres" "Si Tu Eres Mi Hombre" | RMM |
| 9 | Tiene Que Ser Amor | Sparx | | | |
| 16 | Buena Vista Social Club | Buena Vista Social Club | | | |
| 16 | A Toda Cuba le Gusta | Afro-Cuban All Stars | | | |
| 16 | Introducing...Rubén González | Rubén González | | | |
| 23 | Me Estoy Enamorando | Alejandro Fernández | Bolero, Latin pop | "Si Tú Supieras" "En El Jardín" "No Sé Olvidar" "Yo Nací Para Amarte" | Sony Music Mexico |
| 23 | Evolución | Boyz II Men | | | |
| 23 | Llegaste a Mi Vida | Bobby Pulido | | | |
| 23 | Te Llevas Mi Vida | Los Mismos | | | |
| 23 | Se Necesita un Milagro | Domingo Quiñones | Salsa, Latin pop | "No Voy a Dejarte Ir" "Se Necesita Un Milagro" | |
| 23 | Susana Baca | Susana Baca | Folk | | |
| 30 | Lo Mejor de Mí | Cristian Castro | Bolero, Latin pop | "Lo Mejor de Mí" "Si Tú Me Amaras" "Lloran Las Rosas" "Después de Ti...¿Qué?" | BMG US Latin |
| 30 | Una Mujer Como Yo | Albita | | | |
| 30 | Marco | Marco Antonio Solís | | | |
| 30 | La 4 x 4 | Banda Arkangel | | | |

### Fourth quarter
#### October

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 7 | Ya No Soy El Niño Aquel | Jerry Rivera | | | |
| 7 | Live Desde el Mas Allá | Baby Rasta & Gringo | | | |
| 14 | Sueños Líquidos | Maná | Latin rock | "Clavado En Un Bar" "Hechicera" "En El Muelle De San Blás" "Como Te Extraño Corazón" "Como Dueles En Los Labios" | WEA Latina |
| 21 | Contra la Corriente | Marc Anthony | Salsa, tropical | "Y Hubo Alguien" "Me Voy a Regalar" "Si Te Vas" "No Me Conoces" "Contra la Correinte" "No Sabes Como Duele" | RMM |
| 21 | Sentimientos | Grupo Límite | | | |
| 21 | Los Reyes del Ritmo | La Makina | Merengue | "Nadie Se Muere" | |
| 24 | Con un mismo corazón | Ana Gabriel | | | |
| 28 | Es Así | Ricardo Montaner | Latin pop | "Es Así" "Para Llorar" "Ojala" | WEA Latina |
| 28 | Quiero Estar Contigo | Gisselle | | | |
| 28 | Eros | Eros Ramazzotti | | Cuanto amor me das" "Cosas de la vida (Can't Stop Thinking of You)" | |
| Unknown day | O Último Solo | Renato Russo | Acoustic rock, folk rock, rock | | EMI |

#### November

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 4 | Alto Honor | Grupo Manía | Merengue | "Me Miras y Te Miro" "Que Loco" "Corazoncito" | |
| 4 | Tributo a Jose Alfredo Jimenez | Pedro Fernández | | | |
| 4 | Huellas | Yuri | | | |
| 6 | Compas | Gipsy Kings | | | |
| 11 | Soul of the Tango | Yo-Yo Ma | | | |
| 18 | A Mi Gente | Emilio | | | |
| 24 | Historico: Banda el Recodo En Vivo | Banda el Recodo | | | |
| 24 | Dejame Sonar Contigo | Los Rehenes | | | |
| 25 | Inolvidables | José Luis Rodríguez | Bolero | "No Me Quieras Tanto" "Rayito de Luna" | Sony Discos |
| 25 | Vuelvo Contigo | Los Invasores de Nuevo León | | | |
| 25 | Cualquiera Puede Cantar | Los Auténticos Decadentes | | | |

#### December

| Day | Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Singles | Label |
| 1 | Así Como Tú | Los Tigres del Norte | | | |
| 2 | Pal Pueblo | Tito Rojas | Salsa | "Es Mi Mujer" | Musical Productions |
| 3 | Sambapopbrasil | Art Popular | | | |
| 9 | Aqui Me Quedaré | El Coyote y Su Banda Tierra Santa | | | |
| 9 | Mi Charchina (El Natural) | Eddie Gonzalez | | | |
| 9 | De Corazón | Gilberto Santa Rosa | Salsa | "Que Se Lleva el Río" | Sony Discos |

### Unknown

| Title | Artist | Genre(s) | Label |
| Tributo a Juan Gabriel | Banda el Recodo | | |
| Top Norteño | Los Huracanes del Norte | | |
| Corazón Indomable | Camela | | |
| Sedução | Negritude Jr. | | |
| Acústico MTV | Titãs | | |
| Acústico MTV | Gal Costa | | |
| Antologia Acústica | Zé Ramalho | Música popular brasileira, acoustic rock | BMG |
| Quebra Cabeça | Gabriel Pensador | | |
| Em Familia | Chitãozinho & Xororó | | |
| Brincadeira de Criança | Grupo Molejo | | |
| Liga Lá | Lulu Santos | | |
| Desliga e Vem | Exaltasamba | | |
| Imitação da vida | Maria Bethânia | | |
| Sobrevivendo no Inferno | Racionais MC's | Hip hop | |
| A Sétima Efervescência | Jupiter Apple | Brazilian rock | |
| La Llorona | Lhasa de Sela | Latin, folk | |
| Gondwana | Gondwana | Reggae | |
| Fome | Los Tres | Rock | |
| Boricua Guerrero First Combat | Various artists | Hip hop, reggaeton | |
| Cuentos de la cripta 2 | El Chombo | Hip hop, reggaeton | |
| Oma | El Parque [es] | Rock | |

## Best-selling records
### Best-selling albums

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling Latin albums in the United States in 1997, according to Billboard.
| Rank | Album | Artist |
| 1 | Tango | Julio Iglesias |
| 2 | Romances | Luis Miguel |
| 3 | Vivir | Enrique Iglesias |
| 4 | Siempre Selena | Selena |
| 5 | Partiendome El Alma | Grupo Límite |
| 6 | Enrique Iglesias | Enrique Iglesias |
| 7 | Dreaming of You | Selena |
| 8 | Pies Descalzos | Shakira |
| 9 | Macarena Non Stop | Los del Río |
| 10 | Compas | Gipsy Kings |

### Best-performing songs

The following is a list of the top 10 best-performing Latin songs in the United States in 1997, according to Billboard.
| Rank | Single | Artist |
| 1 | "Te Sigo Amando" | Juan Gabriel |
| 2 | "El Destino" | Juan Gabriel and Rocío Dúrcal |
| 3 | "Ya Me Voy Para Siempre" | Los Temerarios |
| 4 | "Enamorado Por Primera Vez" | Enrique Iglesias |
| 5 | "Piensa en Mi" | Grupo Mojado |
| 6 | "Sólo en Ti" | Enrique Iglesias |
| 7 | "Así Como Te Conocí" | Marco Antonio Solís |
| 8 | "Por Debajo de la Mesa" | Luis Miguel |
| 9 | "Desesperadamente Enamorado" | Jordi |
| 10 | "Juguete" | Grupo Límite |

## Births

* March 2 – Becky G, American Latin pop singer
* March 21 – Martina Stoessel, Argentine actress, model, singer, and dancer
* August 7 – Evaluna Montaner, Venezuelan entertainer and singer

## Deaths

* January 22 — Cornelio Reyna, 56, Mexican norteño singer
* February 2 — Chico Science, 30, Brazilian singer and composer and one of the founders of the manguebeat cultural movement
* August 17 — Alberto Morán, 75, Argentine tango musician
* October 24 — Luis Aguilar, 79, Mexican film and television actor and singer of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema
* October 25 — Virgilio Expósito [es], 73, Argentine tango composer and pianist