With hopes of having time to unwind and just kick back and relax during this festive time of the year, Billboard has compiled a list of Latin music biopics, documentaries, reality shows or series that you can stream during the holidays.
The list includes Netflix’s newly released Selena: The Series, which follows the unfolding of Selena Quintanilla’s life and career portrayed by Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer, to the 2016 series Until I Met You (Hasta Que Te Conocí) on Amazon Prime based on Juan Gabriel‘s life.
Check out the list below, and happy binge-watching!
SELENA: THE SERIES
This newly released series follows the unfolding of Selena Quintanilla’s life and career portrayed by Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer. According to an official description: “Selena: The Series explores her journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time — and the years of hard work and sacrifice the Quintanilla family navigated together.” Part one of the two-part series is now available for streaming on Netflix.
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YA NO ESTOY AQUÍ (I’M NO LONGER HERE)
The epic soundtrack of this Spanish-language musical drama film really makes it worth your while. Filmed in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, and directed by Fernando Frias, the story follows teenage boy Ulises whose life revolves around listening and dancing to cumbia rebajada. After a misunderstanding with a local cartel, he is forced to emigrate to New York, leaving his dance crew and everything he loves behind. You can watch Ya No Estoy Aquí on Netflix.
BREAK IT ALL: THE HISTORY OF ROCK IN LATIN AMERICA
This limited series traces Latin America’s rock movement sparked by Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” in the late 1950s. Break It All, available on Netflix, is a 50-year history documentary featuring the rise of bands such as Soda Stereo, Café Tacvba, Atercioplelados, among others, through “dictatorships, disasters and dissent,” according to Netflix.
HASTA QUE TE CONOCÍ (UNTIL I MET YOU)
This drama series follows the roots and footsteps of the legendary Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. The 13-episode series is based on unpublished testimonies on the icon’s journey from childhood to fame. “A story that tells how his talent led him to defy and overcome poverty, betrayals and prejudices,” reads an official description on Amazon Prime where it’s available for streaming.
NICKY JAM: EL GANADOR
Nicky Jam: El Ganador, produced by Endemol Shine Boomdog and directed by Jessy Terrero, tells the life story of singer/songwriter Nicky Jam, who has become a worldwide music phenomenon. The series, which premiered April 21 on Netflix, shows his ups and downs not only professionally, but also personally.
LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE AT FOLSOM PRISON
In 2019, Los Tigres del Norte premiered the Netflix original documentary and live album Los Tigres del Norte at Folsom Prison. The set marked the first time a musical act was allowed to film inside the prison walls since Johnny Cash’s fabled performance at Folsom in 1968.
The documentary also provided a rare, and compassionate look at Latino incarceration told through the songs of the band and the stories of the Latino and Latina inmates at Folsom Prison interviewed for the production.
VAI ANITTA
Produced by Shots Studios, the Netflix original production documents the work, strategy, laughter, and drama behind Anitta’s success, from her beginnings in Brazil to her international fame.
COMO CAIDO DEL CIELO
The spirit of archetypal Mexican singing star and movie idol Pedro Infante takes over the body of one of his modern-day impersonators in the comedic telenovela with a magic realist twist starring Omar Chaparro.
ZOÉ: PANORAMAS
This introspective rockumentary follows the career triumphs and intimate moments of legendary Mexican band Zoé as they embark on a global tour.
EL INFLUENCE[R]
On Residente’s YouTube channel, you will find a lot of entertaining episodes from his series El Influence[R], where he and his brother have many guests, such as Bad Bunny.
THE JOURNEY: MARAMA & ROMBAI
Popular South American bands Márama and Rombai share footage of behind-the-scenes antics and discuss their sudden rise to stardom.
LOS MONTANER
Los Montaner captures the entire Montaner family in action, including their holiday break together. Available on Ricardo Montaner’s channel, the many fun episodes star Montaner, his wife and his children Mau & Ricky, Evaluna and Camilo.
SELENA
Many people first discovered Jennifer Lopez when she portrayed late Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 biographical drama Selena. The film follows the Queen of Tejano’s life story from her humble beginnings to gaining international fame to her tragic death.
LUIS MIGUEL: LA SERIE
Starring Diego Boneta as the renowned ‘90s crooner, Luis Miguel: La Serie brings to life the personal story of Luis Miguel and his road to fame.
ALEJANDRO SANZ: WHAT I WAS IS WHAT I AM
The Netflix documentary captures Alejandro Sanz’s journey from playing rock songs with friends on the streets of his neighborhood as a teen to playing flamenco guitar with Paco de Lucia to recording the two biggest-selling albums in Spain and becoming one of Latin music’s biggest stars while remaining “a normal person.”
GLORIA
Netflix’s Gloria is a film based on the tumultuous early life of Mexican pop diva Gloria Trevi. “It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me mad, it was hard to watch. But this movie has a positive message,” Trevi previously told Billboard.
MALUMA: LO QUE ERA, LO QUE SOY, LO QUE SERE
The film was directed by Jessy Terrero and takes fans on the journey with Maluma as he reflects on his early days in Colombia, to his evolution as a music artist selling out concerts worldwide. The documentary also features some of Maluma’s biggest moments from his tours and performances around the world, as well as exclusive interviews with his family and inner-circle.
LA BAMBA
Lou Diamond Phillips portrays Chicano rock ‘n’ roll star Ritchie Valens in the 1987 film La Bamba. The flick tells the story of Valens’ impactful music career on his family and the Latin culture, and highlights his timeless hit “La Bamba.”
EL CANTANTE
Hector Lavoe’s story hit the big screen in 2006 with El Cantante. Marc Anthony portrayed the late salsa singer while Jennifer Lopez portrayed his wife, Puchi. In the film, Lavoe’s personal and career stories are told from the viewpoint of Puchi (Lopez).
UNA FAMILIA REGULAR
Available on Regulo Caro’s official YouTube channel, Una Familia Regular documents the Regional Mexican singer’s everyday life with his wife Dorys and their daughters Elizabeth and Emilia.
PARCHÍS: THE DOCUMENTARY
The spotlight’s on Parchís, a record company-created Spanish boy/girl band that had unprecedented success with Top 10 songs and hit films in the ‘80s.