This is a list of notable events in

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...

(i.e. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking music from Latin America, Europe, and the United States) that took place in 2012.

Events

October 20 Events Pre-1600 *1568 – The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent. * 1572 – Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the r ...

– ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' updates their methodology for several of their charts including the

Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...

. The new methodology for the Hot Latin Songs chart includes sales of digital downloads and streaming activity of Spanish-language songs as well as airplay of Spanish-language songs on all radio stations in the United States. ''Billboard'' also imposes a linguistic rule of a song being predominantly sung in Spanish to be eligible to rank on the Hot Latin Songs. Previously, the Hot Latin Songs chart ranked the most-played songs on Spanish-language radio states regardless of language or genre. The

Latin Airplay Latin Airplay is a chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It was established on October 20, 2012. This chart lists the 50 most-played songs on Spanish-language radio stations across the country ...

, which was also established, is based on the Hot Latin Song's former methodology. *

November 15 Events Pre-1600 * 655 – Battle of the Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. * 1315 – Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy: The Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I in the Battle ...

— The

13th Annual Latin Grammy Awards The 13th Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It was the fifth time the awards was held at this venue and in Las Vegas. It also marks the last year in the Latin Record ...

are held at the

Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts Int ...

in Las Vegas, Nevada. **"

¡Corre! ¡Corre! (English: "Run!") is a pop song written by Mexican duo Jesse & Joy. The song is included on their third studio album, '' ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro?'' (2011), and was released as the second single on October 4, 2011. The track won ...

" by

Jesse & Joy Jesse & Joy () is a Mexican Latin pop music, pop Duet (music), duo formed in 2005 by brother and sister Jesse (born December 31, 1982, as Jesse Eduardo Huerta Uecke) and Joy Huerta, Joy (born June 20, 1986, as Tirzah Joy Huerta Uecke), in Mexic ...

wins Record the Year and Song of the Year **'' Juanes: MTV Unplugged'' by

Juanes Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (born 9 August 1972), known professionally as Juanes, is a Colombian musician who was a member of the Rock music, rock band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. Since releasing his solo debut album ''Fíjate B ...

wins Album of the Year **

3Ball MTY 3BallMTY (pronounced "Tribal Monterrey") is a Mexican pop DJ group from the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The "DJ Collective" (the name its members have formally given themselves) was formed in 2009 by two teenage DJs – Sergio Zavala ...

wins

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...

**Brazilian singer

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...

was honored as the

Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their "artistic achievements in the Latin music ...

December 9 Events Pre-1600 * 536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital. * 730 – Battle of Marj Ardabil: The Khazars annihilate an Umayyad army and kill its commander, ...

— A plane carrying Mexican-American singer

Jenni Rivera Dolores Janney "Jenni" Rivera (July 2, 1969 – December 9, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and producer known for her work within the regional Mexican music genre, specifically in the styles of Banda (music), ...

and six other passengers crashes near

Iturbide, Nuevo León Iturbide is a municipality of Mexico, located in Nuevo León. It has an area of 719.2 square kilometers. It is named in honor of Agustín de Iturbide. It is bordered by the municipality of Galeana on the north and west. Aramberri borders it to th ...

, killing everyone on board.

Number-ones albums and singles by country

List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 (Brazil) This is a list of number one singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Billboard Brasil, Brasil Hot 100 chart in 2012. Note that ''Billboard'' publishes a monthly chart. Chart history See also *Billboard Brasil *List of number-one pop ...

* List of number-one songs of 2012 (Colombia) * List of number-one albums of 2012 (Mexico) * List of number-one albums of 2012 (Portugal) * List of number-one albums of 2012 (Spain) * List of number-one singles of 2012 (Spain) *

List of number-one Billboard Latin Albums from the 2010s The ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart, published by ''Billboard'' magazine, is a record chart that ranks the performance of Latin music albums in the United States. The data is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan from a sample that includes musi ...

List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Songs of 2012 The ''Billboard'' Top Latin Songs ranked the best-performing songs on Spanish-language radio stations and was published by ''Billboard'' magazine weekly. Since 1994, Nielsen BDS was used to measure the songs on the chart. On the week ending Octo ...

Awards

* 2012 Premio Lo Nuestro * 2012 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards * 2012 Latin Grammy Awards *

2012 Tejano Music Awards The Tejano Music Awards (TMA) is an accolade created by former arts teacher and musician Rudy Trevino in 1980. The accolade recognizes outstanding performers of Tejano music, a German polka-based Latin music genre recorded in Spanish or English-la ...

Albums released

First quarter

January

February

March

Second quarter

April

May

June

Third quarter

July

August

September

Fourth quarter

October

November

December

Unknown

Best-selling records

Best-selling albums

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling Latin albums in the United States in 2012, according to ''

''.

Best-performing songs

The following is a list of the top 10 best-performing Latin songs in the United States in 2012, according to ''Billboard''.

Deaths

January 9 Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. * 1038 – An earthquake in Dingxiang, China kills an estimate ...

–

Ruth Fernández Ruth Fernández (born Ruth Noemí Fernández Cortada; 23 May 1919 – 9 January 2012) was a Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate. According to the "Comisiones Nacionales para la Celebración del Quinto Centenario" ''( ...

, 92, Puerto Rican contralto and politician,

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

(1973–1981). *

February 8 Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Constantius III becomes co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. * 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of ...

: ** Wando, 66, Brazilian singer-songwriter **

Luis Alberto Spinetta Luis Alberto Spinetta (23 January 1950 – 8 February 2012), nicknamed "El Flaco" (Spanish for "skinny"), was an Argentine singer, guitarist, composer, writer and poet. One of the most influential rock musicians of Argentina, he is widely reg ...

, 62, Argentine musician ( Almendra,

Pescado Rabioso Pescado Rabioso (Rabid Fish) was an Argentine rock band led by musician Luis Alberto Spinetta from 1971 to 1973. Initially a trio accompanied by drummer Black Amaya and bassist Osvaldo "Bocón" Frascino, it became a quartet with the addition of k ...

Invisible Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light fr ...

), lung cancer. *

February 12 Events Pre-1600 * 1096 – Pope Urban II confirms the foundation of the abbey of La Roë under Robert of Arbrissel as a community of canons regular. * 1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sofia performed the first post- ...

– Erick Garza, 56, Mexican keyboard player (

Grupo Bronco Bronco is a Mexican grupero band originating from Apodaca, Nuevo León originally composed of band members José Guadalupe "Lupe" Esparza, Ramiro Delgado, Javier Villareal, and José Luis "Choche" Villareal. As with many grupera bands, members w ...

) *

February 24 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. * 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. ...

–

Pery Ribeiro Pery Ribeiro (27 October 1937 – 24 February 2012) was a Brazilian singer of bossa nova, MPB and jazz, active from 1959 until shortly before his death. Biography Pery Ribeiro was born Peri Oliveira Martins on 27 October 1937, son of the singe ...

, 74, Brazilian singer, myocardial infarction. *

April 14 Events Pre-1600 * 43 BC – Legions loyal to the Roman Senate, commanded by Gaius Pansa, defeat the forces of Mark Antony in the Battle of Forum Gallorum. * 69 – Vitellius, commanding Rhine-based armies, defeats Roman emperor ...

– Pedro Arroyo, Puerto Rican radio programmer, creator of "National Day of Salsa" in Puerto Rico *

May 7 Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I im ...

–

Sergio Mihanovich Sergio Mihanovich (May 8, 1937, in Buenos Aires – May 7, 2012) was an Argentine jazz pianist, singer and composer. Of Croatian and Serbian descent,

, 74, Argentine jazz pianist, singer and composer«Sergio Mihanovich: el compositor con misterio»
artículo de Gaspar Zimerman en el diario ''Clarín'' (Buenos Aires) del 7 de mayo de 2012. *

May 10 Events Pre-1600 * 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. * 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of ...

– Junior Gonzalez, 63, Puerto Rican salsa singer *

May 31 Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome. * 1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by th ...

– Horacio "Chivo" Borraro, 90, Argentine tenor sax and clarinet player *

June 6 Events Pre-1600 * 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointe ...

– Estela Raval, Argentine singer *

June 12 Events Pre-1600 * 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors. *1206 – The Ghurid general Qutb ud-Din Aib ...

– Adrián Otero, 53, Argentine singer *

June 22 Events Pre-1600 *217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. *168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Roman Republic, Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, Luciu ...

– Nelson Schwenke, 55, Chilean singer and songwriter () *

June 30 Events Pre-1600 * 296 – Pope Marcellinus begins his papacy. * 763 – The Byzantine army of emperor Constantine V defeats the Bulgarian forces in the Battle of Anchialus. * 1422 – Battle of Arbedo between the duke of Mil ...

–

Yomo Toro Víctor Guillermo "Yomo" Toro (26 July 1933 – 30 June 2012) was a Puerto Rican left-handed guitarist and cuatro player. Known internationally as "The King of the Cuatro," Toro recorded over 150 albums throughout a 60-year career and worked exte ...

, 78, Puerto Rican

cuatro Cuatro, Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the 4, number 4, may refer to: * Cuatro (instrument), a family of Latin American string instruments, including: ** Cuatro (Venezuela) ** Puerto Rican cuatro * Cuatro (TV channel), a Spanish free-to ...

player, kidney failure. *

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and procla ...

–

Homero Patrón Homero Patrón (born 5 September 1951 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, d. 4 July 2012 in Los Angeles, California) was an arranger, producer, musician and composer who worked with many of the most important artists in Latin music as well as in other mu ...

, 61, Mexican arranger, producer, musician and composer *

July 13 Events Pre-1600 *1174 – William the Lion, William I of Scotland, a key Rebellion, rebel in the Revolt of 1173–74, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Henry II of England. *1249 – Coronation of Alexander III of Scotland, Ale ...

–

Leda Valladares Leda Valladares (21 December 191913 July 2012) was an Argentine singer, songwriter, musicologist, folklorist, and poet. Born in San Miguel de Tucumán in northern Argentina, she grew up surrounded by both classical European music and the folk m ...

, 92, Argentine singer, songwriter, musicologist and folklorist, and poet *

July 14 Events Pre-1600 * 982 – King Otto II and his Frankish army are defeated by the Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Italy. *1223 – Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II. * 142 ...

– , 40, Uruguayan musician and composer (

No Te Va Gustar No Te Va Gustar, also known by their initials NTVG, is an Uruguayan rock band formed in 1994 in Malvín, Montevideo. The group consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Emiliano Brancciari, bassist Guzmán Silveira, drummer Diego Bartaburu, trum ...

) *

July 29 Events Pre-1600 *587 BC – The Neo-Babylonian Empire sacks Jerusalem and destroys the First Temple. * 615 – Pakal ascends the throne of Palenque at the age of 12. * 904 – Sack of Thessalonica: Saracen raiders under Leo o ...

–

Osvaldo Fattoruso Osvaldo Fattoruso (12 May 1948 – 29 July 2012) was a Uruguayan musician. He introduced rock in Latin America with his band Los Shakers, and created a fusion between jazz, rock and African rhythms. Fattoruso died on July 29, 2012 at the age ...

, 64, Uruguayan musician (

Los Shakers Los Shakers were a popular rock band in the 1960s and was a part of the Uruguayan Invasion in Latin America. They were heavily influenced by the look and sound of The Beatles. In the late 1960s they would broaden and expand their musical direct ...

, Opa), cancer. *

August 5 Events Pre-1600 * AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty. * 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...

–

Chavela Vargas Chavela Vargas (; born María Isabel Anita Carmen de Jesús Vargas Lizano; 17 April 1919 – 5 August 2012) was a Costa Rican-born Mexican singer. She gained widespread recognition for her distinctive interpretations of Mexican rancheras. Howev ...

, 93, Costa Rican-born Mexican singer-songwriter, respiratory arrest. *

August 8 Events Pre-1600 * 685 BC – Spring and Autumn period: Battle of Qianshi: Upon the death of the previous Duke of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi, Duke Zhuang of Lu sends an army into the Duchy of Qi to install the exiled Qi prince Gongzi Jiu as t ...

– , 62, Founder and leader of

Grupo Niche Grupo Niche is a salsa group founded in 1978 in Cali, Colombia. It enjoyed great popularity throughout Latin America. It was founded by Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano. Varela remained with the group throughout his life, serving as producer, dir ...

August 22 Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. * 1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scot ...

–

Charles Flores Charles Flores was born in Cuba in 1970. He became a bassist when he was 10 years old, but Cuban laws prohibited an in depth study of jazz and other American genres of music. Flores eventually immigrated to the United States as a refugee and settle ...

, 41, Cuban bass player *

September 21 Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Avitus enters Italy with a Gallic army and consolidates his power. * 1170 – Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Anglo-Norman invaders. * 1217 – Livonian Crusa ...

–

José Curbelo José Curbelo (February 18, 1917, Havana - September 21, 2012, Miami) was a Cuban-born American pianist and manager. Curbelo was a key figure in Latin jazz in New York City in the 1940s and helped to popularize Mambo and the cha cha dance in the 1 ...

, 95, Cuban-born American jazz musician and manager, heart failure. *

September 27 Events Pre-1600 * 1066 – William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the Somme river, beginning the Norman conquest of England. * 1331 – The Battle of Płowce is fought, between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teut ...

–

Paquito Hechavarría Paquito Hechavarría (21 February 1939 – 27 September 2012) was a Cuban pianist. Hechavarría built his career in Cuba by playing in some of the most popular orchestras, including Conjunto Casino, Orquesta Riverside and Los Armónicos. However, ...

, 73, Cuban pianist *

September 29 Events Pre-1600 * 61 BC – Pompey the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday. * 1011 – Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah ...

: *Eduardo Baptista Fernandez, 39, Mexican music publisher *

Hebe Camargo Hebe Maria Monteiro de Camargo Ravagnani (; 8 March 1929 – 29 September 2012) was a Brazilian television host, singer and actress. She is considered the "Queen of Brazilian Television" (). She died at her home on 29 September 2012. Her net ...

, 83, Brazilian television presenter, cardiac arrest. *

September 30 Events Pre-1600 * 489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time. * 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture thei ...

– José Luis "Choche" Villareal, 55, Mexican drummer for

. *

October 22 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. * 794 – Japanese Emperor Kanmu relocates his empire's capital to H ...

– Norberto Kaminsky, Argentine producer *

October 31 Events Pre-1600 * 475 – Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor. * 683 – During the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba catches fire and is burned down. * 802 – Empress Irene is deposed and banished to Lesbos. Consp ...

– Gustavo Sánchez, 56,

Latin American Idol ''Latin American Idol'' was the Hispanic American edition of the popular British franchise of '' Idols'', well known for its American version ''American Idol''. The show aimed to discover the pop idol of the Hispanic American region. The show w ...

judge *

November 4 Events Pre-1600 * 1354 – War of the Straits: The Genoese fleet under Paganino Doria defeats and captures the entire Venetian fleet under Niccolò Pisani at the Battle of Sapienza. * 1429 – Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War: Jo ...

– Valentin Velasco, 80, Mexican American founder of Balboa Records *

November 5 Events Pre-1600 *1138 – Lý Anh Tông is enthroned as emperor of Vietnam at the age of two, beginning a 37-year reign. * 1499 – The '' Catholicon'', written in 1464 by Jehan Lagadeuc in Tréguier, is published; this is the first B ...

–

Leonardo Favio Fuad Jorge Jury (28 May 1938 – 5 November 2012), better known by his stage name Leonardo Favio (), was an Argentine singer, actor and filmmaker. He is considered one of Argentina's best film directors and one of the country's most enduring cul ...

, 74, Argentine singer, actor and director *

November 7 Events Pre-1600 * 335 – Athanasius, 20th pope of Alexandria, is banished to Trier on the charge that he prevented a grain fleet from sailing to Constantinople. * 680 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council commences in Constantinople. ...

– Sylvia Cantarell, Mexican manager and producer *

November 18 Events Pre-1600 * 326 – The old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated by Pope Sylvester I. * 401 – The Visigoths, led by king Alaric I, cross the Alps and invade northern Italy. * 1095 – The Council of Clermont begins: ca ...

–

Emilio Aragón Bermúdez Emilio Alberto Aragón Bermúdez (; 4 November 1929 – 18 November 2012), better known as Miliki (), was a Spanish clown, accordionist and singer, he was a member of the artist family Aragón. He was declared Son of the City of Carmona and ...

, 83, Spanish clown, accordionist, and singer. *

November 25 Events Pre-1600 *571 BC – Servius Tullius, king of Ancient Rome, Rome, celebrates the first of his three Roman triumph, triumphs for his victory over the Etruscans. *1034 – Máel Coluim II of Scotland, Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, Ki ...

–

Juan Carlos Calderón Juan Carlos Calderón López de Arróyabe (7 July 1938 – 25 November 2012) was a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Santander, he was the author of "Eres tú", which, performed by Mocedades, came second in the Eurovision Song ...

, 74, Spanish composer and conductor. *

: **Arturo Rivera, Mexican publicist **

, 43, American banda singer (plane crash) *

December 23 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. * 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. * 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. * 962 &ndash ...

– , 87, Mexican songwriterLamenta SACM muerte de Elena Valdelamar
/ref>

References

{{Reflist Latin music by year