2011 in Latin music

Events

• January 8 — Billboard revamps the methodology for the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart to only track Latin rhythm songs from Spanish-language radio stations in the United States. Previously, the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart ranked the most-played songs on Latin rhythm radio stations regardless of genre.
• November 10 — The 12th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• *Calle 13 breaks the record for the most awarded artist in a single ceremony with nine wins including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Latinoamérica" and Album of the Year for Entren Los Que Quieran.
• *Sie7e wins Best New Artist.
• *Colombian singer Shakira is honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Bands formed

• Pablo Alborán
• Max Capote
• 3Ball MTY
• Natalia Jiménez
• Dulce María
• El Bebeto y su Banda Patria Chica
• Monchy & Nathalia
• Loisaidas
• Henry Santos

Number-one albums and singles by country

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (Brazil)
• List of number-one albums of 2011 (Mexico)
• List of number-one albums of 2011 (Portugal)
• List of number-one albums of 2011 (Spain)
• List of number-one singles of 2011 (Spain)
• List of number-one Billboard Latin Albums from the 2010s
• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Songs of 2011

Awards

• 2011 Premio Lo Nuestro
• 2011 Billboard Latin Music Awards
• 2011 Latin Grammy Awards
• 2011 Tejano Music Awards

Best-selling records

Best-selling albums

Best-performing songs

Deaths

• January 4 – Gustavo Kupinski, 36, Argentine guitarist, car crash.
• January 10 – María Elena Walsh, 80, Argentine musician, playwright, writer, and composer
• January 21 – Eugenio "Totico" Arango, 76, Cuban percussionist and singer
• January 24 – Francisco Mata, 78, Venezuelan folk singer and composer.
• January 29 – Tony "Ham" Guerrero" American trumpeter and founder of Tortilla Factory
• February 7 – Helenita Vargas, 79, Colombian singer
• February 8 – Eugenio Toussaint, 56, Mexican jazz pianist, and composer
• February 13 – Manuel Esperón, 99, Mexican composer
• February 25 – Eneas Perdomo, 80, Venezuelan folk singer.
• March 10 –, 88, Argentine singer and songwriter
• March 11 – Rita Guerrero, 47, Mexican performer and found of Santa Sabina
• March 26 – Lula Côrtes, 61, Brazilian musician, throat cancer
• March 27 – Antonio Ambriz Garza, 73, American Tejano music manager
• April 8 – Daniel Catán, 62, Mexican composer.
• May 7 – Johnny Albino, 93, Puerto Rican bolero singer, heart attack.
• June 6 – Humberto "El Pecas" Navarro, Mexican drummer for Los Caminantes
• July 7 – Manuel Galbán, 80, Cuban guitarist, heart attack.
• July 9 – Facundo Cabral, 74, Argentine singer and songwriter, shot.
• July 14 – Antonio Prieto, 85, Chilean singer and actor, cardiac arrest.
• July 26 – Joe Arroyo, 55, Colombian salsa/tropical singer.
• August 3 – Jorge Neri, Mexican composer, arranger, and producer
• August 5 – Cornelio Reyna Jr., 50, Mexican singer
• August 10 – Moraíto Chico II, 54, Spanish musician, cancer.
• August 22 –, 77, Mexican singer and composer, former member of Los Panchos
• August 26 –, 97, Colombian vallenato composer
• August 28 –, 50, Costa Rican singer
• October 21 – Edmundo Ros, 100, Trinidadian-born Venezuelan British bandleader of Latin American music.
• November 22 – Horacio Villafañe, 48, Argentine guitarist and founder of Todos Tus Muertos
• November 23 – Montserrat Figueras, 69, Spanish soprano
• December 1 – Wilson Choperena, 87, Colombian songwriter
• December 6 –, 82, Mexican music arranger
• December 12 – Pupi Campo, 91, Cuban pianist and bandleader
• December 13 –, 75, Spanish Mexican music journalist, radio, and TV host
• December 17 – Cesária Évora, 70, Cape Verdean singer, heart failure.