There’s no better gift for your mother than some delightful tribute tunes about mothers — especially if you reaaaaally wanna go on the super budget route and even beat these cheap tips. Here at Remezcla, we wanna contribute to your mother appreciation-lovin’ experience as a really good one. So if we can be some assistance to that — and because it’s Friday — than woohoo! Like every Friday, this Top 10 list features Latin songs for your mother, and my mother. Ranging from the son/daughter perspective to the mother herself, these featured artists express their love, offer an apology for their troubles, show sympathy for all their hard work, and much more. Although there are tons of worthy songs, especially from some classics like José José, Rocio Durcal, Julio Jaramillo and others, we selected songs from groups ranging from the ’90s until the present, just because. I won’t get too much into it because it’s the songs that count here. Take a listen, link your favorite mother song on the comments below, and enjoy!
Feliz día de las madrecitas!
by Pappo
[Argentina]
“Nobody dare mess with my mom” warns Pappo, the ultimate macho-man of Argentine blues-rock, in this, arguably his most famous song.
And it was probably that contrast, between the leather-jacket-wearing tough guy persona and his love for his old retired mom what turned this 1992 song into an unexpected hit and an all time classic of Argentine rock n’ roll. – JD
by Radioboxer’s Vanne Dazza
[Miami]
They claim they don’t sing covers, but when they do, it’s in undies and in the dark. Miami-based bipolar pop quartet Radioboxer and its lovely lead singer Vanne Dazza does the classic “Ode to my Family” by the Cranberries, and intensifies the track further than the original, adding some dark cello melodies over Vanne’s shivery vocals.
“Ode to my Family” is a nostalgic song, and perhaps of deception. It’s perfect for the occasion and it doesn’t leave out dad this time — the whole family is included. – IR
by Frascolate
[Argentina]
Known among hip-hoppers as the first Latin American champion of freestyle rap, Argentina’s Frescolate is usually full of ego when writing his sharp battle rhymes. But for this song, a duet with his brother Genesis, he opened up and revealed his most vulnerable side, talking about their dead mother and how much they miss her.
“The house feels empty, dad is alone and I’m staying in to keep him company” he starts rhyming on the first verse of this letter to mom in rap form. If by the end of the second verse you didn’t get all emo, you have no heart. – JD
[insert-video youtube=QR8xhootZd0]
by Malverde
[Los Angeles]
This Mexican, LA-resident rapper is known for his socially conscious rhymes and lyrical representation of other West Coast Latino immigrants. As the son of a migrant field worker and an educated Poli-Sci graduate, I’ll say it was destined for Jesus Malverde to become an alternate voice for counter-narration of real life situations like those of the streets of LA.
“Madrecita,” off La Leyenda Continua, is the autobiographical song for thousands of first/second generation Latinos in the U.S. Here, he rhymes about the hardships his mother faced as a migrant in the U.S. and the sacrifices that are made to give her children a better life. – IR
by Makiza
[Chile]
Long before becoming a mother herself, Ana Tijoux (back then still Anita) did this women-empowering song with her group Makiza. It’s not exclusively about mothers, but about women in general, and of course motherhood is an inescapable topic that gets covered in its verses.
“There’s nothing prettier than a pregnant woman,” Ana raps and then she dedicates a line to her own mother who “with dignity had to mop floors,” to make a living. In the world of hip-hop where exaggerated machismo is the prevalent attitude, songs like this made Makiza stand out and ultimately launched Ana to worldwide fame. – JD
[insert-video youtube=UI9eCWMmkCQ]
05. “La madre de los enanos”
by Calle 13
[Puerto Rico]
Shifting, just a li’l bit for this intermission, away from all those heartfelt sentiments towards the hardworking and beloved mother, we can’t forget about the lightheartedly funny “Yo momma’s so….” puns and jokes. Hey after all, this list is about songs for Yo momma.
And, once again our favorite Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 comes to the rescue with a humorous track with dope rhymes that does just precisely that, “Yo mama’s sooo fat….”
Yah, one of these counts here! – IR
[insert-video youtube=qeeOr9KcSsE]
by Andrea Echeverrí
[Colombia]
Most songs about mothers seem to be written from the perspective of their sons and daughters, this one, however is about motherhood from the point of view of a mom. And it wasn’t just this song, Andrea Echeverri‘s whole first solo album was all about her experiences as a first time mom.
Enlarged breasts, widened hips and “tunnels” opening up in the mother’s body are just some of the topics covered by this song and no other song in the history of Spanish language song-making has ever made the description of lady parts less sexually appealing to guys. – JD
[insert-video youtube=rxmgK0Zv7UM]
by Jarabe de Palo
[Spain]
Who else can pick up after our mess, give us lemon tea with honey when we’re sick, and feed us huevo rancheros when we’re hungover, despite all those times you’ve pissed her off. Who else can you count on to give you that unconditional love. You know the answer. Jarabe de Palo, the brainchild of Pau Donés, made a track for his “Mamá” off Orquesta Reciclando and it’s very endearing and sad at the same time.
I’m obviously not here to tell you what to do, but people, if your mom is still here, show her you LOVE her eternally. Yey, moms! – IR
[insert-video youtube=fb8SPQhHIvs]
by Pedro Martinez
[Cuba/NYC]
Pedro, also known as Pedrito Martínez‘ claim to fame came with the successful pan-Latin American combo Yerba Buena in the early 2000’s, but it’s the lesser known solo independent album Slave to Africa that interests us the most on this occasion because of this particular rumba he dedicated to his mother on her birthday.
“You’re the perfect mother that any man would want,” he sings over the African percussion, “if I die and I’m born again, I’d want a mother just like you.” Now that must be a proud momma. – JD
by Soda Stereo
[Argentina]
I’m just going to be completely honest. This is the ultimate song for your mother, in our humble opinion. A song that expresses much, and has the ability to get you (or me) a bit teary. Here at Remezcla, we have big hearts, y somos una bola de chillones (ok, me again).
Soda Stereo‘s mastermind Gustavo Certati is the highly praised king of rock en español, and “Zona de Promesas” (also the name of the album) is a gorgeous song. It shows you a world of promises, and then the side where you fail to keep them. But you know what, in the end, mom will always forgive. And watching this interview with Cerati’s mother has me sitting in a pool of tears. – IR
[insert-video youtube=jHyOlks5INU]
Tell us which song for your moma you like the most, if or if not on this list, below!