2006 in Latin music

This is a list of notable events in Latin music (i.e. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking music from Latin America, Latin Europe, and the United States) that took place in 2006.

• November 3 — The 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.^[1]
  • Shakira is the biggest winner receiving four awards including Album of the Year for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "La Tortura" featuring Alejandro Sanz.
  • Calle 13 wins Best New Artist.
• December 16 — At the first Premios Principales del Año (later known as Premios 40 Principales and currently Los 40 Music Awards) awards ceremony in Madrid, El Canto del Loco win three of the national categories; Shakira wins two awards in international categories.^[2]

• List of number-one singles of 2006 (Spain)
• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2006
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Songs of 2006

• 2006 Premio Lo Nuestro
• 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards
• 2006 Latin Grammy Awards
• 2006 Tejano Music Awards

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling Latin albums in the United States in 2006, according to Billboard.^[3]

The following is a list of the top 10 best-performing Latin songs in the United States in 2006, according to Billboard.^[4]

• February 1 – Horacio Buscaglia, 62, Uruguayan singer and composer^[5]
• February 17 – Ray Barretto, 76, American-born Latin jazz percussionist and bandleader, heart failure.^[6]
• March 23 – Pío Leyva, 88, Cuban musician (Buena Vista Social Club), heart attack.^[7]
• March 25 – Rocío Dúrcal, 61, Spanish singer and actress, uterine cancer.^[8]
• May 10 – Soraya, 37, Colombian-American songwriter, guitarist, arranger, record producer, and singer, breast cancer.^[9]
• June 1 – Rocío Jurado, 61, Spanish singer and actress, pancreatic cancer.^[10]
• June 6 – Hilton Ruiz, 54, American jazz pianist, injuries from a fall.^[11]
• July 1 – Israel Kantor, 56, Cuban singer^[12]
• July 11 – Oscar Moro, 58, Argentine drummer^[13]
• July 13 – Jesús Caunedo "La Gruya", Cuban alto sax musician^[14]
• August 6:
  • Miguel "Angá" Díaz, 45, Cuban conga player, heart attack.^[15]
  • Moacir Santos, 80, Brazilian composer and arranger.^[16][17]

• October 14 – Freddy Fender, 69, American singer ("Before the Next Teardrop Falls"), lung cancer.^[18]
• November 6 – Miguel Aceves Mejía, 90, Mexican singer and actor known as "the king of the falsetto", bronchitis.^[19]
• November 25 – Valentín Elizalde, 27, Mexican banda singer, shot.^[20]
• November 26 – Raúl Velasco, 73, Mexican television presenter (Siempre en Domingo), hepatitis C.^[21]
• December 14 – Sivuca, 76, Brazilian accordionist and composer, cancer.^[22][23]