‘Idol’ Kicks Off With More Latino Talent

If you look closely at the past 11 seasons of "American Idol," you’ll see quite a lot of notable Latinos in the mix. There have been Hispanic champs, Spanish-speaking runners-up, and a superstar judge who can be identifiedby three simple letters: J to tha L-O (thank you very much). And this year, the Espanol presence should be strong again, especially after seeing the auditionsof Tenna Torres and Lazaro Arbos.

Torres wowed the season 12 judges Wednesday night, even bringing Mariah Carey (who’s also part-Latina) to tears. Tenna easily won a trip to Hollywood after showing her vocal skills with the classic Carole King tune,“You’ve Got A Friend.” And on Thursday, Lazaro won over America's heart with an impassioned performance of the classic, "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Arbos, who's a Cuban immigrant, overcame incredible obstacles to make it to the "Idol" audition including a lifelong stutter. His appearance set the web on fire Friday morning, drawing attention away from the on-air feud between Mariah and Nicki Minaj.

And seeing how this was just the first week, we’re sure that there will be plenty of more talented Latinos to come (especially when the judges visit California and Florida). In the meantime though, let’s not forget our Hispanic faves from years’ past.

As you may recall, 2012 gave us half-Mexican Jessica Sanchez, who rose all the way to second place during the competition.Since her moment in the limelight, Sanchez has toured the country and even booked a regular role on "Glee." But what we’re most excited about is her first full-length album, which should arrive later this spring.

Scotty McCreery made headlines back in 2011 as the firstever part-Latino "Idol" champ. Proudly flaunting his Puerto Rican heritage, this country crooner has already scored a #1 album with his hit, “Clear As Day.” Scotty has also toured with Brad Paisley and appeared in his own Christmas special.

Back in 2007, "Idol" fans couldn’t get enough of David Archuleta. The part-Honduran pop protégé was just 16-years-old when he made the "Idol" top two. And interestingly enough, his season introduced the world to another Latino heartthrob, David Hernandez. But “Archie” was the one who won America over and he still continues to grab headlines for his music and charitable work.

And how can we list off "Idol" Latinos without mentioning the one-and-only JLo? Though she only judged the show for two seasons, Jennifer left a major mark and even debuted a few hot singles during her tenure (including “On The Floor” with Pitbull). Though she departed last year, we’re still keeping our fingers crossed that she drops by for a season 12 cameo.

Who is your favorite "Idol" Latino?