Alt.Latino (NPR)

We take a look at the headlines from the past week and can't help but notice Latinos and Latinos stacking up wins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Silvana Estrada to talk about vulnerability, bringing light into her shows and the lessons her parents have given her.

Show notes: You can help us improve Alt.Latino by taking some time to answer questions about the show. Please tell us what you like and how we could improve by going to npr.org/altlatinosurvey.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Argentine vocalist mixes tradition and various contemporary genres in her Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST performance.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

A score of Latin artists reimagine Elvis Costello's 1978 classic album, This Year's Model, completely in Spanish.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

With Tio Felix on vacation, our guest host illustrates the width and breadth of Latinx musical expression through Tiny Desk Contest submissions.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite albums of 2023 so far, from the modern corridos tumbados of Peso Pluma, a new, reimagined version of one of Fito Paez's greatest albums, dream pop from Y La Bamba and more. Plus: a run down of regional Mexican's current explosion.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistant is Sofia Seidel. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Wait a minute — does Alt.Latino actually agree with a lot of the Latin Recording Academy's nominations this year?

Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run through as many of the whopping 58 categories as they can in this episode dissecting the nominations for the upcoming ceremony.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Grupo Frontera, "CANSADO DE SUFRIR"
•Grupo Frontera and Yahritza y Su Esencia, "LAS FLORES"
•Grupo Frontera and Christian Nodal, "Ya Pedo Quién Sabe"
•Dayme Arocena, "A fuego lento"
•Hamilton de Holanda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, "Saudade, Saudade"
•Kali Uchis and Karol G, "Labios Mordidos"
•Karol G, "MI EX TENÍA RAZÓN"
•Latin Mafia, "Julieta"
•Kevin Aguilar, "Bonita"
•Nicolle Horbath, "Carmen"
•Nicole Horts, "Bitch3"
•Ana Frango Elétrico, "Dela"
•Angélica Olivo, Juan Pablo Contreras, and Orquesta Latino Mexicana, "La Minerva - III. Himno a la Mujer"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The San Antonio based punk band Fea is featured in a discussion about Latinas and punk.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The weather's heating up and so are the music releases. The hosts of Alt.Latino share their most quintessentially them picks, with Latin jazz across the board from Felix and indie pop-rock bops from Ana.

The two sit down to ping-pong favorite picks back and forth from different parts of the country — plus, Felix puts Ana's picks to an impromptu test.

Featured tracks:

Lara Project, "Extraños"
Julieta Eugenio, "Breath I"
Esteman, Villano Antillano, "Noches de Verano"
Rodrigo Recabarren, Pablo Menares, Yago Vazquez, "Santiago"
Elsa y Elmar, "entre las piernas"
Hurray for the Riff Raff, "Hawkmoon"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Can you hear the cha-cha-cha in The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"? Or the mambo in Ray Charles' "What'd I Say"? This week, Alt.Latino revisits a classic episode from 2019 and takes a closer look at the Cuban roots of rock and roll.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras sit down with Tiny Desk Contest winner Alisa Amador to talk about intentionality in community building, almost quitting music and finding nourishment in her art.

Correction: An earlier version of this episode incorrectly said Linda Diaz won the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest. She won in 2020.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Featuring Mon Laferte, Cuco and Juanes, Alt.Latino shares the latest songs you need to know. Follow the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras sit down with prolific producer and creator Adrian Quesada to discuss his experimental approach to border-driven sonic expression.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with the Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Eladio Carrión to discuss what drives him, learning Spanish through music and how he's changing the game of Latin rap.


Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Cher Vincent, with production support from Suraya Mohamed and Robin Hilton. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento also provided production and editorial support for this episode. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado to talk about creating the character of Farruko, developing a relationship with God and spreading a message of love.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week we balance our passion for new discoveries with reissued music from an iconic Latin American songwriter.

Featured artists and songs:

• Ezra Collective, "Body Language" (feat. Sasha Keable)

• Patti LaBelle, "Teach me Tonight (Me Gusta Tu Baile)"

• Teri Gender Bender, "SANAR"

• Kevin Kaarl, "recuérdame x siempre"

• Violeta Parra, "Cantores Que Reflexionan"

• Ben Aler, "Honest"

• Jose Luiz Martins, "Cravo e Canela"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The story of Latin America has always been reflected through music. This week, we rerun one of our most popular episodes and talk to experts to help us understand Latin Urban's pop music dominance.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The genre commonly referred to as "Chicano soul" has that "you know it if you hear it" kind of sound.

It's a bicultural interpretation of late 1950s and early '60s African American R&B ballads by Mexican American youth, influenced by the operatic style of Mexican rancheras. Broken hearts, unrequited love and loving the wrong person are often the main themes.

Real talk: it's the smooth, bilingual vocals of Malo's 1972 hit "Suavecito" expressing the thrill of a new love that is still heard at lowrider car shows or the pleas of "You're Still A Young Man' by Tower of Power, to name a few examples.

This week Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre unpack the genre and how the tradition is being reborn by a crew of young artists making it sparkle anew.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Malo, "Suavecito"
•Joe Bataan, "I Wish You Love, P1. 1"
•Tower of Power, "You're Still A Young Man"
•Thee Sacred Souls, "Can I Call You Rose?"
•The Altons, "Soon Enough"
•Thee Sinseers feat. Joey Quinones, "Seems Like"
•Mikey Jimenez, "Takin' All My Lovin'"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino intern Vita Dadoo revisits podcast episodes to feature three conversations about music from Spain and explores the musical traditions that inspired these artists as well as the impact they made in the Spanish-speaking world.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

'Alt.Latino' hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are back with six new songs that span the spectrum of Latinidad.

Featured artists and songs:

• Christian Nodal, "A Solas con la Botella"

• Las Trompas de Falopium, "JARRE"

• pablopablo, Carín León & Ralphie Choo, "Eso Que Tú Llamas Amor"

• The Mexican Standoff & Flaco Jimenez, "Tu Dirás" (feat. Los Texmaniacs)

• Amaia, "C'est La Vie"

• Angie K, "Red Dirt on Mars"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Even if you don't know Edgar Barrera's name, you know his work. The multiple Grammy-winning writer and producer has worked with dozens of the biggest names in Latin music — Bad Bunny, Maluma, Karol G, Camilo — the list goes on. But he's also one of the main forces pushing regional Mexican into the mainstream over the past few years, and turning Pan-Latin sounds into pop perfection.

This week on Alt.Latino, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre visit Barrera in his studio, as he breaks down how he makes a hit song.

Songs featured in this episode:
•Toy Selectah, "Hay Guey"
•El Cuarteto de Nos, "Enamorado tuyo"
•Grupo Frontera, Nicki Nicole, "Desquite"
•Manuel Turizo and Marshmello, "El Merengue"
•Carin León and Maluma, "Según Quién"

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre brings some exciting new sounds coming out Mexico City (while recording from Mexico City) including sweet new music from Colombian artist Elsa Y Elmar, while Felix Contreras shares new jazz-classical out of Barcelona and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Elsa y Elmar, "Palacio"
•Alih Jey, "Luz de Gas"
•Little Jesus, "Tierra Llamando A Sant"
•Lucia Fumero, "Folklore II"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

From our friends at Canción Exploder, we're sharing a conversation with Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz from the musical group Ibeyi. The twins discuss "Sangoma," the first song off their album Spell 31. This interview is in Spanish.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week we share music stories from NPR News that you should know about, featuring Cimafunk, Susana Baca and 'El Charro de Mexico' Vicente Fernandez.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Here's a little preview of six artists we're most excited to see at the virtual Latin Alternative Music Conference — most of which we've never heard before.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

In the earliest days of the show, Alt.Latino's mailbox was usually piled high with CDs of new music from both emerging and well-known artists.

Now, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre's email and social media accounts continue to open up new musical worlds at Alt.Latino and — in turn — all of you. The show starts 2024 with some great tracks from names you may know and a couple of bands that Felix and Ana think deserve wider recognition.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Suraya Mohamed. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras sit down with Spanish artist Omar Montes to talk about why he'll never lose his flamenco influences, expressing the oppression of his Romani ancestors in his music and why the rhythms of reggaeton and flamenco aren't so different. This interview is in Spanish. Please find an English version of the conversation on our website.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was mixed by Janice Llamoca, with help from Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Natalia Fidelholtz. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Isabel Allende (The Soul of a Woman) and Sandra Cisneros (Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo) tell Alt.Latino about the role of women in Latino cultures, and why you kill off the handsome male character by page 112.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

In what's become an annual Día de los Muertos tradition, we play music and personal dedications honoring the departed.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Earlier this year, Peso Pluma — a 24-year-old who grew up in between Guadalajara, Jalisco, and San Antonio — became the first regional Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Something in the music industry was changing. Streaming numbers for regional Mexican shot up astronomically, as the musical stylings of banda and norteño made their way onto the Coachella main stage and burgeoning stars like Peso Pluma began to book their first U.S. tours in major markets. But what accounted for regional Mexican's rise? And what does the genre's continued popularity say about not just changing trends in the Latin music industry, but the changing shape of America?

For the next three episodes of Alt.Latino, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras dive into the regional Mexican explosion, revealing the complex relationships both Mexicans and Mexican Americans have with identity from either side of the border. In this first episode, Felix and Anamaria travel to Nashville, Tenn., to witness Peso Pluma's performance and to try to understand the root of the phenomenon, through their own personal experiences and the people they meet along the way.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Janice Llamoca and Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Shelby Hawkins, Suraya Mohamed, Natalia Fidelholtz and Lauren Migaki. The editor for this episode is Jacob Ganz and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Two new compilations capture moments long lost to time using archival recordings from the 1960s and 70s.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre may be traveling in Spain, but that doesn't mean they don't stop finding exciting new music to share. On this episode, they bring "folk pirano" from Damaris Bojor, laidback bedroom pop from Chicocurlyhead, the latest from Becky G and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•El León Pardo, "La Perica"
•Laura Itandehui, "La Distancia"
•Haydée Milanés, "Requiem Para Un Amor"
•Chicocurlyhead, "WASTED WEEKEND"
•Damaris Bojor, "No es normal"
•Becky G, "OJALÁ"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre sits down with Fabi Reyna of Reyna Tropical to talk about the process of trusting yourself, how music saved her life and moving forward after losing her creative collaborator Sumohair.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Revisiting a program from 2014 that offers an overview of Afro-Latino culture and history.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

As the chill remains in the air for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and the heat of summer warms up the South, we take time to listen to new music from both parts of the world.

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre round up their favorite new music, including Southern Cone rock and cumbia, atmospheric vocals from the U.S. and even some delicate yet emotionally powerful music from the Catalan region of Spain.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Cuban experience is synonymous with Cuban music. This week, we take a look at the uprising in Cuba and the island's history with protest music.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre sits down with Spanish superstar Rosalía, who just earned eight Latin Grammy nominations, to talk about her musical inspirations, divine sensuality and constant pull to transform.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are in Spain this week for a music conference, so they soaked up the local sounds.

Featured Songs:
- Mayte Martín, "El Breve Espacio Que No Está"
- Rels B and Lia Kali, "La Vida Sin Ti"
- Judeline, "INRI"
- Buika, "La Niña De Fuego"

Listen to the playlist at https://npr.org/altlatino.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Over the past month thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest the disputed election of president Nicolás Maduro, while Venezuelan artists like Danny Ocean use music to reflect on this political moment. But Ocean's work is just one data point in a long history of music from Venezuela that embodies the political opinions and emotions of those within the country and the diaspora.

On this week's episode, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are joined by producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to walk through crucial moments in Venezuela's political history over the last 30 years, and the music that soundtracked it.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Yordano, "Por estas calles"
•Carlos Baute, "Yo me quedo en Venezuela"
•Canserbero, "Es Épico"
•Danny Ocean, "Me Rehúso"
•Apache, "Rompiendo el Hielo"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney, with editorial support from Hazel Cills, Zach Thompson, Tony Cavin and Didi Schanche. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Natalia Lafourcade to talk about interpreting old songs, taking things slow and releasing her first album of original material in seven years.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

It's been a while, so the digital mail bag of new music has been piling up. Hear new music from Bomba Estéreo, Magos Herrera, Diamante Eléctrico and more!

Songs featured on this episode:
• Gustavo Cortiñas and Desafío Candente (feat. Xavier Quijas Yxayotl), "Abya Yala"
• Salt Cathedral (feat. Ximena Sariñana), "Te Quiero Olvidar"
• Magos Herrera, "La Creación de las Aves"
• Bomba Estéreo, "Agua"
• Nancy Sanchez, "Hasta Que Todos Estemos A Salvo"
• Ani Cordero, "Es Amor"
• Jessica Medina, "Hope/Esperanza"
• Natalia Clavier, "Brillar"
• Jarana Beat, "Aquel Pasado"
• Diamante Eléctrico , "Suéltame, Bogotá"

Follow our latest faves: npr.org/altlatinoplaylist

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Across her evolving discography, which includes everything from R&B ballads to danceable electronic beats, Girl Ultra has solidified her approach to deep, dark songs of love and heartbreak. In this episode, Anamaria Sayre sits down with the up-and-coming Mexico City singer to talk lost loves, why the city is "haunted" and how she copes with a nostalgic heart.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

To celebrate a new documentary about her life and career, we revisit our 2018 conversation with none other than Rita Moreno.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Carlos Santana to talk about nurturing his spirit, growing as an artist and 50 years of Caravanserai, an iconic album he co-produced with drummer Michael Shrieve.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

On Sunday, Bad Bunny released his sixth studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, and people are saying it's his most "Puerto Rican" record yet. The global pop star has clearly come home to his roots in a meaningful way and given the political situation on the island, releasing an album so proudly Puerto Rican is a major act of resistance. Anamaria Sayre, Felix Contreras and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento break down what exactly makes the record so Puerto Rican and why its Bad Bunny's most reflective, ambitious and ingenious era yet.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Bad Bunny, "EL CLúB"
•Bad Bunny, "NUEVAYoL"
•Bad Bunny, "BAILE INoLVIDABLE"
•Bad Bunny, "LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii"
•Bad Bunny, "TURiSTA"
•Bad Bunny, "CAFé CON RON"
•Los Pleneros de la Cresta, "Resistencia"
•Bad Bunny, "PIToRRO DE COCO"
•Ecos de Borinquen, "El Alma de Puerto Rico (The Soul of Puerto Rico)"
•Bad Bunny, "WELTiTA"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills and Jacob Ganz. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino intern Cat Sposato takes over the show to feature more stories for Women's History Month.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado to talk about creating the character of Farruko, developing a relationship with God and spreading a message of love. This episode is in Spanish, please find an English translation of the conversation at NPR.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras play some of their favorite new songs from the last few months, featuring globe-spanning electronica from Colombian producer Sinego, border-crossing new music from La Doña, nuanced salsa from Spanish Harlem Orchestra and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Adrian Quesada, "Dos Manos"
•Nancy Sanchez, "You Are"
•Sinego, "Quema"
•Sinego, Pahua, "Sol"
•Spanish Harlem Orchestra, "Llegó El Caballero (feat. Gilberto Santa Rosa)"
•La Doña, "Corrales"
•La Doña, "Corrido Para Palestina"
•Andres Levin (feat. Pedrito Martinez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yissy García & Yerba Buena), "Manteca 2.0 (An homage to Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie & Cayo Hueso)"
•Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller, "Manteca"
•Nico Sorin, Proyecto Gomez Casa, Lucy Patané, "Karma Dron"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney, with editorial support from Hazel Cills and Otis Hart. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite music from the last few months, including new work from the prolific Eduardo Cabra, surprisingly straight-ahead regional from Santa Fe Klan and a premiere of a new song from Elsa y Elmar.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Ben Lapidus, scholar and Grammy-nominated musician, explains New York's central role in developing Latin music across the U.S. and Latin America.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Vocalist Ana Tijoux has been a frequent guest on Alt.Latino. That's because ever since her US debut, 1977, was released in 2010, Tijoux had been at the forefront of Latin music that celebrates creative innovation, themes of social justice and fierce independence.
In this week's episode the Chilean musician talks to Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre about why that spirit of innovation has been more or less silent for the last 10 years, and how her new album, Vida, is not only a chance to catch up, but also a deeply moving look back.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Suraya Mohamed and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre speaks with YEИDRY, the Dominican-born, Italian-raised singer about using music as a tool to marry her two worlds.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistant is Sofia Seidel. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Alt.Latino team discusses the best Latin music singles of 2021.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre round up their favorite new tracks, including heartbroken music from Omar Apollo, a mix of jazz and Afro-Puerto Rican sounds from Papo Vazquez and a controversial new merengue electrónico track from Karol G.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Omar Apollo, "Empty"
•Los Cenzontles, "Different Drum"
•Mabe Fratti, "Oidos" and "Intento fallido"
•Karol G, "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido"
•Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Hamilton de Holanda, "Mandalagh"
•Papo Vazquez and Mighty Pirates Troubadours, "Plena Pa'Los Apache"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino is usually all about sharing new music across Latin America, but what about the older cuts Ana and Felix are obsessed with?

On this episode, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras share the music they've been playing on repeat, from beloved classics by greats like Ella Fitzgerald to surprising new discoveries out of Mexico like Paloma Morphy.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Paloma Morphy, "me faltas tú"
•George Shearing Quintet, "Juana Palangana"
•Carin León and Bolela, "Aviso importante"
•Chick Corea Trio, "Spain"
•Alex Ferreira, "Un Cariñito"
•Alex Ferreira, "Un Cariñito (Versión Acústica)"
•Ella Fitzgerald, "Angel Eyes"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week we present stories of the pandemic from NPR, StoryCorps and the University of Texas to remember a year of loss and hope.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

An eclectic round-up of all the current happenings across the Latin Music world. Listen to conversations with Juanes, José González, Yosmel Montejo, as well as a run-down of the Latin Grammy nominations drama. This kind of chisme you don't want to miss.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We're taking a step back to do a survey of what's happening across the community. We'll introduce you to an artist that maybe you don't know, hang out with some Cuban drummers, meet high school teachers on the hunt for vaccines, and give a sneak peek of next week's show.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite music from the last few months, kicking things off with a surprising collab from Bad Bunny and regional Mexican group Grupo Frontera. Plus, new music from Becky G, Gaby Moreno, Esteman and more.

This episode of 'Alt.Latino' was produced by Robin Hilton. Our editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistants are Jerusalem Truth and Sofia Seidel and our intern is Pilar Galván. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre continue their discussion on the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys and the industry's changes, featuring insight from Nathy Peluso, Rauw Alejandro and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Fuerza Regida, "TQM"
•Fuerza Regida, "Que onda"
•Fuerza Regida "HARLEY QUINN"
•Latin Mafia, "y como te digo que"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Tino Contreras talks about his upcoming show at the former home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the famous Casa Azul in Mexico City. This interview was conducted en español.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Celebrate Black History Month with two interviews from the Alt.Latino archive with Puerto Rican rapper Tego Calderon and Dominican vocalist Amara La Negra.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week we go back to the era of "Despacito" to discuss the impact of reggaeton on women and reggaetonera pioneer Ivy Queen.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

To celebrate The Latino Experience film series from PBS, we chat with Latinx indie filmmakers to discuss the state of the industry, and why independent films are powerful for accurate representation.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Chick Corea's music has been such a big part of our lives. Arturo O'Farrill, Sofía Rei, Haydée Milanés, Rubén Blades and many others share what his music meant to them.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week, Felix and Anamaria sit down with Shereen Marisol Meraji of the NPR Code Switch podcast to find out what exactly connects all the artists under the 'Latin music' category.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We dive back in time to understand the roles women have occupied in Latin music, and look forward at the artists blazing new trails — pushing progress for both female instrumentalism and the entirety of Latin music.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Whether you're from Ushuaia or East Los Angeles, you've likely heard cumbia blaring from a stereo. This week, Alt.Latino revisits a classic episode from 2015 and takes a closer look at the musical backbone of the Americas.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We take a break from the music for a Latinx perspective on the events that took place at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre run through their favorite new music, including new work from Venezuelan artist Danny Ocean in the midst of the country's political crisis, Girl Ultra leaning into her techno side, funky, electro-cumbia from Superfónicos and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Superfónicos, "Renaceré"
•Girl Ultra, "lalala"
•Fuerza Regida, "TUQLO"
•Danny Ocean, "por la pequeña Venecia"
•Lisa Morales, "Hermanitas in the Rain"
•Jazz Orishas, "Deniye"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

From our friends at Radio Ambulante, today we're sharing a thought provoking episode from their latest season. Puerto Rican Patricia Velasquez has spent her whole life listening to reggaeton. It's part of her identity. But when she was questioned about the content of the songs, she began an investigation that would lead her to create something completely new about the musical genre. This episode is in Spanish.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Recently Ana and Felix traveled to NPR member station KQED in San Francisco to meet Alt.Latino listeners and interview the musician Marinero, who has deep musical and familial roots in the Bay Area. This week's show is a recording of that live interview, full of great music as well as lots of laughs.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

While coming up with the concept for her new album Mañana Será Bonito, Colombian superstar Karol G had an epiphany that would change her life: what if she was just more herself? Anamaria Sayre sits down with global superstar Karol G to chat her latest evolution.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Robin Hilton. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistant is Sofia Seidel. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Cuban drummer and Guatemalan film composer offer deeper understandings of the creative process and how cultural influences shape their creative output.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Colombian singer Maluma has a lot to be excited about these days — a world tour, a new album and a shot at exploring a different part of his humanity: being a parent.

The artist has often felt a sense of responsibility: to support up and coming artists he seeks out on social media and to showcase a more joyful, loving side of Colombia to the world. And, now, responsibility is about to take on a whole new meaning.

Following a tear-filled performance at the Tiny Desk, the artist sat down with Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre to talk about what it means now to have two loves of his life.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Is it really a good idea to take a vacation with your coworkers? If you're part of the Alt.Latino team, it is.
Last month Alt.Latino co-host Anamaria Sayre decided to join Felix Contreras on a planned trip to attend the 39th annual Havana Jazz Festival, an international event that attracts fans of both Cuban music and jazz from around the world. Spread out among several historic venues around the Cuban capital city, the team spent eight days taking in the sights and sounds of one of the oldest cities in Latin America. Hours before they returned home, Felix and Ana recorded this episode reflecting on everything they heard and the legacy of Cuba's musical diversity.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre play a few of their favorite new tracks, some from Alt.Latino standbys and some exciting new discoveries, too. Also, we hear from an Alt.Latino listener about a Dominican song that moves her.

Songs featured in this episode:

• Twanguero, "Rumba #2"
• Twanguero, "La Leyenda de Cañaveral"
• Rosalía, "Omega (feat. Ralphie Choo)"
• Wyatt Flores, "Oh Susannah"
• pablopablo, Helado Negro, "Lejos De Más"
• Troker, "El Novio (Versión Mariachi)"
• Los Sufridos, Bad Gyal, "Duro de Verdad pt. 2"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras sits down with percussion icon Sheila Escovedo, aka Sheila E., to talk about the influence of the Bay Area on her music, holding her own in the face of music industry sexism and why drumming is a language of its own.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistant is Sofia Seidel. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

From our friends at WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios, today we're sharing an episode from the latest season of the podcast La Brega — which traces the history of Puerto Rican music across eight transformative songs.

In this special bonus episode of the show, La Brega goes behind the music with the artists featured on La Brega: El Álbum — including RaiNao, Xenia Rubinos, ÌFÉ and Ana Macho.

La Brega: El Álbum is sponsored by Marguerite Casey Foundation. This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Our digital mail bag overflows with great new music to head into the last part of 2021.

Songs heard on this episode:

• Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, "Dreaming in Lions"
• Meridian Brothers and Conjunto Media Luna, "La Secta"
• Dos Santos, "A Shot in the Dark"
• ÌFÉ, "Fake Blood"
• Cimafunk (Feat. George Clinton), "Funk Aspirin"
• Helado Negro, "Outside the Outside"
• Alejandro Escovedo, "La Cruzada"
• Orquesta Akokán, "El Inflador"
• Liniker, "Clau"

All these tracks can be found in Alt.Latino's weekly playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre sits down with the experimental, Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti to discuss the admiration she's developed for imperfection, finding a musical community in Mexico City and how religion sparked a personal rebellion.

Audio for this episode of 'Alt.Latino' was edited and mixed by Robin Hilton. Our show editor is Hazel Cills and our project manager is Grace Chung. Our production assistant is Sofia Seidel. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre sits down with Rolling Stone's Julyssa Lopez and NPR Music contributor Stefanie Fernández to talk about (some of) their favorite albums of the year.

Show notes: You can help us improve Alt.Latino by taking some time to answer questions about the show. Please tell us what you like and how we could improve by going to npr.org/altlatinosurvey.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre sits down with Mexican pop icon Julieta Venegas to discuss her role as a trailblazing female vocalist and mom to a daughter with impeccably cool music taste.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

You know all those tubas and brass instruments you hear behind your favorite regional Mexican hits? That's banda sinaloense and this week Alt.Latino wraps up the Regional Goes Global series with a visit to Sinaloa, Mexico, the birthplace of the genre.

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras visit the picturesque town Mocorito, a pueblo magico where tradition and pride in the musical heritage runs deep. That's the case even among members of the drug cartels, which are responsible for some of the country's societal ills. It's a complex story as passionate and heartfelt as the music that stretches from the hills of Sinaloa to this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Lilly Quiroz, Suraya Mohamed, Josephine Nyounai and Natalia Fidelholtz. The editor for this episode is Jacob Ganz, and our project manager is Grace Chung. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The Latin Grammys recently marked its 25th anniversary. Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre was in Miami to talk to some of Latin music's most influential artists to understand some of the trends that are shaping Latin music today, shared over two episodes.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Juanes, "Fíjate Bien"
•Juanes, "Vida Cotidiana"
•Álvaro Díaz, "Quien Te Quiere"
•Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera "Bebé Dame"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We celebrate Women's History Month with three complex yet stylistically distinct Latina musicians: Ana Tijoux, Li Saumet and Lila Downs.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

What better way to end the summer than with friends, a little vino, music and former Alt.Latino co-host Jasmine Garsd?

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We bring you three stories from the U.S.-Mexico border: an unlikely music festival, musician/activist La Muna, and a bullfighting training center in Texas.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

For another edition from our archives, we go back to interviews with vocalists Daymé Arocena and iLe much earlier in their careers.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Puerto Rico is an island full of sonic diversity. We take you across time, genre and musical boundaries through interviews with pop star Rauw Alejandro, vocalist Sebastian .Otero and punk rocker AJ Davila.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week, Alt.Latino takes a look at how the original 1961 West Side Story impacted Puerto Ricans growing up in New York.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

We sat down with the director of Selena, an author, a college professor and the creator of the wildly popular Anything for Selena podcast to talk Selena's legacy. Touching on topics from maintaining her Tejano roots to what they imagine would have been her Latin Trap collab with Bad Bunny, these experts had us feeling all kinds of Selena energy and love in the room.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

After an extended hiatus, Alt.Latino returns with longtime host Felix Contreras and new co-host Anamaria Sayre. On this reintroduction to the program, the two talk about how the landscape of Latin music and culture has changed since Alt.Latino started more than a decade ago, and what it means for the show going forward.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras sit down with Cimafunk to talk about how he's created his singular sound, the complex African lineage of his music and why his band is his "tribe."

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino intern Vita Dadoo parses through the podcast archive to feature two conversations on the musical styles referred to as "Regional Mexican," its history, and its rising popularity among audiences in the U.S., Mexico and beyond.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Two stories of determination, innovation and strength from different sides of the Latinx community: a father-son pair separated at the border and a musician from Cuba using blockchain tech to bring attention and support to underrepresented artists.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

To celebrate the release of a new book from NPR Music, How Women Made Music, as well as the 50th anniversary this year of the album Celia & Johnny, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre walk through their favorite songs by the legendary Celia Cruz, alongside the artist's niece Linda Pritchett.

Songs featured in this episode:

• Celia Cruz, "Bemba Colorá"
• Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, "Yiri Yiri Bon"
• Celia Cruz, "La Negra Tiene Tumbao"
• Celia Cruz, "Quimbara"
• Celia Cruz, "Cuando Salí de Cuba"
• Celia Cruz, "La vida es un carnaval"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez to talk about their musical legacy, sad songs and creating strong familial bonds through music.

Show notes: You can help us improve Alt.Latino by taking some time to answer questions about the show. Please tell us what you like and how we could improve by going to npr.org/altlatinosurvey.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Fans from around the world speak of Omar Sosa's gigs as spiritual experiences — the silence is just as important as the notes. The pianist's new album features field recordings of traditional musicians and instruments from East Africa.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This week on Alt.Latino, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras talk about an exciting new album from Manu Chao on the way — his first in 17 years — and their favorite recent songs from artists like the Dominican indie rock band Solo Fernández, ethereal pop from Tiny Desk Contest Winner Linda Diaz and more.

Ana and Felix are starting something new this week. Felix always says it, but it's not a Mexican party until someone cries. So every episode starting today, they'll talk to a listener about a song that moves them to tears.
And they want to know, what song moves you to tears? Email alt.latino@npr.org for a chance to be featured on the show.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Janeiro feat. André Viamonte, "LEGO"
•Manu Chao, "São Paulo Motoboy"
•Solo Fernández, "TELESCOPIO"
•Solo Fernández, "BROOKLYN"
•Solo Fernández, "TÚ NUNCA DEJARÁS DE SER POESÍA"
•Linda Diaz feat. Solomon Fox, "Watching Ourselves Die"
•Julieta Rada, "Baile del Candombe"
•Amaia Miranda, "Mientras vivas brilla"
•Nick Drake, "Pink Moon"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy