Alt.Latino

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show was many things: a time-traveling journey through the history of Puerto Rico, a statement of pan-American unity, and a masterpiece of cultural expression. This week, co-hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are joined by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento — who brings on-the-ground reporting from San Juan — to unpack the symbolism embedded in Bad Bunny's performance.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last Sunday, Bad Bunny's 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS' became the first exclusively Spanish language album to win album of the year at the Grammys. This coming Sunday, the Puerto Rican megastar will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. For this week's episode, Anamaria Sayre and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento chat about what these two moments mean for Bad Bunny, the island of Puerto Rico, and the role of Latin music in America more broadly.This podcast was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This month we’ve been looking at the music of Venezuela from a lot of different angles. For this episode, we’ve invited trumpet player and producer Ella Bric to be our guest DJ. She shared what she thinks are the most socially, culturally and politically impactful pieces of music to come out of Venezuela in the last half century.Ella Bric grew up in a migrant-rich town in Venezuela called San Antonio de los Altos, surrounded by a culturally-minded, socially conscious community. She’s now based in New York, and in recent years has positioned herself as a prolific producer on the rise in the Latin music space. In 2018, she won a Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year, and she says her art comes from a curiosity about the state of the world and her desire to reflect that.(00:00) Introduction(01:46) La Vida Bohème, 'Hornos del Cal'(06:41) Betsayda Machado & Parranda el Clavo, 'Sentimiento'(11:35) María Rodríguez, 'Los Dos Titanes'(15:11) Ali Primera, 'Techos de Cartón'(19:52) Linda Briceño & Orlando Watson, 'Unfinished Song'(24:38) Desorden Público, 'Politicos Paraliticos'(27:36) Bucle Lunar, 'Subió El Maldito Dolar'This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sometimes life imitates art - or at least the two can seem eerily connected. On Jan. 1, the Venezuelan band Rawayana released a new album, '¿Dónde Es El After?,' which began with a lyric that many interpreted as a wish for their country's leadership to be gone. A few days later, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power and seized by American forces. For this week's episode, we chat with Fofo Story and Beto Montenegro of Rawayana to hear how the album came together, where its sonic influences lie, and how they're reflecting on the seismic changes underway in their home country.(00:00) Intro(01:54) How they decided to open the album(06:26) On the song 'Qué Rico PR!'(09:36) Caribbean influences growing up(13:41) Childhood love for merenhouse(16:13) Adapting tonada folk music(21:58) Reflections on Venezuela in this momentThis podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Over the weekend, we lost a musician who shaped the lives of countless people: the late, great Bob Weir. He was a founding member of the Grateful Dead who played guitar, wrote and sang in the band for 30 years. After Jerry Garcia died and the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir kept the spirit of the music alive for three more decades, creating new Deadheads for generations to come — he brought John Mayer, Billy Strings and even the National Symphony Orchestra into the Grateful Dead universe. The Deadhead slogan proved to be true: Weir everywhere.At Alt.Latino, we’re big fans of Bob Weir and his immensely cosmic musical legacy. Over the years, we’ve learned that many Latin musicians are also, metaphorically speaking, on the bus. Today on the show, we celebrate Bob Weir’s life by hearing some of his past interviews on NPR, exploring the Grateful Dead’s influence on artists like Devendra Banhart, and of course, revisiting his magnetic Tiny Desk concert from 2019. We’re incredibly grateful that Bobby came down to this world for a little while to tell us his stories – we hope to see him in the next one. (00:00) Intro(01:38) Bob Weir's early life and Grateful Dead career(08:05) Grateful Dead at the National Symphony Orchestra(14:30) Felix and Isa reflect on 'American Beauty'(20:35) Grateful Dead's impact on Latin musicians(26:33) Bob Weir at the Tiny DeskThis podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Venezuela has a deep tradition of reflecting political change through music. This week, as the country reels from the seizure of its president by American forces, we explore the recent history of Venezuelan protest music, and from the Nineties right up until the present. First, we share an excerpt of an episode we made at another moment of political turmoil in Venezuela, in the summer of 2024. Then, we'll walk up to the present and see how some musicians across Latin America are responding to this moment. And a big thanks to NPR Music's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento for being our guide.(00:00) Intro(02:06) A history of Venezuelan protest music(13:39) Social and economic changes under Nicolas Maduro(14:53) Venezuelan protest music in recent years(22:21) How artists across Latin America are respondingThis podcast was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The sheer volume and variety of Spanish-language music released every year is breathtaking. Even those of us with our ears to the ground are bound to miss things. So, in this episode we travel back through the year to resurface some of the remarkable albums that somehow didn't make it on the show. Catch Afro-Caribbean jazz, a history-spanning classical strings project, the return of Juana Molina and much, much more.Artists and albums featured in this episode:- Alex Cuba, 'Índole'- Enyel C, 'Nuevo Caribe'- Berta Rojas, 'La Huella de las Cuerdas'- Cazzu, 'Latinaje'- Conrad Herwig, Eddie Palmieri and Luques Curtis, 'Reflections-Facing South'- Juana Molina, 'DOGA'This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Reflect on a groundbreaking year in Latin music as hosts cover Bad Bunny's impactful DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and its celebration of Puerto Rican roots. Rosalía's genre-defying LUX sparks discussion on its expansive reach, while Queralt Lahoz reinvents flamenco. Roxana Amed brings jazz to Argentine rock, and Mon Laferte showcases vintage vibes in Femme Fatale. The conversation wraps up with Lido Pimienta's orchestral La Belleza and reflections on 2025 as a historic moment for Latinx music lovers.

Explore the vibrant sounds of December with a mix of emerging albums celebrating the year in music. Discover the evolving textures of Diles Que No Me Matan's re-recorded track and the ambient magic of Diana Lopez's 'Sun Frequencies.' Delve into Umbe's emotional pop journey and Rene Lopez's fusion of Latin rhythms and Americana. Groove to Duplat's 70s-inspired funk and celebrate Ruben Ramos's Tejano legacy. Plus, dive into the community spirit of Texas music and the nuances between Tejano and regional Mexican genres.

The annual Latin Grammy awards are always full of glamour and glitz. But they're also an ideal time to take the pulse of the industry - which is exactly what Anamaria Sayre did this year, perusing the red carpet to talk with the most exciting names in Latin music. In this episode, Ana brings Felix her report from Las Vegas, where Bad Bunny won Album of the Year, the independent Brazilian music scene made a splash, and the whole industry seemed to be saying: "Show us where you're from."This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy