NPR

Alt.Latino

Music EN ↓ 150 episodes

The global Latinx community is evolving and growing fast. Alt. Latino is here to celebrate it and all of its nuances through music. Each episode, NPR Music's Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with a different living legend or rising star to discuss Latinx culture, heritage, and the shared borders of our experiences. Let the chisme begin! Support NPR and get your music exploration sponsor-free with Alt. Latino+. Learn more at plus.npr.org/nprmusic

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NPR

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Music

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Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Vintage cumbia, Ecuadorian folk, guitar jamming and Mexican rap 02.07.2025

Our selections this week feature a crate diggers' delight from Colombia and the sound of modern rap in Mexico. Featured artists and songs: • Óscar Agudelo y El Combo Moderna, "Está Como Mango" • Isabella Lovestory, "Fresa Metal," "Eurotrash," "Tu Te Vas" • Grecia Albán, "YO POR TI" • Vicente García, "Mambo Violento," "El Huracán," "Abusadora" • BALTHVS, "Flesh and Soul" • Gera MX, "Ciclo Vital," "...

Karol G goes Pan-Latin, Argentine rock reimagined, Mexico now and then 25.06.2025

Karol G leans into a Pan-Latin approach on her latest album. Jazz vocalist Roxana Amed reimagines classic rock from her native Argentina. And more. Artists and songs featured in this episode: • Panteón Rococó, "Parison" (featuring Carín León, Sabino & Remmy Valenzuela) • Juan Wauters, "Manejando por Pando" • Roxana Amed, "Dejaste Tu Corazon" • Fito Páez and Luis Alberto Spinetta, "Dejaste Ver Tu C...

Best music of the year (so far) 18.06.2025

A look at some of the most intriguing music released during the first six months of the year. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

New Tracks: Bruce Springsteen (yes, that Bruce Springsteen), pablopablo and more 11.06.2025

This week Anamaria Sayre continues to scour her part of the internet for great new tracks that will impress Felix Contreras, while he continues to explore Latinos who sing country music. Featured artists and songs: • Alleh & Yorghaki, "me late" • Alleh & Yorghaki, "capaz (merengueton)" • Louie TheSinger, "Quicker Way To Jesus" • pablopablo, "Dónde Estás!" • Bruce Springsteen, "Adelita" • Bruce Spr...

Accordions: From Eastern Europe to Latin America, with love! 04.06.2025

The influence of Eastern Europe immigration in Latin America can be heard in the way the accordion was adapted and adopted in countries like Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and beyond. This week we take a deep dive into those traditions with our guide, Eduardo Díaz, former director of Latino cultural information for the Smithsonian Institution. Featured artists and songs: • Narcis...

The Latin bands of the Tiny Desk Contest 29.05.2025

Alt. Latino host Felix Contreras was a Tiny Desk Contest judge this year, and on this episode, he brings six of his favorite entries to the show. Artists and songs featured: • Esotérica Tropica, "Despierta" • Mario Diaz, Bachi and Los Salvajes, "Ropa de Colores" • alegrías, "Daygo" • Charly Siaba, "Lejos de Aquí" • Los Pleneros de la Cresta, "Rayo del Sol" • Taisha Estrada, "El Abstracto" Credits...

Musical lessons for living in the moment and meat-inspired band names 21.05.2025

This week's mixture of jazz, trance-inducing beats, Mexican folk and gorgeous indie pop has something for everyone. Featured artists and songs: Paloma Morphy, "1 tipo nuevo" Camila Meza, "Persistir" Rusowsky, "Malibu" Ines Velasco, "Todo Es Para Decir" Pachyman, "Hard to Part" Las Chorizeras, "Blue Eyed Man" Audio for this episode of Alt. Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Our project m...

Guitarricadelafuente and Lido Pimienta return with stunning albums 14.05.2025

Co-host Anamaria Sayre finally gets to share the new Guitarricadelafuente album with the world, and catch the NPR audience on the viral sensation Macario Martínez. Felix Contreras spotlights Lido Pimienta's symphonic pivot. Featured artists and songs: • Guitarricadelafuente, "BABIECA!" • Haydée Milanés, "Un amor que se demora" • Macario Martínez, "Sueña Lindo, Corazón" • Macario Martínez, "Otra Ve...

Music from South America, Spain and ... Mars? 07.05.2025

The music this week comes from a variety of countries and genres, some of it sounds like music you've heard ... while others sound like nothing you've heard before. Featured artists and songs: • Natalia Bernal, "Más Allá" • Jaze, "mil procedimientos" • Jaze & Susana Baca, "jomalón" • Jaze, "boomeran'" • The Mars Volta, "Fin" • The Mars Volta, "Enlazan las tinieblas" • The Mars Volta, "Alba del ora...

Rapper PJ Sin Suela on Puerto Rican hip-hop and more 01.05.2025

Anamaria Sayre talks about the history of Puerto Rican hip-hop with rapper PJ Sin Suela. Featured artists and songs: • PJ Sin Suela & Chuwi, "Escúchame " • PJ Sin Suela, "Es La Hora" • Nuff Ced & Tek 1, "Metrópolis" • PJ Sin Suela, Siete Nueve & Messy Deprat , "Illegal 2.0" • E.A. Flow, "D'Aqui" • Intifada, Luis Diaz & Yallzee "Albizu" • Los Pleneros de La Cresta, "Los de la Isla" • Bad Bunny & Lo...

These Alt.Latino faves just keep getting better and better 23.04.2025

Alt. Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre talk artistic growth and precocious talent. Featured artists and songs: • Natalia Lafourcade, "Cancionera" • Natalia Lafourcade & El David Aguilar, "Como Quisiera Quererte" • Natalia Lafourcade & Hermanos Gutierrez, "Luna Creciente" • Irene Diaz, "Anything For You" • Eladio Carrión & Myke Towers, "Vetements" • Eladio Carrión & Lia Kali, "Me Muer...

A Banjo, Bomba, Bardo y Más 16.04.2025

Anamaria continues to impress Felix with new female voices, while he shares more jazz and Puerto Rican bomba fusion. Featured artists and songs: • Queralt Lahoz, "LA FE" • Bardo, "Renacer" (feat. Combo Chimbita) • Vanessa Zamora, "GRAVEDAD" (feat. Çantamarta) • BEATrio, "Archipelago" • Mon Laferte, "Otra Noche de Llorar" • El Laberinto del Coco, "Todo Se Nubla" Credits Audio for this episode of Al...

Behind the scenes of Bad Bunny's Tiny Desk 09.04.2025

Bad Bunny's Tiny Desk concert was the most watched premiere in the series' history. In this episode, Alt. Latino's Anamaria Sayre speaks with the superstar at the Desk and takes you behind the scenes of the performance. NPR reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, who also was in the audience, sits in for Felix Contreras this week. Featured artists and songs: • Bad Bunny, "PIToRRO DE COCO" (Tiny Desk Ve...

A psicodélico deep dive, plus new music from Spain and Colombia 02.04.2025

Alt. Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre play the new music that caught their ears this week, plus Felix delivers a deep dive into the roots of psicodélico. Featured artists and songs: • Eslabón Armado, "Esa noche" • Adrian Quesada, "Ojos Secos" (feat. Cuco) • Jessie Reyez, "**I NEVER SAID I WAS SANE**" • BALTHVS, "Year of the Snake" • Grateful Dead, "Dark Star" • Os Mutantes, "A minha...

Music To Move By (It's Not What You Think) 26.03.2025

Alt. Latino's Felix Contreras moved out of his long-time apartment, and in the process, he unearthed some amazing music. Co-host Anamaria Sayre shares the new songs currently moving her. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Jazz from Latin America, plus a track we can't name from Ca7riel & Paco 12.03.2025

Alt. Latino host Felix Contreras gives his co-host Anamaria Sayre a primer on Latin Jazz. She returns the favor with a new track from Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso (of Tiny Desk fame) and a Mexican ranchera that sounds older than it is. Featured artists and songs: • Edison Machado & Boa Nova, "Naquela Base" • Michi, "Memmy (Recuerdo)" (feat. Gabriel da Rosa) • Adam O'Farrill, "Nocturno, 1932" • Vivir Qui...

New Music: Something Old, Something New, Something Found... and Jazz 05.03.2025

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...

Afro.Latino: From Venezuela to Puerto Rico and beyond 26.02.2025

Alt. Latino host Felix Contreras takes us on a tour of African influences throughout Latinidad, with a little help from Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Miguel Zenón. Featured artists and songs: • Betsayda Machado & Parranda el Clavo, "Oh, Santa Rosa" • Bia Ferreira, "Quando Você Me Olha" • Cheo Feliciano, "Anacaona" • Ismael Rivera, "Las Caras Lindas" • Ruben Blades & Willie Colón, "Plantación Ad...

Christian Nodal stays messy, pablopablo recruits Carín León, and new Flaco Jimenez 12.02.2025

'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...

Selena Gomez's tears, Jessie Reyez's gratitude and what it means to be 'xolo' 05.02.2025

Our digital mailboxes continue to overflow with new music. This week, we hear from a Colombian-Venezuelan super group, a new Afro-Brazilian band, and Ana gets another jazz lesson from a Latin jazz orchestra. Songs featured in this episode: • XIXA, "Xolo de Galáxia" • Meme del Real, "Princesa" • Jessie Reyes, "GOLIATH" • Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, "Dia de los Muertos III Mamb...

Why we love Joaquina. Plus, Felix is chismeless 29.01.2025

Do not come on Alt. Latino if you don't have good chisme! Ana and Felix talk about their favorite songs of the week, including some psychedelic cumbia, Cuban folk music and more. Songs featured on the episode: •Combo Chimbita, "Dímelo" •Cortadito, "Yemaya" •Joaquina, "desahogo" •Joaquina, "aeropuerto" •The Altons, "Waiting" •Thee Midniters, "It'll Never Be Over For Me" •Majo Aguilar, "el beso" •Ca...

Felix and Ana try out New Year's Resolutions 22.01.2025

Will Ana and Felix ever figure out their New Years Resolution for 2025? The clock is ticking. They contemplate that and share their favorite recent new music. Songs featured in this episode: Marina Albero, "First Step of the journey" Beelé, Ovy On the Drums, "Mi Refe" Fela Kuti, "Shakara" The Bongo Hop, "La Pata Coja feat. Nidia Gongora" nsqk, Easykid, "BOBOMENSOTONTO" Federico Aubele, "Te Quiero...

A moment for Los Angeles 15.01.2025

Los Angeles is home for me and always in my heart. Watching the fires from afar in my current city, New York, has me thinking a lot about what makes my hometown great: breathtaking mountains, stunning beaches and above all a hodgepodge, tapestry community that comes together in powerful ways during a painful moment. The good and bad of LA's history — redlining and rebuilding, previous fires and di...

Why Bad Bunny's 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS' is an act of political resistance 08.01.2025

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 bre...

Music We Missed in 2024 18.12.2024

'Alt. Latino' hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre do their best to keep up with new releases, but sometimes great music evades their radar. On this episode, the duo highlight some of the best songs they never got a chance to share during the year. Music We Missed in 2024 • Sanje, "Buen Fantasma" (from 'De Repente Otra Vez') • David Lindes, "Te Vengo A Perdonar" (from 'Peace With A Lion') • Yu...

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