I feel like, "Did I tell you about my new second career plans?
Okay, let's hear it. So, it all came to me two years ago. Two years ago, I was at this pool in Spain, and I witnessed
something incredible. It was an aqua spin class for seniors. Maybe you've been to one.
Anyways, the point is- - I've seen one. - Yeah, I was like, "Oh my god, this is the perfect
“gig for me." Because it's like not as crazy high energy as normal spin instructing. You know what?”
I mean, like, that's a bit too much. But like, getting the old ladies to like, dance to like, gasoline now while they're like doing their spinning, I really think that could be my gig. Okay, since fortunate you said old ladies, because I was considering signing up for an aqua spin class
through an aqua spin, right down the street for my other. - You can be my first student!
Okay, from NPR music, this is not Latino, I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Ana Maria, say her, let the cheese make begin. And this week's cheese made is the lady that Felix met in aqua spin. It's just Kim Go and talk about the music, because maybe something we play this week
“will make it onto the aqua spin class. How's that for transition?”
Okay. - That was one of your better ones, and I usually don't like them. - You're first. - Okay, so this is not fit for aqua spin class. It's more fit for like, walking through a meadow of lovely flowers and plants. But this is Dominican artist Alex Ferreira. He's been releasing music since 2010. I've mentioned a bit about this Dominican indie scene before it's small, but mighty, and I have to say he is one of the pioneers of it. So before I get into it,
I want to play you a little bit of this song by Lando con mi sombra. [Music] [Music] So like I mentioned, Alex Ferreira has really been fundamental to me in this fostering of the Dominican indie scene. Like I said, it's very small, but very mighty. This particular version of it,
which I again, like I said, have mentioned before, started like early 2000s. Like I said, Alex started in 2010. You have bands like solo Ferreira. There's a couple of these artists who really pioneered and insisted on bringing this particular variety of indie music to the Dominican Republic. There's now a larger number of artists on the island or off the island making this
“music who are Dominican origin. And what's crucial to me about what Alex does is it's this very soft”
subtle, right? Like kind of just like alternative indie sound that it's firmly rooted in the percussion
still of the island. He never really comes away from that. And ever since he started making music,
he has been consistent on this front. I mean, you don't hear a ton of big change album to album for Alex Ferreira. What you hear is consistency and like a subtle leveling up. And I just loved the production on this record. The songwriting is absolutely poetry. I want to play you a cut of another song called "Monte Adentro". [Music]
I'm not gonna lie.
But I'd listen to the whole record while I was in California driving along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz where I could see the ocean on my left and then eventually I turned around and see the sunset on my right. And the music was perfect accompaniment to the visuals or the visuals were perfect for the music. I heard it in a completely different way than when I just played it on you know my earbuds from Spotify. It really does capture something. And the other thing I want to say
is that I really love the fact that there are such strong vibrant indie scenes in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico that defy expectations. There's a little hint of percussion because I'm
listening always for the drum stuff. But Alex Ferrete, it's like it's there but it's not derivative
“but it's a creative use of rhythm and that's why they're here on the record and that's what I really”
like that he represents that indie scene. It's really good record eventually after all. You can see how big I'm smiling Felix because I knew you'd come around because this to me this is the power of the art of the subtlety of Alex Ferrete. It's not, he's not an artist who hits you over the head and that's actually why for me and I've actually played you some of his music before Felix when we had one of our like music that you go back to that brings you peace episodes
because they're albums for him like his 2021 album for me. It's not when I go to when I want to feel energized or like I'm hearing something crazy. It's something I want to go to when I want to
“ground myself when I want to feel peaceful and I think there's something really skillful about”
being able to create a record that talks about beautiful things and thoughtful things and presents you know a way to think about life in like a healthy, lovely way that is subtle and slow but
also never loses where it's from. I think to incorporate that percussion and still be so soft
it takes a lot of effort and a lot of skill and this album to me is so thematically beautiful to it's called literally a life in the Esperad, the art of waiting. Fun fact about Alex, he is married to his wife the love of his life in a beautiful three-year-old little baby. He and his wife lived on the same block and Madrid for years and never met and I want to say maybe
“10 years later they randomly sat next to each other at a restaurant in Mexico City and that's how they”
felt in love. Oh my God. And so to me I'm like there's nothing more emblematic of Alex's life than Elad the Esperad the same thing with he's been releasing music for so many years keeping at it consistently and this record specifically what it mostly discusses is like I mentioned he's a dad now and it's a lot about his reflections on the way that his daughter has changed his perception of time and timing of things and how life moves and how quickly it moves and I think you can
probably relate feelings that life time wise space wise experience wise feels so different and so much of it is like this sweet reflection on how he sees the pacing of life differently now that he's a parent. Yeah everything changes what you become a parent and you know what he prepares you for that it's a shock but it's a pleasant shock a wonderful shock. Anyways I love this record I didn't
completely love it at first and then after a few lessons maybe like my fourth listen I cried the whole
way through it was crazy like the first three lessons I was like whatever and before I listened I was like oh my God this is beautiful that was a couple of tracks from the new Alex Ferrera album Elad the Esperad. Okay I'm gonna go into Columbia Land for a second all right. Oh okay. This is a group called Lalom there's Southern California instrumental retro trio it's actually an acronym I'll explain later very much a 20 guitar sound and they collaborated on a new single with a group called Los Mirolos
and they are a longtime Peruvian psychedelic Columbia band. Their new single is it's just a single it's a pure moment of joy it's called Luchano check it out. I'm gonna go into it. No no no. You're gonna be low.
I can never get enough of the psychedelic Columbia.
work in this space like I think about even like a kombo chimita I think about you know there's so many
“artists coming continually emerging out of the lia bolota you know barankia even who are doing”
this variety. It's such a cool space in genre. And this is the Peruvian version. Los Mirolos reformed in 1972 they're pioneers of what they call kumbia amazonica that psychedelic guitar driven kumbia they came out of Peru in the 70s. It's also referred to as chica which is in its named after an alcoholic drink from Peru. It's a reflection of how many countries have developed their own version of the kumbia and the different cultures and sounds and contexts that they add to
“the music. Chica here in this country it became popular around 2010 or so because there's a group”
in Austin called money chica we played their music just chica leave it in New York we played their music came out around 2010 2015 and La Lomba by the way is an acronym. It stands for Los Angeles League of musicians and one of the many bands exploring that reverb heavy twinging guitar thing you know at mono's guitar this comes to mind a lot of different things like that but this in particular is La Lomb the track is just a single it's called luchando and it features Los Mirolos. I'm here for it.
Okay I feel like it's okay so this record is why I'm bouncing off the walls today. I please tell me you haven't listened yet. I haven't listened. Thank God okay so this is an Argentine artist super baby super fresh names bro carry just released this album called hijo del país this track is called renascimento. I'm in puentro dio. Tanto do lado menosa nel centro.
Oh my god. Yeah I'm gonna play another track before I get into it this one's called nielito.
“So this album like I said called hijo del país I think is literally perfect”
Selena. He's a son of the country. I mean this is an album like I really want you to spend some time and listen to it Felix. Track after track after track it's something distinct and not anything I've heard before and I've said 10 million times. Argentina it's where so much experimentation happens. There's
always something interesting going on. I said it with Gateli Paco Moroso. I'm saying it now with this guy.
Really I was so impressed when I heard this album like it's it's unique and production it's it's built on tradition but in this most subtle way like so seamless and it all just it's like the most synthetic moments or somehow the most traditional moments like the synth drops and then you also hear something that feels like super del campo super of of the centuries of tradition that
exists around Argentine music. I mean it's just so amazing. So you know what makes it that way Anna is
that triplet feel that check it to check it to check it to check it to which is like the heart beat
Of the Andes and so much of South America and that first track that triplet f...
pretend sonically and production all this other stuff it stops and starts all these different layers.
“I was a boom you had me right there man. Like there's so much to listen to it. It's one of these”
sounds and it just loved defy tradition lean on tradition expansion tradition putting this on a playlist. I'm gonna play one more to take us out. We'll see how much we can get in for language but it just
perfectly explains to me it's also that perfect Argentine humor. This track is called Monumento.
, I'm gonna play one more to play. I'm gonna play one more to play. I'm gonna play one more to play.
“I think it's okay to let our listeners know that some things we can play on a podcast and some things we can't”
play for the radio version of all Latina that goes out on the broadcast air. This is the song you
can sing on the podcast. This is the song you can hear on the podcast. But really truly I mean the chorus
literally I'm gonna construct a monument to your butt is just phenomenal. It's just top class writing. That was a few songs from the artist, broke Carrie, off his new album, E-Holy Bass.
“It's a time for break. I think you might be right Felix. All right. Let's take a break.”
Okay so we're back from break Felix and there's a couple of really key things. How's keeping maybe you could say or requests that we have? We love talking all of you but more so we want to hear you speak back to us. You can do that a couple of ways. One is by commenting the other is by sending us an email at all [email protected]. The other thing we would love for you to do is if you like an episode and you don't want to comment that you like an episode, go share with a friend.
We would actually prefer that. We want other people to hear the things that you love that we love that we made. So go for it. Absolutely. The more the merrier. Because then they'll get to hear songs like what I'm gonna play right now. Oh my god. Oh my god. Okay. This is the collaboration between well-known Colombian folk vocalist and a French trio that is almost impossible to describe. This is vocalist like a three something's walking to a bargeo but let's hear it. This is vocalist
Nidio Gongora and the two loose based trio called Rekko Rekko. The album is called Weibo Reels. I'm gonna play something called Sumba. I'll let you check this out. I'm gonna play something called Rekko Rekko Rekko Rekko Rekko. Am I right? Yeah, I know you're right. Wow. Really great selection today. Nidio Gongora is the leader of a group called Canalondate Bikki. Very traditional. Lots of money. All the allegory drums, which I know you love. She's also known. She's also known for what collaborations with
Groups like Quantic, on the Tropica, the Bongo Hop which have all been featur...
I'm proud to say over the years. A Rekko Rekko like I said is from France. It's a trio.
“They lean into the cool sounds like Kumbia, Merengue, Mexican medieval, Brazilian fojo, hip-hop,”
they do all kinds of stuff. It's my favorite kind of mash-up. Just like when we heard in the song before. Because borders in genres don't exist. The only limitation is the imagination. And this project in particular has unlimited imagination because there's so many rhythms to listen and move to. The vocals are so expressive. In percussion, of course, it's like I'm there. So many ways to listen.
Each track on this record is an adventure. A real quick little note. Rekko Rekko is a Brazilian
percussion instrument. It's like a weed-o. The weed-o is an instrument that's scratchier instrument
“that's used all over Latin America. It's usually a gourd of some kind and a elongated gourd”
hollowed out dried out. In the Brazilian folk tradition, Rekko Rekko is a metal. In the scratching sound comes from these metal strings that are right in the front. It's a very, very distinct sound. Just like this band. These three guys, Bastien, Andreu, Juan, Kawal Cheski, and Timothé,
I'll come in. I have to say their names because I'm a new fan. I hadn't heard of these guys before,
but I'm a new fan. I love that you say that about borders Felix because literally today, someone asked me, we were talking about Latin music and they were like, "Well, what about music outside of Latin music?" And I was like, "Well, one Latin music is everything. It's just a geography. It's not a genre." But more importantly, that's the beauty of music. Borders don't
“exist in music. And I know we talk a lot on this show about countries and locations because I think”
they're really relevant in the sense that you can hear a lot of these things. In some of these records, but I think they're something really beautiful to artists or a band that couldn't create something that feels so seamlessly borderless. Like, that's the thing up front. And then, but not losing where they're from either. And I've talked about that a little bit today, but doing both at the same time is beautiful. This is a perfect example of that. And I got to play
one more so you can hear it. This track is called "Bomba" and "Bomba" is a type of drum. Check it out. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum.
"Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum.
"Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. "Bomba" is a type of drum. It does flow from the last track. "It does flow, right?" "Yeah." "You know I was thinking today, Felix actually I was like, "Damn the thing that really brings me and Felix together is our United percussion love." "And our love of female vocalists." "Yeah." "But really like there's something about just like a really nice, like I think percussion is so instructive. It's like one of the most kind of like clear nods to different places.
Experiences and it's one of the most unifying things.
This duo super cute. They're sibling duo on Mexico City. They each have their own
independent DJ projects. Their first album they have a release was in 2015. And they just have these kind of really nice,
easy, listening kind of fun electronic records that have this beautiful percussion basis. They've worked a lot with people like Eduardo Gavra.
“They've worked a lot in Mexico City. A lot in Puerto Rico. They're just beloved. I think in a lot of places for for the way they're able to just kind of”
easily mix these things together. I want to play you one more track. It's called Medihul Iwara. [Music] [Music]
Still lost to listen to percussion voices. I like that. 100%. They blend a lot of nice sounds together.
“That was a couple tracks of of the new Sotomayor album. The album is called Wavisari.”
Okay, I'm going to change it up just a little bit because so far we've been playing younger artists. I'm going to play something from an artist who's been in Latin music for a while. And for me, he's one of the most interesting artists in Latin music. Dracol Rosa from Puerto Rico. He has a very distinct voice,
very, very distinct artistic vision. Every new album from him is always slightly different,
but the through line is that vision. This track is called Colores de Ayer. It's from an upcoming album called Olas de Luz. This is Dracol Rosa, yeah. [Music] For me, man, it's all, it's the lyrics, the voice, that's for me, that's the magic of Dracol Rosa. And for those that don't know, he has a, like I said, a long history in Latin music.
He started as one of the young members of Minnootho in the 1980s, along with Ricky Martin. And he left the age 16. And from there, he launched a successful career as a songwriter for a whole bunch of other artists. He started doing his own projects. And like I said, various genres and various context. He's a musical explorer. He had a rock album. He's doing all this other stuff. And you get an idea of where that variety comes from when he talks about his influences. Kaitano Veloso,
“Louisa Bertos Peneta from Argentina, Bob Dylan Miles Davis. One of the things I think that”
we have to talk about in his career for those that don't know. In 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer. He went with treatments. He was cancer-free for a minute. There was a relapse. And for my understanding, he's been cancer-free for a while. But that experience has shaped his sense of place in the world philosophically and musically. And I think you can hear that in these lyrics.
The new album addresses the chaos in the world today.
introspection. And that perspective doesn't make it go away. It just offers a way to deal with it.
“And I think there's whole record is like that. He really never misses Felix. Like he's one of”
those that record after record. There's something really profound in the mathematics sense.
But I think board just in the depth of what he creates his art and how he presents it. And he's
“really kind of one of those hidden gems. I think. Yeah. And I think I meant to just on the show before.”
But I think it was during the pandemic. We had an interview. One of these live interviews we did.
And he's such a deep thinker man. You can talk philosophy art. You can talk about all these things
“and then eventually get around the music. You can hear that. You can hear that in the music.”
Yeah. It's reflected in his work. The album was called Ola Zilus. That track was called Ola Zilus. That track was called Ola Zilus. That track was called Ola Zilus. That was Draco Rossoff. You have been listening to Alatino from IPR music. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR music is Sirayama Hammond. Executive director is Sonali Meta. I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Ana Maria Sayar. You said this week. Thank you for listening.
