NPR Music - Alt.Latino: Guadalajara loves metal?

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

I like to think I’m the one who keeps things fresh on the show — or at least that’s what I tell everyone. But this week Felix once again proved that false, bringing in a fresh Corridos tumbados duo from Guadalajara who takes a something-old-turned-new genre and smashes it together with metal. It's something I’ve never heard before. What can I say, Felix keeps us all young. I went back to Brazil with some up-and-coming artists whose albums I’ve been excitedly awaiting. And, of course, Felix had to balance things out with one of his favorite jazz vocalists. As per usual, we’re all about whiplash here at Alt.Latino, but in a way that hopefully will make you the favorite DJ at your next fiesta. — AnaArtists and albums featured in this episode(03:52) Cultura Profética, 'En bucle'(09:53) Claudia Acuna, 'Ave de Luz: Chilean Jazz & Soul'(13:52) Mari Froes, 'Esquina do Sol'(17:36) Valeria Stewart, 'On A Wing'(21:17) Raquel Dimantas, 'Cosmo Dorme'(24:37) Ladrones, 'Arriba La L'This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

From NPR music, this is all Latino. I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Anna Maria Sayer. Let the Chis May begin, Felix. Yes. Give me something good, please. Live music. Live music.

We do see a lot of it, don't we? We do see a lot of it, yeah. We get really accustomed to just how much of it we see. You go first. Who did you say? Okay, so Rosalia just did a five-night run in Mexico City. I caught her first show. And Felix, I mean, I think I texted you.

I said she wants to be the best and she is. I have never in my life seen a show of that caliber of like athletic performance, first of all. Like she's dancing on point and singing opera and doing all these. I mean, it's really like a captivating show. I would call it a lot closer to performance art even than just a concert. Which is interesting. because I got some mixed reviews from friends who are more in the performance or theater space, but I, you know, in these very friendly debates that we had, much like you have on Facebook,

I said fight me. No, I was like, I get some of the points, but imagine also doing everything she's doing and the caliber. Like, I don't know if they fully understand the caliber that she's singing at, because really the level she was singing at, she's at her best for sure. She's been training intensely, vocally, on top of all the other training she's surely doing. So really, I could not look away for the entire performance. It was, like, truly captivating.

It doesn't surprise me. She has always been on this trajectory of doing something very, very unique, very visionary, actually. She's an artist in every sense. That's what I really, what kept going through my brain, is she's an artist in every sense, and she makes every concert her own world. Like she manipulates the visuals,

the screen is its own experience, that even the conductor was dancing and engaging in such a way. There's a whole, like, it's just, it's her world. And she plays with it, and everything fits into her music. The music is the through line. It's the thread that ties everything together, but it's not necessarily the focus, nor is she, I would actually say. Like, she is, of course,

but her voice and her persona is not necessarily always, the thing that she's trying to draw you to visually. Which is interesting. It makes me think about my, own live music experience recently just this past weekend here in Washington, D.C., we went to go see the Tedesky Trucks band, and that is Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, husband-wife team. It's basically a blues band, 12 people in the band, horns, backup singers, two drummers, keyboard, like really cool stuff. Derek Trucks is one of the most amazing guitars I've ever seen in my life,

you know, period, just incredible. And it's just the opposite of what you're talking about, because they pretty much stand there and they play. But the common denominator is this kind of performance and music that gets right to your soul, right to your essence. And that's what Rosalia's music does in a different way. That music, the blues, it's like flamenco, like we've talked about this here before. And when you draw on that kind of duende, soudage, blues, you know, whatever it is that you want to call it, it speaks right to the heart, man.

And that I think that that's what's so great about this, man. That's what's so great about being able to. Music, man. Who to think? It's pretty cool. It's just everybody has their own take on it and it creates this own thing and we find our place in it. Speaking of finding our own place, segue to what we're doing this week, new music. Lots of great stuff.

Again, man, it's just an onslaught. Okay. Wait, can I go first? Can I go first? Yes, you go. Okay, because I feel like the band that I've brought, I'm very excited about it. it's a big release that I realize we hadn't talked about yet, is pretty relevant to everything we're talking about

because, one, they're amazing live performers and two, I feel like they split the difference of the different types of artists we're talking about. Cultura Prophetica. Yes, yes, we have been blessed with a new Cultura album. It's called En Bucle, and the name of this track I want to play you is called Flaka. Felix with cocoa and

Capas that I feel to the Cielo and I've Wurto, but only a night in the skylop a little Flaka, what was, what you did,

Flaka, tell me, what you did you for my sabaana to seean diguando after that you... Felix, I'm always interested when a band with a lot of tenure, a lot of importance, cultural importance, releases a record to

see who the collaborators are? Because this to me, I'm always like, who that is contemporary, that's making music right now, who are they trying to work with? And I wanted to bring you this track first because this collaborator, this artist Capo, I think I've brought him on the show before. He's like one of the biggest names in this Latin Afrobeats movements. He's one of the people that really brought Afrobeats, I would say, to Latin America, the contemporary version. And so that's fascinated me that they wanted to do a track with him because it does make sense, right? Like you get this infusion of meeting in the middle of reggae and Afrobeats. It's kind of like a slowed down Afrobeza, Espera, Reggae is what you have.

And it works really nicely to me. Like, I really love the sound of them together. But it's not really a natural culture prophetic sound. And they're not really always staying. they don't always stay in that reggae space even though that's what they're known for they've been around since 96 that's very much how they made their name

in Puerto Rico and beyond but they do love to experiment but in these very tasteful and subtle ways and I really loved this track from them I've always had the impression that they were more a lot more folkloric and some of my favorite stuff from them has a really heavy reggae tinge to it

they are reggae yeah but yes folkloric I mean they're training also I mean being from the island they actually met really young they met in the extension of the University of Puerto Rico, like the primaria and high school attached to it, which had like really robust music programs. So if you think about all of the plena and bomba and all of these things that are being practiced in those spaces, that's naturally, if it's not heard, it's very much integral to what they do. And obviously what they talk about, they've often

talked about things that are important to the island, a lot of these issues that we've discussed on the show. And so there's a lot infused in their reggae even if it's not present. And this is, I think, them doing a step into, you know, a more contemporary space in a way that I think sounds tasteful and nice. I want to play one more track from the album. And it's called Lento. I've listened to this record, and I really like it. But what stands out to me is like the way they're expanding into areas like that first track that you played, a little bit more pop-oriented, which is not what I'm used to hearing from them, but I really liked it.

Well, this one too, this track specifically I brought it because it's in collaboration with Bebo Dumant, who's kind of one of those artists that you don't realize you know, but you super know. He's been a writer and a producer on a lot of, you know, pretty big artists at this point. Ravoyana, he was actually a member of Cultura Prophetic in a moment in the past. And so it's fun to hear him on this because he's actually brought a lot of reggae infusion to a lot of more poppier bands and artists. Like he has been a person that has taken a culture sensibility and then brought it to other projects. And so I was curious to see what a collaboration with them specifically would be like,

this is obviously a lot more of their natural classic sound, which again is what most of the record is, which I was actually very happy to hear as well, because it seems they're not feeling that pressure to, you know, enter too much into a pop space or too much into an experimental space when everyone's experimenting and everyone's doing a million genres and they're like, this is what we do. We do reggae, we do it really well, we do it from the island. And so I really, really loved this record. That was a couple of tracks from the new Coutura Profetica album in Bucle. Okay, I have a record from one of my favorite vocalists of any genre.

She released an album in July, and we didn't get a chance to talk about it and get a chance to share it here. So we're doing it this week. This is Claudia Cunia, the vocalist from Chile. She has an album called Amed Deluxe, Chilean, Jazz, and Soul, which pretty much lays it all out there. I'm going to play a track, and this is a warning advisory. This is an instance where, you know, the different words can have different meanings, different countries. This track is called Chinga La Cachinga, and it's a reference to some indigenous languages in Chile. Check this one out.

You know, this may be her most direct mashup of music from Chile and jazz. And she's planted her flag back in 2009. She's had six albums since then. And she's developed this idea and this concept and this vision all along. And this album features all Chilean musicians. And check out the instrumentation. It's the standard bass piano drums of jazz, which is part of her touring band. But she also has Chilean accordion, charango, Zamponia, which is a flute.

And there's this beautiful duet with a charanga played by Freddie Toralba. You just got to listen to this. It's called Resso. Wow, she really is such a special artist. The way she's able to blend like that, that really gorge. I mean, I hear a string instrument like that anywhere, and it has such a distinct, it has a distinct feeling for anyone who recognizes it, you know? And to be able to do that and mix it with jazz and the way that she does,

I mean, really, really excellent. I get it while you're obsessed, Felix. The name of the album is Avede de Luce, Chilean Jazz and Soul, and the artist is Claudia Cunia. Okay, this next artist, Felix, I'm very excited about. She's a Brazilian artist. This is her debut album. I've been waiting for this debut album for a very long time.

Her name is Marie Fros, and this song is called Rio Lua. Okay, so me care So, To say, So you're so me Okay, so she's a me care, Diga, where'd like, Okay, so she's a singer

from Brasilia, she's been releasing singles for a while now, and she really does just to Felix, one of those beautiful blends of everything. I know, I mean, I've been talking a million years about every Brazilian artist that I love, but she really is special, beautiful voice, always incorporates like a really

interesting samba sound, but also plays with all these other amazing, amazing genres. I want to play another track from her called Coco Caramelos. That's straight-out R&B torch ballad, man. 100%. And there's moments where she gets kind of tango-y.

She's very jazzy. I mean, really, just she does everything and not in a she's trying way. I would call this album very liberated. You know, like there's a lot of people who are trying to play with a lot of genres, and she just does it naturally. I was really excited to hear this first album from her. Her name is Marie Fros, and the album is called Eskina, sort. You know what? I think it's time to take a break. We'll be right back. Okay, we're back. I don't know if this is

exactly whiplash, because it's a very stylistic change in my next track, but it does fall in line with what we're doing this week and kind of all the time, really, about how musicians are digging into where they come from to find a new way to express themselves in their identities. This is a DC-based artist named Valeria Stewart. She's originally from Argentina. I've been following her for a while. I met her at a jazz performance of some other friends who were playing. She's been releasing a handful of singles, and she finally has a full album out. The album's called On a Wing. This is Valeria Stewart.

This is called Waiting on Your Love. I remember a sweet morning. The day you took my hand, and you kissed me so lovely. We reached the promised land. these years if you want to mourn you baby

always take my always wait wait on take my heart the soul wow this is

so in your country vibe Felix you're you know country folk I think she's more folk

and there's the blues harmonica reminds you of the vocalist Lisa Morales who's based in Austin

where they're using Americana folk different textures to just basically be themselves. And like I said, she was originally from Argentina. She's lived here in the United States, pretty much all her life. But she does draw on some aspects of her background and the folk

music from Argentina. I just want to play a little bit of a track called Arias de la Pampa. And you can see where, like, you know, she's going to just lean into it just a little bit. So there's a lot of stuff going on with her music. And I think that she's one of these artists who very much wants to stay true to her vision. And it brings up this question for me. It's like, you know, do you stay in your lane? Like, what does it mean to stay in your lane? Does it mean to stay true to yourself?

Does it mean to just do what you do? Do you expand out? I think that, you know, at this point, in my life, at least, it's like it's a lifelong question. It's like, which tribe do you belong to? Which tribe do you claim? Which tribe claims you? I think you just go along and accept anything

and anyone that will, you know, help you become, your true self. And I think that the music on this record reflects that. It's like just who she is, what she wants to do with her very first record, and then what she does when she moves on from here. Her name is Valeria Stewart. The name of the album is On a Wing.

Okay, Fee. So this last artist I have, her name is Raquel Diamantas again. Brazilian. Yes, I know. This is her song called My Baby. I just will I will

I'm because you is my Fof is my living I'm I will

my baby my Foofis my cookies I just I will I will I'm Loofiz

Mellis because you you are my Fof Okay, so as you can see, there's a baby in this album cover you can see here. She was pregnant the whole time she was working on this album. The album is called Cosmo Dorme, which means Cosmo is sleeping. This song is literally called My Baby and is a really cute dedication to her baby.

She's an amazing artist. She's part of this whole Rio indie scene. friends with all of these kind of really sweet artists that I bring on a lot. She was on the last two Anna Frango Electrica Discos. She's friends with Tim Bernardes. Really, everything she does is quite amazing. She's pretty unknown. But this album is absolutely beautiful.

I want to play you another track from it. It's called Mira Que Belo die. I'm really digging the 70s pop vibe. It's really cool, right? Like kind of unexpected and not too heavy-handed with it, but it works really, really well. I mean, she's really talented, and I'm very excited to see what she does next,

but I really actually feel like to listen to the whole album. It's amazing. That was two songs from the album, Cosmo Dorme. The artist is Raquel Diamantas. Okay, my next try. is truly whiplash. And I need you, I'm watching you on Zoom. You need to hold on to something,

okay? I'm not going to even say anything about this. I'm gripping. This is a track called Pami Scarnales. The band is called Ladronus. Check this out. Felix, what do you love about this band, tell me. Oh my God. The way, you know, the way they're from Guadalajara, so the way they embrace... I could have guessed, honestly, something about them says Guarajara. The way they embrace the Mexican regional, but like, also embrace the metal thing, right? I don't know, death metal, whatever you want to call it, the heavy, the pesado.

In fact, their first album, when 2024 was called Flo Pesado, and in 2025, and in 2025, they had an album called Mexican Pesado. So it's the whole thing that's like this sound. And it makes sense. When you listen to like the really fast drumming of contemporary Mexican regional, played by all these young guys playing, you know, the 12-string guitars, it's fast finger-picking. And that's exactly what happens in this really deep, intense metal like that.

this. I haven't heard anything like it, honestly. I mean, there's the intensity of like the more trap side of Corrido Tumbado, but metal I haven't heard. Okay, then I'm going to sneak in one more. I told you I wouldn't, but I got to play one more. This is called Fierro Viejo. Did you find them? Where did you find them? What's going on? This is all flipped. Did you find them on TikTok? I'm not even sure. I don't even remember. It could have been TikTok. It could have been like somebody sent me an email. I honestly don't remember, man. It just popped up. I'm like, oh my god I got to play this I've been sitting on it for a while it's like the mix of the two right it just makes perfect sense

when you when you combine the two the ideas I gotta say that ladronus again they're from Guadalajara it's Alan the Desma Jose Marcario and the vocalist man I don't even know how to say his name it's ZX MYR I'm sure there's a way to say it but I would mess it up man I have spent the last like about a week just rocking this as loud as my earbuds will go and it's just, I'm just captivated. I'm fascinated by these guys.

And I think there's a perfect way to end the show this week with this kind of, let's go, let's get this week going. Let's get the whole month going. It's the first part of the month. I'm inspired by these guys, man. This is how Felix gets up in the morning. Ah, Corrid of Tumado metal. It's true, man.

The name of the band is the Ladronus, and we heard the tracks, Pamis Carnales and Fierro Viejo. You have been listening to Alt Latino. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR music is Suraya Muhammad. And executive director is Sonali Meta. We'd love to hear from you, please. Again, once again, we're telling you.

We'd love to hear from you. Felix is lonely. So send us an email at altlatino at npr.org. I would like to hear from you, but it's not because I'm lonely, man. That is so cold. Just a little bit. I'm Felix Contreras. I'm Anna Maria Ser.

Thanks for listening.