NPR Music - Alt.Latino: The Mars Volta, Argentine Beatles covers, and more

Episode Date: May 7, 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 orate"• The Mars Volta, "Lucro sucio"• Diego Mema, "la forma de quererte"• Diego Mema, "till there was you" (Beatles cover)• The Rumba Madre, "Abuela"• Junior Zamora, "Salsa y Clase"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.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

A quick note before we start today's show. You may have heard that President Trump has issued an executive order seeking to block all federal funding to NPR. This is the latest in a series of threats to media organizations across the country. The executive order is an affront to the First Amendment rights of public media organizations. It is also an affront to the First Amendment rights of the American people. NPR remains committed to serving the public. and that's you. Through the music we play, we bring you the stories and histories of people with roots in Latin America and the Caribbean that you won't find anywhere else. This is a pivotal

moment. It's more important than ever that every supporter who can contribute come together to pitch in as much as they are able. Visit donate.npr.org now to give. And if you already support us via NPR or other means, thank you. Your support means. means so much to us now more than ever. You help make NPR shows freely available to everyone. And we're proud to do this work for you and with you. It's new music time, Felix. We've got a lot of great music lined up.

From NPR music, this is Latino. I'm Anna Maria Sayer. And I'm Felix Contreras. Let the Chiseme begin. Ooh, I get to say. How does it feel powerful? Oh, my God. I'm empowered, yes.

I'm going to play a record by a Chilean vocalist. Her name is Natalia Bernal. She has an album coming out in May. She's got a couple singles out from the album. It's very, very good. She's one of these South American vocalists who has studied jazz and is incorporating where she comes from

into her jazz sensibilities. This new single is called Masaya. Her name is Natalia Bernal. Check it out. Okay, Anna, you know how much I'm from South America and from the Caribbean and from Spain and playing and singing jazz. But I just want to point out real quickly

and I'm not sure if I've done this before and stop me if I have. But this is not something new. And very quickly, I want to go back to the Argentine saxophone player Gato Babieri. He came from Argentina, fully developed. came to the United States playing jazz, avant-garde jazz, and then settled into something different.

That was in the 1960s. There was an alto saxophonist from Colombia. His name was Husto Almario. He came from Colombia, came here in the United States. He started playing with Mungo Santo Maria, and then went on to the jazz realm. I think Gartou Barvieri, he studied straight-ahead jazz, and there were no schools back then, you've got to understand, right?

He was part of a jazz scene in Argentina, this early to mid-1960s. So they were musicians who were taking, they were learning from records, trying to play jazz in the way that they heard it from the United States. In his case, he was really into avant-garde. He was listening to John Coltrane. He was listening to all these other people. That's where his head was.

He was one of the first musicians to incorporate all these really interesting folk rhythms from Latin America in his own music once he got here to the United States. So then what's the connection between an Argentine sax player from the 60s and a Chilean jazz arts? who studied her vocals at Berkeley in Boston in the United States today? Good question. Wow. I think that she's drawing inspiration from people

like Gato Bavieri and Husto Almario and these musicians who followed their own path and then decided to incorporate some of their own things. Most specifically, Gato Bavieri, he was a really big influence on bringing in South American rhythms and musical styles into jazz. And I think that the connection there is he laid the path

And over the decades, other people have followed some more successfully than others. But the fact that it's there, that that path is there, that's the connection. That's what his contribution was. And that's, I think, what I have never spoken to any of these musicians, but I'm sure whether or not they are, would directly cite him as an influence. But they're certainly, from my perspective, listening to all this music, they're certainly following a path that he's set up. And in this case, she's from the.

northern part of Chile. And it's a small fishing town near the Atacama Desert. And with interesting, her interesting music background, I found an interview with her. Her family was in the hotel business. So she lived in hotels growing up. And this was the time of elevator music. She grew up with this elevator music carrying pop hits from the United States, pop hits from Mexico, from Latin America. That's a fascinating story to me. Natalia Bernal is her name. The album is called Endiablada. It's coming out in May.

The single is called Masayar. Your turn. My turn? Okay. So what I have for you today, Felix, drum roll. Is Peruvian artist Juan Carlos Iwasaki Buen. otherwise known as Jays. He released his third album called Kisa No Is Parat Tanto.

This is the first song I want to play for you called Mil Procedingios. Yeah. I know when I'll get up I'm still I'm scared I'm with the middle in the

tach guillating of my presentimient divagando in the compass creating a door

fugues when I've another think I have done a few proceedings I think

that only can't like an attempt I'm I'm sorry but can't

avoid the movement I know so there's solution there I'm

to keep the I'm what I do what I'm I'm

I'm Okay, so I wanted to play you a little bit of that first, Felix, because I think it's kind of like a nice representation of what to me is just like this really kind of nice, fun, a little bit jazzy, a little electronic, very driven by live instrumentation album that Jays has released. It's almost easy listening in a way, but it's such a departure from his last record. Because he started, get this Felix in freestyle competitions, is where he got his beginnings. and his last record was so grounded electronic sounds with a lot of trap to it.

It's like almost unrecognizable the difference and I wanted to play you this track from his last record. It's called Homalone and it features Susana Baca on the vocals. Oh my God, the iconic Afro-Provian vocalist. Wow, okay. Imagination Wow,

It's a little A lot of A caimony Wow, there's a question Wow, there's a lot there's a lot going on there, man.

Yeah, right? When I heard that, I was like, whoa, this is not at all. what I was expecting. You hear moments of live instrumentation and this new record. It's kind of like he fully has leaned into that expression.

I mean, check out this song. It's called Boomeran. And it's him going back to his rap roots but in kind of a very different style. It's kind of like he's ditched a little bit more the electronic rhythms. Yo, yo. Hey,

I'm going to disappear in the sombrus. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't you scones. It's a night of sparrama on the alfomber Bion, I'm looking for the ventana 3 in the morning, I know I think that's for the next round

but I'm not I'm I think I'm gonna do a while but I'm sorry, I'm no I'm never I'm here, but no it's perjero but bro. Joy. It's a really interesting moment

I think globally for like hip-hop R&B rap generally where like live instrumentation is such a big driver in a lot of these spaces no matter where you are, it's seeping in across Latin America. And I think one thing we talk about a lot, obviously, is what happens with these artists when they come to Tiny Desk in the way that they kind of explore these never before heard,

never before seen live instrumentation moments. And we're just seeing that more up front on records now. Like that is something that, you know, a really good bass line with some good drums. Like that's something that's kind of carrying a lot of these sounds today. Once again, we are of like minds without even trying. Okay. As for always.

I got something from the band called the Mars Volta. And the Mars Volta is basically a duo with a bunch of other musicians depending on the project. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is a guitar player. and Cedric Bixler, Savala, is a vocalist. He plays keyboards, plays a bunch of stuff. I don't even know where to begin to try to describe this band. It's like a cult favorite. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is a prolific musician.

He's put out a bunch of stuff. And they pop up in the mainstream every now and then. They had a record produced in 2003 by the mega-producer Rick Rubin. But what I like about them is that they have this ever-expanding sonic palette. but sometimes creatively breathtaking. I'm going to play four songs. The first song we're going to hear is the first track of the album

and it's curiously called Thin, or the end. Okay, now a conga timbal mashup that of course caught my attention. This is called Enlason Las Tineblas. Now check out what they do with that. Okay, now a down-tempo vocal featuring Cedric Bixler Savala.

This is called Alma De Boracha. And finally, the title track, Lucro Succio, another down-tempo sonic exploration. The prick of my blade To the choke in your throat Unless you expect it the further I'll get To a hole in your heart

Where God's never stepped in. The percussion alone is just like Absolutely next level Like the way they thread things But in a really unique in each expression of it feels distinct, but there's something there that's always threading commonly across all the tracks. It's really interesting. Oh, and there are 18 tracks on this album. They're so sonically different, but the same. I couldn't even write any notes up for it to talk about this band,

because always have a hard time trying to describe the band and what they do. I usually just tell people find them, and then dip your toe into it, because no matter where you find them, it's going to sound different the next time you hear them. That's the goal. glory of this band. You never know what to expect, but it's always, like I said, it's so creatively challenging, adventurous, all that stuff. I'm just such a big fan. The album's called Lucro Sucio Los Ojos Del Vacio. Okay, so what I have next, Felix, it's a little bit of a part two from what I just brought. So after I got into this whole Jay's rabbit hole, I started looking at his collaborators, and he has this guy, his name is Diego Memme, who wrote and produced on all of

the songs on his last album. I want to play you one of the songs that feels really distinctly Diego, now that I've also been on a Diego rabbit hole, uh, from Jay's album first and then I'll get into what Diego has. So this song, which is also off of Jay's record, is called El Secreto Escondido of Toulouse. form of to very nice. And no

nice. So, okay, after that, I spent some time with Diego's music and he released his first ever album. It's called La Montaña and it's mostly all instrumental, just like these beautiful,

kind of like sweet guitar tracks. And for Connie, context, he's collabed with a bunch of these Argentine singer-songwriters like Zoe Gotuso, the kind of like indie scene down there, but he's also worked with Julietta Vanegas, David Byrne, people like that. Anyways, his album La Montaña was just released and this is a song off of it called La Forma de Kiererte. I'm I'm

I'm not too I hear the day you're right you can it's

to show it's to show to be that not not there

I hear the thread going through that right you can hear it with it's very distinctly

his style I think across the record but especially with that last track okay there's one more

I want you to listen to till there was you. So it's an instrumental? Mm-hmm. Just instrumental. I just loved it. It brought me so much peace today. I love it.

He's simple. He's sweet. He has some pretty piano arrangements throughout on top of the guitar. But really, it's just like a nice, it's La Montagna. It's very, it feels very from the Southern Cone, from the nature out there really to me. I just, it's really, really sweet. You know, that's a Beatles song, right? Of course.

Okay. You're like, just check. Valid to check, but yes. But I mean, and it kind of goes back to what we were talking about earlier, about how the influence from other countries, and specifically England and the British invasion, how it just, the Beatles were everywhere, man. It felt so random to me when I heard it,

and then I was like, this is really fitting on this record. Like, it very much caught me by surprise. I was like, oh, kind of grabbed my heart a little bit. Like, oh, my God, till there was you. It is kind of mind-blowing. Like, someone from your generation is latching on to the beauty of that composition. Good call.

I'm a fan now. Okay, you got me. Those were two songs from the album Montagna by Diego Mema. Okay, break time, Felix. Yes, yeah, we've got to take a break. All right. We're going to come back with more music

right after this. Okay, we're back. And, you know, Anna, I want to just, just while I'm thinking about it, the fact that you played that song, that's a song we used to play in our Beatles band, and we got some gigs coming up, and we have to do some acoustic stuff.

That's perfect. We're going to have to dig that one up. Thank you for. Tell Diego that you're going to steal his arrangement. Watch out, Diego. Get your lawyers ready. I have a record, you know, I don't know how these emails or texts or whatever, they come to me. And this is one of those emails that just sort of popped up out of nowhere. The band is called the Rumba Madre.

And it's a trio from Nashville. And the trio is a guy from the Basque Country of Spain, a guy from Colombia, and a guy who grew up in Puerto Rico and in New York. They defy specific description. And the only musical acknowledgement is the rumba and the name references flamenco rumba, not Afro-Cuban bumba. They have a new song out, it's called Abuela, and it tells a story of the journey of a woman who had to flee Franco's Spain in 1930s to settle in Mexico. And it's just one story among 500,000 people who fled Spain, who left to escape the fascism of Spain in 1930s. Again, the band is called the Rumba Madre. This is called Abuela.

And hold on, because it's going to startle you right at the beginning. Hold on. It's a nice beginning. The abuela nacio in middle of a war when the fascism almost conquista Europe. Spain and era preza of Frankism. And in Portugal, reigns al-Alazada. Check that's Very in the style of the basqueur was

Unica salida Check that out, man Incredible Very in the style of the Basque region, in my opinion, too What blew me away about this Just listening sonically It reminds me of the early 90s bands

That were part of the rock And Spanish movement bands Like Mano Negra from Spain And their featured lead singer Manu Chau Plus from some bands from Mexico like Maldita Ventindidad. They combined all of these different influences. They're singing in Spanish.

They're singing in French. You hear ska. You hear Afro-Caribbean. You hear Mexican folk. In this case, their whole trumpet, you know, the bullfighting trumpet thing at the beginning. All of this stuff is like it's a really heady mix. But what may surprise some folks, these guys are from Nashville. Of course.

Our favorite town of burgeoning Latino sounds. There's a large and creative Spanish-speaking community there from all over. Again, the band is the Rumba The Rumba'amada, the track is called The Rumba Madre, the track is called Abuela. Amazing pick, Felix. I love it. I like these guys, man.

Okay, I'm going to close us out with some rap, Felix. Okay. You know, originally I had to. like three rap picks for the show and I was like maybe I need to calm down for Felix's ears. But this guy I'm really excited about his name is Junior Samora and this song is called salsa and class. To make the barry, you're a little

class, and a fat-as-same a sauce, and a lot of sasone, the only, the street, the sun, battery and reggetton,

nio, this has a trickito, this not's a this no, I get, that's the that's the man,

I'm gonna, I'm gonna see, with the scarer siles, night, night's in night,

the studio, the studio, the stry, this a gt, this is for mona, that's not, so some,

so sauce, Contrary to what you may think Okay You're not bringing in a lot of rap I really like this There's so much going on There is so much going on with the music I mean it's always more dynamic than just rap right

Yeah absolutely I mean so he's from Cali Colombia Which I mean you know at this point A lot of people associate Colombia with regaton and then more recently with Afro beats, but there still is a really vibrant rap trap scene in its own right in Colombia, especially in Cali. And to me, what Junior does is really just like keeping alive that essence

of like what is a very healthy, wonderful trap rap scene in Latin America, in places like Colombia specifically. I think it's important, right? Like we talk about this really, this marriage between American hip hop and especially in Puerto Rico, there's like a really tight close. I talked about Alade Ocarion recently. But this, it's distinctly Latin American hip hop for me. I told you, I just saw Anita Tijuana,

Anna Tishu, perform last night. And there's something really important to keeping that essence of a South American rap alive. I want you to listen to one more track because he does a song with our incredible J. Noah from the Dominican Republic.

This one's called Tiling Chilin. Pursiguing the booting, Doolin, this is chillin, chilin, so They say they're saying that no, but I know that's not that I can't in the life, soo- Pursiguing the booting,

Dullet, this is chillin, so they're just, three batts with the same prannas changing of the piso si-o-o-o-o-ch-be Pache-te-pac-cac-triced to-cant-a-cant-the-missue

to the same ya, and say, that no-want, that the verses Got to get into content, I love Janoa man. Right, right? Like she just sets every track on fire. Like literally just her presence when her bars come in, it's like, okay, everyone take a step back.

Exactly. And I love his style. love a funky bass like that. It's awesome. It just carries so, so nicely. Add something really rich to the sound. That was two tracks from Juno Semora off of his second album, Jujas del Barrio. Nice mix. I can dig it. A lot of stuff. We like it? Yeah, a lot of stuff covered today. A lot of stuff. Absolutely. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. The woman who keeps us on track is Grace Chung. Soraya Mohammed is executive producer of NPR Music. And the VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Thanks for listening.