Alt.Latino: Zen and the art of new music
00:00Okay, so the Buddhist master went to the hot dog vendor and said,make me one with everything.Get it?No, I don't get it.I just saw that one the other day.It was pretty funny.From MPR Music, this is Alt Latino.I'm Felix Contreras.
00:21And I'm Anna Maria Sayer.Let the cheese mate begin.Okay, so we took last week off.We were very quickly, fastly, super speedily approaching the end of the year, but we're not thereyet. And people are still releasing music, Felix. Yeah, we have to squeeze in a little bit more,even though we've already put our end of the year list together, which we will be getting to.But yeah, this week, tons of great music that's still coming out, and you get to go first.I do have a couple things up my sleeve, as per always. Okay, starting us off with a band that I
00:53have never brought in, but is a band that I actually listen to personally a lot, and I follow veryclosely. They're probably one of Mexico City's most exciting alternative band.They're called Dilech that no meMattan. They just released a newsingle that was actually a re-releaseof a track they put out a long time ago.It's called Manos de Piedra.The camera the most
01:14near the piece of theearth, the habitation color ofcobre, here no sale in nobody,at the middle of all.You,sentada,occulting the mirabedbehind the right
01:24and reading thefront of the cafelike lookinga mirror of thebooks,you,with a point, with theskin castaiseada,
01:36with the labrumasthrough the eyes,to a real estate,I'm not I'mI'm not tooI'm looking,I'm notI'm trying,
01:45I'm using,I'm not I'mI'm looking, I'myou're the viewfrom the faro,the instant that concurrethe infinite,the voice of the
01:55assembly, of thevoices in thehead of my world,you need toyou know, becauseyou know,you're trying tobe serious, I'm
02:02I like the different rhythm textures in that one.I imagine you playing the drums feel exactly.It's literally what I was envisioning.It is basically an extensive sonic exploration of knowing nothing.It's interesting because they do kind of flip a couple times throughout the song.There's a moment in the song where they really do shift to a different tone, a different texture, a differenttype of pacing and I think what it really isn't attempt at a representation of the experience of thething that they're talking about. They mentioned the reason that they re-released and re-recorded
02:48the song as being something that this song has really evolved and changed with them as they've playedit, as they've performed it, as they've introduced it to the world over the years. And I always thinkthat's an interesting thing, right? Because it's like, that's something we talk about. You release a songand it takes on all these different lives and forms. And so for a band,and to actually take it back into the studio,revisit it, and come up with somethinga little bit distinct from what they had before.It's a nice way, I think, to, like, stay in conversation
03:16with the music, with the people listening to it.They recorded it in Santa Maria de la Rivera,which is a neighborhood that is, like,becoming one of the most explosive artist neighborhoods in CEDMX.So it's just a nice track.I loved it.And Felix, with a name like that,Dile's that no
03:35Me MatanTell them not to kill meWhat also stands out to meIs the name of the trackManos de PieroHands of StoneIt's also the nicknameof a very very famous
03:44Panamanian boxing championRoberto DuranManos de PierdaThat's the first thing I thought ofI was listeningFor some boxing referencesIn the songI didn't hear it
03:53But you knowMaybe it's not in what it saysBut how it's performedThat wasManos de Pierraby Diles that noMe MatanOkay
04:08Felix, what do you get?Oh my gosh. Okay, so this isan artist. I don't know how I foundher, honestly. Her name isDiana Lopez. I don't want to say too muchright now at the top. She's gota new EP out called Echo.This track is called Sun
04:24Frequencies. Check thisout.I never knowwhat I'm going to like.I know what you're going to like.Like I said, I don't know where I found her.and I knew nothing about her, so I had to dig around.I see that she's been making music since 2018,
06:03and her early work is more traditional singer-songwriter.Very low-key, very DIY bedroom production stuff.The usual song forms, verse, chorus, bridge, all that stuff.But that voice, that ethereal voice is still there,perfect for her emotional lyrics.In fact, in 2018, our former colleague, Sidney Madden,wrote about her for our website.About 2020, she released something called ShapeShifting,
06:25and it began to have more of an ambient, more sonic landscapes.And last year she released a bunch of singles that were more spiritual in nature,celebrating nature, titles like Redwood Resonance, Earth Rhythms, Deepwood Melodies.And her new EP is just four songs.And it's layered with all these multiple sounds and influences.It's a simple beauty but simple not being derogatory.It's very, very, as you hear, like the rest of the records like this, it impacted me so much.I don't know where I was there in that space and time that I built a whole playlist around it with all these other artists that are well established that feature that same kind of approach to music.
07:11Her music struck me at a time when I wasn't looking for it and it just stayed with me.It really is the voice, though, Felix.Like there's maybe a stylistic shift or what have you as she experienced with.different, you know, melodies and production, whatever it is, but that voice, it's, it'sunmistakable. It stays. Yeah. The little info I founded her that she started out. She wanted to bean actress. She's from New York. She lives in the upstate New York. I don't know if she's still there.But she wanted to be an actress and one of her friends was a music major and in management.So they had to put together a showcase and they didn't have anybody to showcase. So they said,
07:51hey, I'll sing some songs.And she had so much fun doing that.She gave up on acting, at least for the time being,and really went into the music.And we all benefit from that.Her name is Deanna Lopez.The track is called Sun Frequencies,and the EP is called Echo.
08:07Okay.So this is an artist.His name is Umbé.He's quite young.He's 25 years old.He's from Mexico.And he's been one of these kind of like,future of pop.
08:18What's it going to sound like?What's it going to look like artistsin Mexico, in Latin America, generally.He's releasing this very ambitious album this week.It's 22 tracks.And a lot of these tracks are quite extensive.Like I'm talking like five, six minutes,which is not really the standard right now
08:38in terms of like especially for a young pop artistwho's kind of like still building, building, building.He has a pretty solid audience at this point.But definitely not what I would have expected.One of the songs on this album is actually a singlethat I've been listening to now for quite some time.And so I wanted to take the opportunity to play it today.It's called Fantasmas.
09:31He's got this really lovely distinctivevoice, but more than that, what I love about that song in particular is it is, I mean it's a pop melody, it's simple, it's sweet, but it's really, he stays very light touch.He's not heavy-handed about it, but stays very consistent in this vein of bringing where he's from, what he is.I mean, this is not an attempt to replicate American pop by any means.And I think that's what's really key to me here is like this sound, this is from Mexico.This is pop from Mexico very overtly, but not like in a way that feels like that's what he's trying to do.It's just, it's just what it is.In my many hours of watching TikTok videos in my obsession with TikTok.
11:04You've heard him.Oh my God.That song is everywhere.That part where he sings.lyric and then the trumpet comes in. Yeah.It's just, it's everywhere. I'm not on TikTok,so I don't know. Oh, my God. And so manypeople use it because
11:17the song evokes so manyfeelings. There's feelingslike family reunions. There's feelingsof loss. There's feelings oflove for parents, love for children.It's just, it's remarkableto me how many differentways that people use that
11:33particular lyric and thatsong and the feelingto reflect their own lives. I mean, that'sI'm so glad you brought it in because I needed to know more about him because that song is just everywhere.I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that you are currently teaching me about a TikTok trend.I was like, I don't know. I just heard the song and I liked it.It's so funny that you picked that one. I thought you picked it because of the TikTok trend.No, I had no idea. I told you. I'm not on TikTok, Felix. I don't know what's happening.
12:03So when I says your videos, you'll never see them?Oh, my God.Let's carry on. Let's put a pin in that.Should I say yes?I just want to go back to the striking music that this young man has made.And like I said, the way that so many people interpret it.I can't wait to hear the rest of the record because it sounds amazing because he's put so much time and effort into it.I want to see what more he has to say.
12:32That was Fantasmas by Umbé.And it's time for a break, I think, right?Okay, let's take a break.We'll come back with a lot more new music.right after this.And we're back with more music.Okay, Anna, I got something for you.Yay.
13:05And I may have played this artist before.I'm sure I have.In fact, I know I have.But he's got a new record out.He's a perfect example of more people should know about this musician.His name is Reni Lopez.He's got a connection to the legacy of Fania.Yeah, his music reflects so many different musical influences.
13:25This is his 11th album, if you can believe it.His new album is called A New York Lie.The track is called Any Chance.Okay, I mentioned that he has 11 albums, and to me that's an example.of his resilience and his creativity.I'm a big fan.I found him, God, years ago,almost a dozen years ago,
14:39when he was doing this series on YouTubecalled Songs from the Stoop,and he references that in this trackwhere he was just on his stoopplaying his own music.His kids would come out and join them.They're like obviously 10, 15 years older now.But they were little kids.
14:56They would come out and join them.Neighbors would come by.You know, his,Dad was also named Reni Lopez, and he was a trumpet player, and he played with Ray Barreto andTypica 73, like very, very hardcore salsa, so he grew up with that in his household.But then he was also a child of his time, right?So there was Prince, there was funk, there was disco, there was all that stuff.He was in New York, and he absorbed all these things.
15:20And if you follow the trajectory of his music, you can hear all of that in different aspects.And it's not like he went through phases.they were actually part of his growth and development.So as a musician, as he grew and as a songwriter, all of these elements came through.He self-describes his music as a mix of Latin rhythms, rock and roll, outlaw country, Americana, and truth and myth.On this album, he's really leaning into the country Americana thing because they're still guitars, very confessional songwriting.The album's called A New York Lie.it's a deep personal reflection on his life, but also in New York City because the whole city is like a character or a mood or a sensibility in each track.
16:05You know, he has that very distinctive voice.There's some uptempo stuff.There's some downtempo stuff.It's just another example of why I'm such a big fan of this guy.And again, more people should know about him.The artist's name Reni Lopez.The album's called A New York Lie and the track is called Any Chance.Okay, Felix.
16:35Last thing I have for you today is from a Colombian artist named Duplat.This is a song called Vete del Pais.Wow, a lot of hack of that one.Yeah, seriously.I mean, this is an artist who has been releasing album since 2019,but really is not Felix actually all that widely known.There's something really beautiful to me about his soundthat actually reminds me a lot of like,
17:47earlier Rawayana, actually.Like, this kind of interesting mix of, like,um, rocky, reggae, funky type of,he has on certain points at his record.It's a jazzier kind of breakdown that he'll do.But it really is to me that communication of that part of the worldand kind of like the, the,a little more alternative band sound,
18:10even though he is just a solo artist,that I've been hearing more and more in recent years.I just love what he's doing,Felix, it's fun, it's fresh, the horns, the bass, like all of it just feels reallynice and right to me.What do you mean by fresh?Oh my God, I knew you were going to say that.Because we know it's cyclical, Felix.
18:32We've been through this 20,000 times.I get it.It's not fresh for you.It's fresh for me.But in it's not freshness for you, that's what makes it fresh for me.You know what I mean?I never know until I think about what you say, like, days later.later.
18:48Because that's like it sounds, it's very 70s funk.Totally.Very 70s.I wasn't alive then.But yes.But yes.Got a Nile Rogers feel.You know, Nile Rogers from Sheik and all the record producing.
19:00It's a very 70s feel.But talk about the lyrics.What are they talking about?Is it a love story?Is he?Because consider like, are they based in Columbia?Because consider what's going on in the area right now.Yeah.
19:12And singing a song, get out of my country.I don't know.I don't know.I wonder about that.He's saying, get out of the country and don't tell me.Like, don't even tell me you left.Just leave.I don't know what that is.
19:25Is that love?Is that a response to something?A feeling, a sentiment that that's in Colombia right now?I don't know.We don't know, right?But the possibility is, like, it's another example of people making political statementswithout making political statements.It's the classic romantic conceit for expressing a thing, for sure.
19:45Yeah.It's possible.Yeah.There's certainly a lot of stuff going on there in that part of the world.That track was called Veta del Pais, and it's off of Duplat's new album, Dulce and Amarga.Okay.I'm going to close out this show where in December, we're starting the holidays a little early, okay, because I have a Christmas track for you.Is it early?
20:05We're in December.I guess, yeah, it's after Thanksgiving.It works.I see Christmas tree lights up, so we can start playing the music.Although it's not really Christmas until I play the Charlie Brown Christmas record, but that's another story.But I will instead play this track.This is from a guy named Ruben Ramos, El Gato Negro, he calls himself.This is called El Anio Viejo.
20:26It features Gabi Moreno.He's a Texas music legend.But his music is also expanded way beyond Texas.He has a new tribute album coming out in February,but they're releasing this one early.Again, this is called El Anio Vuejo, featuring Gabi Moreno.Right?Mm-hmm.
22:04So this is an example of musicians taking care of their own.Ruben Ramos was, he started making music back in the late 60s with a band called the Mexican Revolution,which was part of the whole Chicano movement thing.He's been making this music for so long.It was well before the industry started calling it Tejano, and then everybody else started picking up on Tejano.Back then it was a mixture of a bunch of different things.You can hear, cumbias, Corridos, all that stuff, but with a distinct Texas flair,and Ruben Ramos has been singing that since then.
22:37He never stopped performing.He's been doing all this stuff.And our friend Carrie Rodriguez has taken on this projectto basically pay tribute to Ruben.She's performed with him a bunch of times there in Austin.And they've got this tribute coming out.He's got all these great Austin musicians.I just love the idea of giving a musician like Ruben Ramos his Jew
23:02while they're still alive.And recognizing that while he may not be a big influence outside of Texas,like maybe people know, I've heard his name forever,but maybe people who are, you know, Dominicans in New York or, you know, wherever,like Latino communities from other parts of the country may not know his name,but he's a pillar.He's foundational.He's part of that whole sound that has gone on to influence things like some of the Mexican regional artists
23:29from Texas that we've played on the show.So I'm excited.I can't wait to hear the rest of the record.It's called Los Dias de Calor.It doesn't come out until late February, early March.And there is a cool tribute concert plan for him sometime in February in Austinthat I hope to be able to get to and maybe even be part of.I was going to say, Felix, isn't this the project that you yourself might be making a guest appearance on?
23:54I have been fortunate that Carrie has been invited me to perform these performances that she callsLabortarios, where she brings in different types of vocalists, singers, performers from different genres.She's been doing this for a couple of years.She's really done on a remarkable job.She's established a nonprofit.She's been able to bring in all these people.Killer house band.Killer house band.
24:19I love playing with.And I've been fortunate to be part of that.And she's been working on this project for a while in the album.Again, that whole Texas scene, man, whether even like from that, just,generation. Even the younger musicians, some of the people that we've featured on the show,it's like a little family, right, whether they're even know each other, but it still has afeeling of family when you talk about musicians from Texas. It is interesting to me,though, Felix, that you do pull that thread of what this project is and the Tejano, the
24:51Kumbia, the Texas of it all, and compare it to the burgeoning regional Mexican scene that yes,does have its footprint in Texas.I think a good example of that is group of Frontera, for example, one of the biggest groupsin that genre right now who did come from Southern Texas.But the origins of those sounds, to me, are quite distinct and they're on distincttrajectories.Like a revisiting or reimagining or a revitalization of Techano is actually, to me, quiteindependent.
25:24I mean, what is so distinct about Tejano is that it is markedly not redeveloped.Mexican music. It's not Nortenio music, which is what Grupa Frontera is doing. They are MexicanAmericans who are doing a sound that is from the north of Mexico versus Mexicans Americanswho are doing a sound that is literally of Texas, which is, yes, those both exist in Texas,were born in Texas, are continuing to be made in Texas, but they're very, to me, they live indifferent worlds. They live in different worlds, but I think that one influences the other.Sure.You know? And it's just really just a lot of fun to listen to and a lot of, and to think about, like, just big giant musical country that is Texas.
26:06Well, and also, like, for me, Tejano, I feel like it doesn't exist without being very directly linked to some of its earlier sounds.Versus Norteño feels like there's been a lot more phases of Norteno to me.Tejano is more, it sounds more like a specific moment to me.Sounds like maybe we need to do another themed show.I know. We really, we haven't visited it in a while.About, you know, because seriously, about how those worlds either coexist or don't coexist or semi-exist, you know, where's that Venn diagram?Where's that mark where they coexist together, you know?Right. Well, and if you ask anyone in Mexico making
26:44Nortenio or any varietal, right, we're talking about onealso that it gets confusing when we talk about regional Mexicanversus specifically I'm talking about Nortenio right now.They're all going to tell you thatno Tijuana, probably.Doesn't have anything to do with.Yeah.The album's called Los Deges del Calor.
27:05It's not going to come out until, like I said, late February, early March.The track is called El Anio Viejo.It's a Christmas-themed holiday-themed track.That is the great Ruben Ramos, El Gato Negro,also featuring the great Gabby Moreno on that track as well.You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music.Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell.Sarah Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.
27:39The executive director of NPR music is Senali META.I'm Felix Contreras.I'm Felix Contreras.And I'm Ana Maria Sayer.Thank you for that.listening.
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