Alt.Latino: A Brazilian summer and a lost Mexican masterpiece

Summary

All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino

Episode: A Brazilian Summer and a Lost Mexican Masterpiece
Release Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Felix Contreras & Ana Maria Sayer

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Episode Overview

This vibrant episode of Alt.Latino celebrates music discovery spanning Brazil’s diverse summer sounds, the reemergence of a forgotten Mexican rock gem from 1971, and innovative folk records. Co-hosts Felix Contreras and Ana Maria Sayer share a whirlwind tour across regions and genres, focusing on cross-cultural collaboration, musical storytelling, and what it means to truly hear music—regardless of language.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Felix's Return and the Joys of Hosting

• Felix returns after health leave (hip replacement), greeted warmly by Ana Maria.
• Tone: Playful, familial, grateful to be back sharing music.

Quote:
“New hip, new you.” – Ana Maria Sayer (00:33)
“I miss doing this.” – Felix Contreras (00:37)

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2. Summer in Brazil – Curated by Ana Maria Sayer (01:10–09:32)

Highlight: Criolo, Amaro & Dino – “Criolo Amaro Edino”

• Three luminaries (Amaro Freitas, Criolo, Dino d’Santiago) combine jazz, hip-hop, and Afro-Portuguese sounds.
• Ana Maria shares Amaro’s perspective on Brazilian diversity:

  “He told me Brazil is an incredible country, but you can find several Brazils.” (03:19)

• Amaro seeks to bridge indigenous, African, and mainstream influences.
• Notable tracks discussed: “Seca”, “Novento de Nor”, “Menina de Coco de Car”
• Lyrics embody natural beauty and unity:

  “Ah, the wind of us, the voices in the earth call out… the dreams of the soul dance.” (08:25)

Insight:
Brazil’s musical identity is a tapestry of regions and histories; this project foregrounds cultural blending and mutual respect.

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3. Javier Jara – “Our Rhythms, Our Voices” (09:33–13:30)

Song: “A Juan or Two Juan”

• An Ecuadorian artist in Austin, TX, weaving immigrant stories into Latin American folk.
• Album as a multimedia project: music, photography, short bios, live performance links.
• Ana Maria admires the “authenticity” of Jara's approach, avoiding anthropological detachment.
• Key story: Juan from Bolivia, marveling at the U.S. rivers and a sense of belonging:

  “Even though you might not believe me, I like to pay taxes, to feel part of this society.” – Felix (quoting lyrics, 10:40)

Theme:
Music as a vessel for immigrant dignity and storytelling during times of hardship.

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4. Brazil’s Countryside, New Voices – Infinito Latente (13:31–19:00)

Songs: “Amanas a Su”/“Gota por Got”

• A fresh, rural-rooted band from Vale do Paraíba: Maira Bastos (voice), João Lu Sam (guitar).
• Ana Maria highlights Brazil’s independent songwriting culture:

  “There’s this absolutely incredible songwriting culture in Brazil… people love a single, simple, straight, beautiful melody with decadent, poetic lyrics over.” (15:24)

• The group’s sound blends rural folk and indie pop, recorded in both São Paulo city and a historic town.
• They describe their music as “translating existential restlessness and everyday reflections into music.” (18:50)

Felix’s Take:
“That drum track is mesmerizing. Snare hits on an offbeat just brings you in, man.” (17:45)

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[Ad Break – Skipped]

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5. A Lost Mexican Masterpiece Rediscovered

Hernan Rock con las Vos Fresas – “La Honda” (1971) (21:25–26:45)

Songs: “Life of Love”, “Sitting on the Side of the Ocean”

• An English-language Mexican rock album rediscovered and reissued by Vampi Soul Records.
• Backstory:
  • Album vanished after the 1971 Avándaro festival—Mexico’s “Woodstock.”
  • Post-festival government crackdown labeled rock “cultural imperialism.”
  • The scene’s English-singing phase preceded the rise of Spanish-language “rock en español.”
• Felix draws links to U.S. classic rock releases of the era and the cross-cultural flow.

Quote:
“It has a ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’ kind of feel in a way, huh?” (25:18 – Felix)

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6. Hybrid Brazilian Collaboration – João Menezes & Paulo Novaes: “Coisa Ybrida” (27:24–32:01)

Song: “Uma Gansa”

• Northeast meets urban São Paulo—merging regional and contemporary sounds.
• Ana Maria: On listening beyond language and the pure emotional power of music:

  “Music speaks music. The collection of sounds speaks beyond lyrics.” (29:32)

• Amaro Freitas (quoted):

  “Part of what I love about instrumental music is that I can be thinking of a sunset or an ocean, and someone else thinks of a sunrise or a mountain. And all of those things are valid.” (30:30)

• Project born from friendship, not planning—“a superposition of different universes without effort.”

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7. Final Spotlight: Mexican-American Folk and Country

LiberTeran – “Deja El Ayer” (32:13–34:25)

• LiberTeran crosses Mexican and North American folk, using Spanish in country/banjo-driven songs.
• His musical journey: Former ska vocalist (Los de Abajo), now exploring “both sides of the border.”
• New album “Canciones del Desierto” previewed; struck by Spanish language fitting with acoustic, American folk sounds.
• Ana Maria teases Felix for always loving country influences.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On musical discovery:
  “We have the best jobs, man.” – Felix Contreras (31:49)
• On music transcending language:
  “Music speaks music... the collection of sounds speaks beyond lyrics.” – Ana Maria Sayer (29:32)
• Reflecting on cultural blending:
  “You could spend your whole life just exploring each little small cultural tradition [in Brazil].” – Felix Contreras (06:18)
• Felix’s joy at curating forgotten music:
  “It’s an ideal time capsule of rock music in Latin America from back in 1971.” (21:27)
• Ana Maria, on meaningful curation:
  “It was incredible. Someone’s gotta do the work.” (32:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:10 – Brazil Summer Theme & Criolo-Amaro-Edino album introduction
• 03:19 – Amaro Freitas on Brazil’s diversity
• 06:43 – Blending Brazilian musical traditions
• 09:33 – Javier Jara’s folk storytelling album
• 13:31 – Infinito Latente: Rural Brazilian Indie band
• 17:45 – Felix on innovative drumming in new Brazilian music
• 21:25 – Rediscovering the lost Mexican rock album (Hernan Rock)
• 27:24 – João Menezes & Paulo Novaes: Brazil’s regional hybrid collaboration
• 29:32 – Deep talk on music’s emotional, universal language
• 32:13 – LiberTeran: Spanish meets country/banjo in new Mexican folk

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Episode Takeaway

This episode highlights the richness found in musical borders—geographic, cultural, and linguistic. Through new Brazilian projects, a carefully resurrected Mexican rock LP, and immigration-inspired folk songs, Felix and Ana Maria remind us that music is always more than its words, and that discovery—of roots, of stories, of diverse sounds—is endless and joyful.

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This summary is designed for listeners who want the core of the episode’s music discoveries, context, and warm Alt.Latino conversational style in a compact, structured read.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Felix Contreras]

I think I am ready.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Are you ready?

[Felix Contreras]

I'm back.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You're back.

[Felix Contreras]

I had to take some time off, don't mind saying. I had a hip replacement and had to take some time off. I asked the doctor to insert a hip bone. That would make me a better dancer.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So have you tested it yet?

[Felix Contreras]

I'm still limping around with a cane.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix. New hip, new you.

[Felix Contreras]

That's it, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I missed you.

[Felix Contreras]

I miss doing this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, mostly I miss doing this.

[Felix Contreras]

I missed you, too. Yeah. Okay, I'll say it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Good. Thank you.

[Felix Contreras]

From NPR Music, this is Alt Latino. I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Let the chisme begin. Oh, my God. It's so nice not to have to be the one to lead that off.

[Felix Contreras]

Thank you, Felix.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Such a hard job.

[Felix Contreras]

Well, it's been forever, so we got a lot of new music. That's what we're doing this week. I gave you the first choice, so go ahead, take it away.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's my turn. And let me introduce you to my today's theme. Ooh. It's summer in Brazil.

[Felix Contreras]

Ooh. Oh, my gosh, that sounds fun.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Carnaval is happening. I'm not there. You're not there, but we can pretend we're there. I brought all Brazilian artists today, Felix, and I'm so excited because I think you don't know any of them, and that makes me even more excited. Okay. To start us off, this is an album. I'm not even going to give you the name yet, but it's three absolute giants in the Brazilian and Portuguese language alternative scene that came together. I'm going to tell you the story, but first I'll play you a little bit of music, Simon.

[Felix Contreras]

Nice.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, ready? So here's story time. So I'm going to introduce you to each of these three artists, the first being Amaro Freitas. Amaro is basically this prodigy of a jazz pianist. He's someone who's been absolutely conquering the country. It's he's doing this new, fresh style, Felix, that you'll hear throughout the album. I actually spoke spoke with him at the Latin Grammys, and he put into context the overwhelming size and, by extension, the diversity of Brazil. He told me Brazil is an incredible country, but you can find several Brazils. This is something that he's known since he started his career, Felix. And so he began with this curiosity about the diversity of his country, and it led him to starting to explore different parts. He went to the Amazon first. The question I asked myself when I went was, there are more than 300 languages, but why do I only speak Portuguese? He told me he had this theory about why that cultural reduction happened in Brazil. So that explains a little bit about the colonization plan in our country. He told me, when I was studying at school, I didn't learn about the Amazon and the indigenous people who live there today. I didn't learn about their language. I didn't see it as important. It's important for us to understand indigenous culture. It's important for us to understand African culture. So, Felix, that's when Amaro decided to develop this plan. He told me today, in my musical work, it has been very important to connect my work with indigenous culture and African culture and somehow represent that. Okay, so, Felix, this is where Amado left off starting his career. Fast forward to two years ago, and he's touring Portugal with Criollo, who's this other major giant featured on the album. He's an absolute legend in the hip hop and MVP space, completely distinct from where Amato comes from. He got his start in freestyle work around the country in the 90s and has made a name for himself mixing hip hop with mvp, samba and brega. So Criolo, he tells Amaro, you have to know about this guy. His name is Dino de Santiago. He's a Portuguese artist from Cabo Verde. This is Giant number three. He's a leader of the Afro electronics scene in Lisbon, blending Morna, Batuco and Funana, all basically traditional sounds from Cabo Verde with electronic sounds. He also, Felix, happens to collaborate with Madonna a lot. So it's rare in general that you see Brazilian and Portuguese artists collaborating in big ways. So they set out to make this album. It's simply called Criolo Amaro Edino. This is more from that first song I played you, Seca.

[Felix Contreras]

I love that backstory. You know, when you think about Brazil, and I don't know that people think about it often, it's so big and there's so many different musical cultures there. You could spend your whole life just exploring each little small cultural tradition there. It's just. It's just so fascinating, so big. And I love when they bring all this other stuff together, man. Okay, you got my attention.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And that's the beauty of it, right, Felix? Like, you're talking about three of the Greatest minds in the world of Portuguese language music coming together and taking all the disparate or seemingly disparate roots of a past Brazil, of a present Brazil, and making them not only coexist in this record, but like, really make beautiful musical sense. I do want to play you another track. It's called Novento de Nor.

[Felix Contreras]

You know, the acoustic piano and the acoustic guitar on that track. It reminds me of Brazilian artist Escberto Gismonti, who, you know, built his whole musical career and style on drawing from those cultures, those musical cultures, and mixing it with jazz and classical. That's what I get a little hint of that on this. And just as much a sense of discovery from these guys. Really, man, just what a great record.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's such a natural blend. And that chorus they're feeling, they say, ah, the wind of us, the voices in the earth call out ah, on the skin and the voice, the dreams of the soul dance. I mean, there's beautiful writing here too, which is fundamental to Brazil. I have to have us go out on one last track that I think you're gonna absolutely love, Felix. It's called Menina de Coco de Car. That was Criolo Amaro Edino, the record by Criolo Amaro Freitas Edino di Santiago.

[Felix Contreras]

Very nice.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, your turn.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, so speaking of indigenous music and indigenous references again, boy, I take some time off and we're still connected that way. We didn't even discuss this. I've got a record by a musician the name of Javier Jara, and he's a Latin American folk singer from Ecuador based in Austin, Texas. And he had a very cool project. It was a series of profiles of people from Latin America set to song. And the music is from.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Almost brought this record in.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh my God. So you, you know, then let me tell the rest of the listeners. The music is from various Latin American folk traditions. The album's called Our Rhythms, Our Voices. This is a track called A Juan or Two Juan. This is Javier Jara. This is one of those multi platform projects that I'm really, I'm very fond of. I think they did a great job with this. If you go to his website, you'll see photos of people and brief explanation of their lives which represents each track on the album. You click on a photo, you see a short bio and a link to a live performance of the song that he did in Austin. This track called A Juan or Two Juan is a story about a guy named Juan who is from Lloyagua Potosi in Bolivia. You can hear in the lyric. He comes from very, very rural mining family. But his last quote really got my attention. He says, I like the norms, the laws of the United States, the cleanliness that exists in the rivers. When I saw for the first time the clear water of the river, it was impressive. I was impressed by the streets, the grass, the education about taking care of the environment, the cleanliness that everyone cared so much about. That impressed me a lot. And even though you might not believe me, I like to pay taxes, to feel part of this society. Right? And the whole record is like, if you click on it, I listen to the whole thing. I clicked on each picture, I listened to the songs, the whole thing. It's an important album and message in this moment when our immigrant neighbors and friends are being hunted down and kidnapped. It's a reminder of the human lives that are being threatened right now. And this music and the stories bring all of that together and remind us about that. The album's called Our Rhythms, Our Voices. Great photography, great lyrics. The music's by Javier Jara, and the website is Our Rhythms, Our Voices. Dot com. It's worth checking out.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I'm laughing because I listened to all of your songs except that one, and I was like, oh, I guess I didn't hear this one. And I heard the whole record. I listened to the whole thing and I loved the concept and I love this idea of like, him collecting sound this way. And it doesn't always work, right. Like, I've heard some people do this more kind of almost like anthropological research oriented, one could say, type of record. And it doesn't sound as authentic. And I think there's something about him and how he approaches it, that it really fits into the spirit of all of the things he's trying to embody.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, it's a really. It's a great record. I'm glad we found it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I'm glad we found it. Wow, you really have been away a while. You're not even trying to fight for full credit on this one. Well, you heard it, we found it together.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, your turn.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, my turn. Okay, so we're going back to Brazil. We're now going to Brazil's countryside, this place called the Vale. And by the way, this is a disclaimer. I'm probably butchering every single Portuguese word. I now have it in my head that I'm going to take a Portuguese intensive after this, okay? So just bear with me. Vale de Paraiba region, which is in the Sao Paulo state. This is a super, super new baby band. It's called Infinito Latente. And I'm going to play you a little bit of this song first. It's called Amanas a Su. If I see the. The fool of this is our loses Mira.

[Felix Contreras]

Very different from the first track.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Very different from the first track. As we established, Brazil is very diverse. That chorus, Felix, so beautiful. It says, despite missing you so much, you make your presence felt so strongly. I know how many days there are in a month which gives me maybe reasons to believe again in the world you promised me from the depths of your eyes A thousand blue tomorrows oh, my gosh, I know. So one of the things that Amado told me that I found fascinating is he's like, I actually have trouble as someone who does improvisation sometimes finding an audience in Brazil, because there's this absolutely incredible songwriting culture in Brazil. And the things that really people love is a single, simple, straight, beautiful melody that people can just lay these absolutely decadent, gorgeous, poetic lyrics over. And that's this band, really. I mean, it was formed by this singer songwriter, Maira Bastos, and this musician, Jao Lu Sam. They came together in the countryside in the region I described, Vale de Paraiba. And what they did is they. They just came together as a voice and a guitar, and this. The project is really rooted in the region's really strong independent songwriting culture. So then, you know, they form this band that they. They put together a full thing. I'm going to play you one more track off this album. It's called Gota por Got.

[Felix Contreras]

That drum track is mesmerizing. Snare hits on an offbeat just brings you in, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I think what's really cool about this, Felix, is there's this. This kind of. I wouldn't say musical divide in Brazil, but there is really this distinction between kind of like the rural, pastoral kind of rooted music. And they have kind of a dominance in a large part of the country. I've discussed this with a lot of people, and then the music you hear coming out of the cities. And so what they actually did is they recorded this record between Sao Paulo city and then Sao Luis de Pataringo, which is a kind of historic town. It's known for kind of having a lot of rich culture and music. And they really do do this blend. They don't lose that kind of rural songwriting rais that they have, but then they blend it with kind of like indie pop and lo fi texture and all of these things. And also, you know, mpb Brazilian popular music, which I mentioned earlier. And you get this really interesting contemporary sound, but it's still so rich with, with so much of, of what, you know, makes the rural parts of Brazil shine. And I love they describe it as translating existential restlessness and everyday reflections into music which you can feel. I think, actually.

[Felix Contreras]

I buy that.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So that was the record Semnisio Nemfim by the very brand new band Infinito La Tente. And I think it's time for a break. Felix, do you remember those?

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, if we have to, because I got some really cool stuff. Even more cool stuff coming up. We'll be right back.

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, Felix, we're back from break. How does it feel? You're still here. You made it.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm still here. My hip's feeling good, the music feeling great. So let's just keep going.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I'm to have to wait for it for us at the end of this, you realize that.

[Felix Contreras]

Not yet, man. I still have my cane. Okay. I got something pretty special. It's all special. But this next record is a re release of something that was never really released. Okay. And it's a listen. Hear me out. It's an ideal time capsule of rock music, music in Latin America from back in 1971. There's lots to talk about, but first the music. This is a track called Life of Love by Hernan Rock con las Vosis Frescas from Mexico. Check it out. The. Okay, where to start? All right. Because it's.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's calm, your emotion, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

It's really a fascinating backstory.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Felix Contreras]

This album was released in 1971. Like I said, Ernan Rock. That's R O, C, H. He's from Mexico. His name is Hernando Rocha from Monterrey. As a teenager, he lived in the US in the late 60s and he was heavily influenced by the music scene back then. Now think about it. In 1970 alone, the releases were Let It Be, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, the Doors, Morrison Hotel, Grateful Dead, Working Man's Dead, American Beauty. It's fascinating to hear the impact of all that music on this young guy from Mexico who in addition to all that, decided to sing in English. It's just a mix of stuff and it really reflects what was going on in Mexican rock at that time. A lot of it was in English. The whole Spanish language thing was still in development. I brought another track. Check this out. This is called Sitting on the side of the Ocean. Watching the time. I try to keep the tears from growing through my eyes Never mind put in the sway and now I got to cry away and I'll die I'll die away. And I'll cry away.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Till I die.

[Felix Contreras]

It has a sitting on the dock of the bay kind of feel in a way, huh? Right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh my God. Yeah.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, so now let's talk about the album release and why we never heard of this record. 1971 was a pivotal year for the burgeoning Mexican rock scene. There was a Woodstock styled festival called Avandaro. And this drew over 300,000 kids showed up. Lots of bands, also lots of drugs and other stuff the young people were doing back then. It was just like Woodstock. How are you feeling? Yeah, not me. Never. Except the Mexican government at that time wasn't as permissive of what was going on here in the United States. And they really started this crackdown on the Mexican rock scene. A lot of people were thrown in jail. The government called the Music, cultural imperialism. So this album was released, but it had a limited release, and then it completely disappeared into the vaults. It's re released now by one of my favorite record labels. I got to give them a shout out. I always do Monster Records, Vampy Soul out of Madrid. And I mention her name because they're. They're experts at finding these significant archival albums and bands and releasing them with exhaustive liner notes and background info. You'll hear that a lot of these Mexican rock bands, and if you look online, some of the. The streaming services, you can find these bands heavily influenced the rock and espanol movement about 20 years later in the 1990s. Again, this is Hernan Rock con las vos fresas. The album's called La Honda.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, we're really in story mode today.

[Felix Contreras]

I know. Well, there's, you know, there's the backstories of the music. Is. Is. Is always the stuff that, like, fascinates me. The music's great. And then when you know the backstory, like the. All the Brazilian stuff you're talking about, you know, 100%. Okay, take it away.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh, my God. We're already my last track. Okay, so we're gonna fly again. Because, as you know, Felix, Brazil is so big, you really, like. You have to fly everywhere. I've actually been told by some Brazilian artists it is easier to fly to the US And Europe to tour than it is to fly around Brazil touring sometimes. Like, that is how large it is.

[Felix Contreras]

Wow.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. So we're gonna fly to a Lagoas, which is in the northeast part of Brazil, because I'm gonna talk about an album that's a collaboration between Joao Menezes, who's an amazing composer from that region, with another amazing artist, Paulo Nova. This album is called Coisa Ybrida, Literally hybrid thing. And this song is called Uma Gansa, a song.

[Felix Contreras]

You know, Ara.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yes.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm thinking about all the people who complained and not to bring them up again, but all the people who complained about Bad Bunny halftime Show because they couldn't understand the lyrics.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Sure.

[Felix Contreras]

You. Neither you or I speak Portuguese.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Exactly.

[Felix Contreras]

But I think we always appreciate the beauty of the. Of the music itself and the sound of the language and the flow and all that. So, you know, so not understanding something is just an excuse for a lot of other things. But there's. There's also, like, just. There's a lot of beauty in being able to hear something new for the first time that's new to you and. And learn to appreciate it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I honestly I couldn't agree more.

[Announcer]

I.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That's. That's one of the things that I love about listening to Brazilian and Portuguese music in general is it kind of does take you and put you back in that position of, you know, maybe other people who don't understand a lot of the music that we bring in, the sense of understanding Spanish. And it takes you back to the purpose of music. Music speaks music. Hablando de music. The thing, right? The collection of sounds speaks beyond lyrics. And I think that so much of. Yeah, exactly what I brought today, you can hear that. And not to bring it back to Amaro, but, man, he's so wise. And I was spending time with that interview, and he did tell me he was like, part of what I love about instrumental music is that I can be thinking of a sunset or an ocean, and someone else thinks of a sunrise or a mountain. And all of those things are valid, right? All of those things are an honest interpretation of my music. And so I think that, too, is if the core of the sound is there, if the core of the sound is beautiful enough to invoke something, anything, it's doing its job, even if it's not taking you to the original, you know, idea of the composer. And what's beautiful about this project, Felix, is you once again have this marriage of multiple parts of a Brazilian identity. So, like I said, we're spending time in the north because the composer, Joao, he's from the North. The other artist, Paolo, he's from Sao Paulo. So they actually described it as a superposition of different universes without effort, because they met, the two of them. Jowl had only ever released one EP in 2018. He's mostly just a composer. And Paolo, you know, he's a more prolific artist. He's won a Latin Grammy, so he has a little bit more of a presence. And they just came together and they found this beautiful friendship that turned into an album that wasn't the intention, but they just came together, were like, let's make things together. Paolo, having this city sensibility and jao, this kind of, you know, northern coastal sensibility. And what you get is this beautiful project that is supposed to be, yes, evoking, you know, summer and sunshine and coast and all of these beautiful things that I think you can hear. But also, it's really just whatever you want it to be. And I think that when you bring two distinct and different disparate things together, it's easier to imagine a lot of possibilities.

[Felix Contreras]

We have the best jobs, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Dude, literally, I walked around listening to like five albums for like three hours yesterday. It was incredible.

[Felix Contreras]

Someone's gotta do it, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Someone's gotta do the work. That was the album Coisa Ybrida by Joao Meneses and Paulo Noveas. Okay, Felix, take us home.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, I've got another Mexican artist, a contemporary Mexican artist, a guy named Libertad. It's Mexican fol folk, North American folk. He's been around for a while and he's collaborated with a bunch of people, including members of Cafeta Cuba. He's got an upcoming album called Canciones del Desierto. This is a single called Deja el Hayer.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix never not on his country kick.

[Felix Contreras]

This album leans a little bit more country. It's more intentional than some of his past work. But what this track in particular, what really struck me is just how perfectly Spanish fits into a banjo riff. It really does. The phonetics of Spanish fit into the whole banjo thing, you know? Fans of Mexican rock might recognize his name as a former lead singer of a band called Los del Abajo, a ska band. And he's also known as Western Gitano. I don't know why, but that's what he's called. He's got a series of albums exploring the folk traditions from both sides of the border. And I'm really very interested to know what the rest of the album sounds like. Again, the artist is Liberterran. Deja El Ayer is the name of the track. And the album's gonna be called Canciones del Desierto. It's coming out in a couple weeks. That's all I got.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That's all you got, Felix. A new hip and that's all you got?

[Felix Contreras]

That's all I could carry with my new hip. You have been listening to alt latino. Our audio editor is noah caldwell.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

The executive producer of npr music is saraya mohamed.

[Felix Contreras]

Executive director is sonali mehta. I'm felix contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm ana maria sayer.

[Felix Contreras]

Thank you for listening. Foreign.

[Announcer]

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