Alt.Latino: Dominican indie, Peruvian cumbia and experimental Argentine pop

Summary

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NPR Music: Alt.Latino – Dominican Indie, Peruvian Cumbia, and Experimental Argentine Pop

Date: April 1, 2026
Hosts: Ana Maria Sayer & Felix Contreras
Episode Focus: A vibrant exploration of fresh Latin music spanning Dominican indie, Peruvian psychedelic cumbia, experimental Argentine pop, and borderless collaborations—woven together with deep-dive commentary, anecdotes, and playful banter.

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Main Theme / Purpose

This week’s Alt.Latino episode spotlights remarkable new releases and artists redefining Latin music’s boundaries. The hosts, Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras, revel in the subtlety of Dominican indie, the hypnotic grooves of Peruvian cumbia, the genre-defying sound of Argentina’s experimental scene, innovative French-Colombian collaborations, and the emotional profundity of Puerto Rico’s Draco Rosa. The episode’s guiding thread: musical innovation intertwines with tradition, personal narrative, and a persistent sense that, in Latin music, borders are an illusion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter and Segue (00:32–02:00)

• Ana Maria shares a humorous story about her “Aqua Spin for Seniors” business idea—setting a light, playful tone.
• Felix jokes about being her first student, segueing smoothly into the music discussion.

“Maybe something we play this week will make it onto the Aqua spin class. How’s that for transition?”
— Felix Contreras (01:46)

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2. Dominican Indie: Alex Ferreira’s ‘El Arte de Esperar’ (02:00–09:30)

Overview:

• Ana introduces Dominican indie pioneer Alex Ferreira and his subtle, poetic new album, El Arte de Esperar.
• The Dominican indie scene is “small but mighty,” with Alex as a pillar since 2010.

Discussion Points:

• Ferreira’s style: gentle, alternative indie, “firmly rooted in the percussion of the island.”
• His consistency across albums—a “subtle leveling up,” never straying from his roots.
• Production and songwriting lauded as “absolute poetry.”

Felix’s Perspective:

• Felix describes his initial indifference, then a change of heart while listening on California’s Highway 1, noting how context transforms the music experience.
• Praises the creative use of rhythm: “It’s there, but it’s not derivative.”

Theme:

• The subtle power of Alex’s music: a soothing antidote rather than an energizer.
• Album’s central idea: new perspectives on time, fatherhood, and the art of waiting.

“This is the power, the art of the subtlety of Alex Ferreira. He’s not an artist who hits you over the head.”
— Ana Maria (06:45)

Fun Fact:
Alex met his wife only after both lived on the same block in Madrid for years, then happened to sit together in a restaurant in Mexico City (08:01).

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3. Peruvian Cumbia & Retro Grooves: La Lom x Los Mirlos (09:30–12:23)

Music Spotlight:

• Felix features Southern California trio La Lom (Los Angeles League of Musicians) and Peruvian cumbia legends Los Mirlos with their new single “Luchando.”

Discussion Points:

• Joyful, psychedelic, “twangy guitar,” and infectious rhythms.
• Los Mirlos’ role as pioneers of “Cumbia Amazonica” or “Chicha”—a psychedelic, guitar-driven Peruvian variant of cumbia.
• The chicha revival in the US, citing bands Money Chicha (Austin) and Chicha Libre (NY).

“I can never get enough of the psychedelic cumbia.”
— Felix Contreras (10:56)

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4. Experimental Argentine Pop: Broke Cary’s ‘Hijo del País’ (12:23–18:02)

Music Spotlight:

• Ana spotlights Broke Cary, the artist behind the new album Hijo del País, with tracks like “Renacimient,” “Miguelit,” and “Monument.”

Discussion Points:

• Argentina as a hotbed for experimentation: “There’s always something interesting going on.”
• The album’s seamless blend of cutting-edge synthetic sounds and deeply traditional Argentine roots.
• The “triplet feel”—the rhythmic heartbeat of the Andes—interpreted through modern, layered production.

“Defy tradition. Lean on tradition. Expand tradition. Putting this on a playlist.”
— Felix Contreras (15:36)

Memorable Moment:

• Ana laughs over the song “Monument,” whose chorus is, “I’m gonna construct a monument to your butt. Just phenomenal. Top class writing.” (17:42)

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5. Borderless Collaboration: Nidia Góngora & Reco Reco ‘Nuevo Rios’ (20:41–26:03)

Music Spotlight:

• Felix introduces a genre-blending collaboration between Colombian vocalist Nidia Góngora and French trio Reco Reco from their album Nuevo Rios.

Discussion Points:

• Góngora’s roots in traditional Colombian marimba and allegre drums.
• Reco Reco’s borderless experimentation: cumbia, merengue, Mexican trival, Brazilian forró, hip hop.
• The philosophical notion: “Borders don’t exist in music.”

“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.”
— Felix Contreras (22:52)

• Reco Reco is also a Brazilian percussion instrument, akin to a güiro, adding another layer of musical connection.

“Music is everything. It’s just a geography, it’s not a genre … the beauty of music—borders don’t exist in music.”
— Ana Maria (24:19)

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6. Modern Mexican Electronica: Sotomayor’s ‘Wabi Sabi’ (26:03–30:09)

Music Spotlight:

• Ana plays two tracks from Sotomayor’s Wabi Sabi, crafted by a sibling DJ duo from Mexico City.

Discussion Points:

• Electronica with globally-rooted percussion; seamless, easy-listening yet deeply rhythmic.
• Their unique niche through collaborations and collaborations (e.g., Eduardo Cabra), blending Mexico City and Puerto Rican flavors.

“There’s something about just like a really nice, like … percussion is so instructive. It’s like one of the clearest nods to different places and experiences. And it’s one of the most unifying things.”
— Ana Maria (27:27)

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7. Emotional Depth and Artistry: Draco Rosa’s ‘Colores de Ayer’ (30:09–33:50)

Music Spotlight:

• Felix closes out with Draco Rosa’s “Colores de Ayer” from the upcoming album Olas de Luz.

Discussion Points:

• Draco’s storied history—from Menudo to songwriting and solo innovation.
• Candid discussion of his cancer journey and how it shaped his philosophical and musical outlook.
• The album’s core: navigating external chaos with introspection and calm, through profound lyrics and signature voice.

“That perspective doesn’t make [the chaos] go away. It just offers a way to deal with it.”
— Felix Contreras (32:30)

• Both hosts describe him as a “hidden gem” and deep thinker whose music reveals his artistic vision.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Genre and Identity:
  “Latin music is everything. It’s just a geography, it’s not a genre ... borders don’t exist in music.”
  — Ana Maria Sayer (24:19)

• On Artistic Consistency:
  “He never really comes away from that [percussion]. And ever since he started making music, he has been consistent on this front.”
  — Ana Maria Sayer (02:00)

• On Sonic Transformation:
  “I heard it in a completely different way than when I just played it on ... my earbuds from Spotify.”
  — Felix Contreras (05:37)

• On Argentine Humor:
  “The chorus, literally, ‘I’m going to construct a monument to your butt’—just phenomenal. Top class writing.”
  — Ana Maria Sayer (17:42)

• On Age and Perspective:
  “Everything changes once you become a parent and nobody prepares you for that. It’s a shock, but it’s a pleasant shock, a wonderful shock.”
  — Felix Contreras (09:01)

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Timestamps for Essential Segments

• 02:00 — Alex Ferreira (Dominican indie) intro and album breakdown
• 05:37 — Felix’s transformative listening experience with Ferreira
• 09:30 — La Lom x Los Mirlos (“Luchando”): Peruvian cumbia and chicha
• 12:23 — Broke Cary (Argentine experimental pop): album highlights, humor, and tradition
• 20:41 — Nidia Góngora x Reco Reco (“Nuevo Rios”): French-Colombian borderless fusion
• 26:03 — Sotomayor (“Wabi Sabi”): Mexican sibling electronica
• 30:09 — Draco Rosa (“Colores de Ayer”): history, resilience, and lyrical depth

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Tone & Language

• Characteristically Alt.Latino: mixing insightful musical analysis with warmth, wit, and “chisme” (gossip).
• Language is informal, direct, and personal; plenty of playful ribbing, emotional sincerity, and deep mutual respect.

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Conclusion

This dynamic episode takes listeners on an energizing and emotional journey: from subtle Dominican indie to deep Peruvian grooves, electrifying Argentine artistry, genre-transcending collaborations, and soul-searching Puerto Rican songwriting. With each segment, Ana Maria and Felix demonstrate why listening beyond genre tags and borders opens up a vast world of feeling, craft, and connection.

If you love thoughtful, adventurous music talk, this episode’s for you. Go share it with a friend!

Transcript

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

So, Felix, did I tell you about my new second career plan? Speaking of pools?

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, let's hear it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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, like, 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, gasolina while they're, like, doing their spinning. I really think that could be my gig.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay. It's unfortunate you said old ladies, because I was considering signing up for an Aqua spin class here at Aquatic center, right down the street from my.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You're my first student. I'm not.

[Felix Contreras]

Wait.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This is such an amazing plan.

[Felix Contreras]

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

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Let the chisme begin. And this week's chisme is the lady that Felix met in Aqua Spin. Right.

[Felix Contreras]

Let's just keep going, 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.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That was one of your better ones, and I usually don't like them.

[Felix Contreras]

You're first.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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. So, like I mentioned, Alex Ferreira has really been fundamental to me in this fostering of this Dominican indie scene, like I said, it's very small but very mighty. This particular version of it, which I, again, like I said, I've mentioned before, started, like, early 2000s. Like I said, Alex started in 2010. You have bands like Solo Fernandez, a couple of these artists who really pioneered and insisted on bringing this particular varietal 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 of 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 is 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 absolute poetry. I want to play you a cut of another song called Monte Adentro. Con las ramas.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm not gonna lie, when you first sent me a track to listen to, I wasn't super impressed, okay? But I'd listened 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. 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 Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico that defy expectations. There's a little hint of percussion, you know, because I'm listening always for the drum stuff. But Alex Ferraira, it's like, it's there, but it's not derivative, but it's a creative use of rhythm. And that's what I heard on the record. And that's what I really like, that he represents that indie scene. It's really good record.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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, the art of the subtlety of Alex Ferreira. 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, oh yeah, I remember that there are albums for him, like his 2021 album for me. It's not one 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 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 too. It's called literally El Arte de Esperar the Art of Waiting. Fun fact about Alex, he is married to his wife, the love of his life. They have a beautiful three year old little baby. He and his wife lived on the same block in 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 fell in love.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And so to me I'm like, there's nothing more emblematic of Alex's life then El arde Esperad. 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, Felix, 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.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, everything changes once you become a parent and nobody prepares you for that. It's a shock, but it's a pleasant shock, a wonderful shock.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Anyways, I love this record. I didn't completely love it at first and then after a few listens, maybe like my fourth listen, I cried the whole way through. It was crazy. It was like the first three listens I was like, whatever. And then the fourth listen I was like. Was like, oh my God, this is beautiful. That was a couple of tracks from the new Alex Ferreira album, El Arte de Esperar.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, I'm going to go into cumbia land for a second. All right.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Ooh. Okay.

[Felix Contreras]

This is a group called La Lom. They're a Southern California instrumental retro trio. It's actually an acronym, and I'll explain later. Very much a twangy guitar sound. And they collaborated on a new single with a group called Los Mirlos, and they are a longtime Peruvian psychedelic cumbia band. Their new single is just a single. It's a pure moment of joy. It's called Lu Chando. Check it out,

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Sam.

[Felix Contreras]

I can never get enough of the psychedelic cumbia.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

There's so many bands doing such amazing work in this space. Like, I think about even, like a combo chimbita, I think about. You know, there's so many artists coming continually emerging out of Tlavia, Bogota, you know, Barranquilla, even, who are doing this varietal. It's such a cool style, space, and genre.

[Felix Contreras]

And this is the Peruvian version. Los Muertos were formed in 1972. They're pioneers of what they call Cumbia Amazonica, that psychedelic, guitar driven cumbia that came out of Peru in the 70s. It's also referred to as Chicha, which is. And it's named after an alcoholic drink from Peru. It's a reflection of how many countries have developed their own version of the Colombian cumbia and the different cultures and sounds and context that they add to the music. Chicha, here in this country, it became popular around 2010 or so because there's a group in Austin called Money Chicha. We played their music. There's Chicha Libre in New York. We played their music. Came out around 2010, 2015. And La Lone, by the way, is an acronym. It stands for Los Angeles League of Musicians. And one of the many bands exploring that reverb, heavy, twangy guitar thing, you know, Hermanos Gutierrez comes to mind a lot of different things like that, but this in particular is La Lom. The track is just a single. It's called Luchando, and it features Los Muertos. I'm here for it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay. Ooh, Felix. Okay, so this record is why I'm bouncing off the walls today. Please tell me you haven't listened yet.

[Felix Contreras]

I haven't listened.

[Joanna Strober]

Thank God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, so this is an Argentine artist, Super baby, Super Fresh names, bro. Carrie just released this album called Hijo del Pais. This track is called Renacimient. Argentina.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, I'm gonna play you another track before I get into it. This One's called Miguelit.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So this album, like I said, called Hijo del Pais, I think is literally perfectly named. 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 Cattle Pacuamoroso. I'm saying it now with this guy. Really, I was so impressed when I heard this album. Like, it's. It's unique in 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 are somehow the most traditional moments, like the synth drops. And then you also hear something that feels like super del campo, super of the centuries of tradition that exist around Argentine music. I mean, it's just so amazing.

[Felix Contreras]

So you know what makes it that way, Anna? Is that triplet feel, that. Check it. To check it. Which is like the. Like, the heartbeat of the Andes and so much of South America. And that first track, that triplet feel is there, but then sonically in production, all this other stuff, it stops and starts, all these different layers. I was like, boom. You had me right there, man. Like, there's so much to listen to. It's one of these sounds that I just love. Defy tradition. Lean on tradition. Expand tradition. Putting this on a playlist.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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 Monument.

[Felix Contreras]

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 Latino that goes out on the broadcast air, this is the song you're getting.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh, I'm listening on the podcast. Lucky day.

[Felix Contreras]

This is the song you're gonna hear on the podcast.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

But really, truly, I mean, the chorus, literally, I'm gonna construct a monument to your butt. Is just phenomenal. Just top class writing. That was a few songs from the artist Broke Cary off his new album, Hijo del Pais.

[Felix Contreras]

Is it time for a break?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I think you might be right, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

All right, let's take a break.

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, so we're back from break, Felix, and there's a couple really key things. Housekeeping, maybe you could say, or requests that we have. We love talking to all of you, but more so we want to hear you speak back to us. You can do that a couple ways. One is by commenting. The other is by sending us an [e-mail] 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 that you love, that we love, that we made. So go for it.

[Felix Contreras]

Absolutely. The more the merrier, because then they'll get to hear songs like what I'm going to play right now. Oh my God. Oh my God. Okay. This is a collaboration between a well known Colombian folk vocalist and a French trio that is almost impossible to describe. This is vocalist.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It sounds like a three somethings walk into a bar joke, but let's hear it.

[Felix Contreras]

This is vocalist Nidia Gongora and the Toulouse based trio called Reco Reco. The album is called Nuevo Rios. I'm going to play something called Sumba Alle. Check this out, Am I right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, no, you're right. Wow. Really great selection today.

[Felix Contreras]

Nidia Gongora is the leader of a group called Canalon de Timbiqui. Very traditional, lots of marimba, all the allegri drums, which I know you like, love. And she's also known for work with collaborations with groups like Quantic on the Tropica, the Bongo Hop, which have all been featured here on Latino, I'm proud to say over the years, a record, Reco, like I said, is from France. It's a trio and they lean into the cool sounds like cumbia, merengue, Mexican, trival, Brazilian. For whole hip hop, they do all kinds of stuff. It's my favorite kind of mashup. Just like when we heard in the song before. Because borders and 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, you know. Percussion, of course, is like I'm there like in so many ways to listen. Each track on this record is an adventure and a real quick little note. Reco. Reco is a Brazilian percussion instrument and it's like a weedle. The weedle is the instrument, the scratcher instrument that's used all over Latin America. And it's usually a gourd of some kind, an elongated gourd, hollowed out, dried out. In the Brazilian folk tradition, Reco. Reco is metal and the scratching sound comes from these metal strings that are right on the front. It's a very, very distinct sound. Just like this band, these three guys, Bastienne Andreou, Juan Kowalcheski and Timothe Alcorn. 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.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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 dude, what about like 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 there's something really beautiful to artists or a band that can create something that feels so seamlessly borderless, like that's the thing up front, 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.

[Felix Contreras]

This is a perfect example of that. And I gotta play one more so you can hear it. This track is called Mi Bombo, and bombo's a type of drum. Check it out. Nuevos Rios is the name of the group. The album is called Nuevos Rios and we heard soon by Ale and Mi Bombo.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

We've already made it to my final pick, which I think actually flows a little bit with what you just played. I'm going to play you a track off of the new Sotomayor record. This album is called Wabi Sabi. It's technically a collaboration with Pawa y Tonga Konga, but that's just the individual DJ names, names of the sibling duo that make up this band. This song is called Si Tevas.

[Felix Contreras]

It does flow from the last track.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It does flow, right?

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

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. 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 and experiences. And it's one of the most unifying things. Like, a lot of things shift, but I feel like percussion always kind of comes back to similar places. This duo, super cute. They're a sibling duo in Mexico City. They each have their own independent DJ projects. Their first album they ever released was in 2015. And they just have these kind of really nice, easy listening, kind of fun electronic records that have this beautiful, you know, percussion basis. They've worked a lot with people like Eduardo Cabra. They've worked, you know, a lot in Mexico City, a lot in Puerto Rico. They're just beloved, I think, in. 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.

[Felix Contreras]

Still Lots to listen to. Percussive wise.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I like that 100%. They blend a lot of nice sounds together. That was a couple tracks off of the new Sotomayor album. The album is called Wabi Sabi.

[Felix Contreras]

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. Draco 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 Hayer. It's from an upcoming album called Holas de Luz. This is Draco Rosa. For me, man. It's all. It's La Letra. The lyrics, the voice, that's for me. That's the magic of Draco 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 menudo in the 1980s along with Ricky Martin, and he left at age 16. And from there he launched his successful career as a songwriter for a whole bunch of other artists. He started doing his own projects and like I said, various genres in various contexts. 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. Caetano Veloso, Luis Alberto Spineta from. 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, then was a relapse. And from what I understand, 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, but it offers a space of calm and introspection. And that. That perspective doesn't make it go away. It just offers a way to deal with it. And that's. I think this whole record is like that.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

He really never misses Felix. Like he's one of those. That record after record. There's something really profound in a thematic sense, but I think more just in the depth of. Of what he creates his art in and how he presents it. And he's really kind of one of those hidden gems, I think. Yeah.

[Felix Contreras]

And I think I mentioned this on the show before, but I think it was during the pandemic we had an interview, one of these live interviews we did.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yes.

[Felix Contreras]

And, and he's it's just he's such a deep thinker, man. You can talk philosophy, art, you can talk about all these things and then eventually get around to music.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You can hear that. You can hear that in the music.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, it's reflected in his work. The album was called Holas de Luz. That track was Colores de Higher, and that was Draco Rosa. You have been listening to alt latino from npr music. 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]

You say it this week.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Thank you for listening. Listening.

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