Alt.Latino: Guitarricadelafuente, Lido Pimienta, more

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Songs Considered – Episode: Alt.Latino: Guitarricadelafuente, Lido Pimienta, more

Introduction

In this vibrant episode of NPR's flagship music discovery show, All Songs Considered, hosts Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras delve into the dynamic world of Alt.Latino music. Released on May 14, 2025, this episode spotlights a diverse array of Latin artists, exploring their latest releases, unique sounds, and the stories behind their music. From the heartfelt melodies of Guitarricadelafuente to the symphonic transformations of Lido Pimienta, the hosts provide an engaging and insightful journey through contemporary Latin music.

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Guitarricadelafuente: "Spanish Leather" and the Track "Babieca"

The episode kicks off with an in-depth discussion about Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente and his eagerly anticipated second album, Spanish Leather, set to release on May 16. Ana Maria Sayer expresses her enthusiasm:

“The record, Felix, it's so much tighter. It's grown up. It's that same energy… He always plays with structure… it's magic to me. It's cinema.” ([02:30])

Guitarricadelafuente's evolution from his 2022 debut is highlighted, emphasizing the album's refined sound and experimental structures. The focus track, "Babieca," is praised for its captivating lyrics and intricate instrumentation:

“En la madrugada, tevi estaba comiendo el techo… it's a pistol to the chest. And then at the exact same moment, the music, it just colors it.” ([03:00])

Ana elaborates on the artist's ability to blend contemporary electronic elements with traditional strings, creating a rich, multi-layered listening experience.

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Aiden Milanes: Exploring New Musical Horizons

Next, the hosts turn their attention to Aiden Milanes, a singer-songwriter from Havana, Cuba. Felix introduces her latest single, "Un Amor Ques de Mora," setting the stage for a discussion about her artistic journey:

“She's been very, very successful at establishing her own voice… Her voice adapts to different styles.” ([06:08])

Ana Maria and Felix delve into Milanes' ability to transcend her father's legacy—Pablo Milanese, an iconic Cuban musician—and carve out her own niche. Her exploration of bachata, a Dominican genre, is highlighted as a testament to her versatility and commitment to musical innovation.

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Macario Martinez: From Street Sweeper to Rising Star

The conversation shifts to the inspiring story of Marcario Martinez, a 23-year-old street sweeper from Mexico City whose music career skyrocketed after a viral TikTok video in January. Ana Maria sets the narrative:

“He has like taken the world by storm… Almost 50 million views to date.” ([09:00])

Felix adds his personal connection, mentioning his role in teaching Martinez music:

“I loved this man. I love this story.” ([10:32])

An interview excerpt by Eder Peralta underscores Martinez's resilience and passion:

“This whole experience, he says, is a battle cry for hope… I'm closer than ever to reaching my dreams.” ([14:52])

The hosts play tracks like "Otra Vessel," "Que Somos o," and "hey Destino," showcasing Martinez's heartfelt melodies and honest lyricism, which resonate deeply with listeners.

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Lido Pimienta: "La Belleza" and Artistic Transformation

Lido Pimienta's latest record, La Belleza, marks a significant departure from her previous work. Felix describes the evolution:

“Her breakout album was all electronics driven… her new record is completely wrapped in symphonic strings.” ([21:26])

Ana Maria echoes this sentiment, expressing awe at Pimienta's ability to blend lush string arrangements with her powerful voice:

“She wraps her voice in the sound of 18th century Vienna, of Mozart… I'm just knocked out.” ([22:34])

La Belleza not only showcases Pimienta's versatility but also her profound statement on reclaiming musical traditions, making this album a standout in the Alt.Latino genre.

---

Marco Mares: Expanding Musical Boundaries

The discussion then moves to Marco Mares and his third album, Porque corres ya estamos Ay. Ana Maria introduces his track "Digo que no Perosi," a collaboration with Mexican rapper Sabino, blending reggae and merengue influences:

“He's expanding in a really, like, inoffensive, not crazy… he's not making disruptive sound, but just really nice, fun to listen to.” ([24:48])

Felix commends producer Eduardo Cabra for his role in shaping the album's diverse sound:

“Eduardo Cabra… just finds these guys and puts his own little stamp on it, but in a way that reflects the artist as well.” ([25:00])

The track exemplifies Mares' ability to fuse various Latin American styles, creating a vibrant and accessible listening experience.

---

Audrey Pais: Emerging Talent from Panama

Concluding the episode, Ana Maria and Felix spotlight Audrey Pais, a Panamanian artist making waves with her debut album, Mar y Amar. Felix shares his discovery story:

“I saw a post by Ruben Blades… check it out.” ([27:48])

Ana Maria praises Pais's versatility across genres like bachata, bolero, flamenco pop, and reggae:

“Her voice is adaptable… it's confidence in what they do.” ([28:32])

The track "Quererte" serves as a testament to Pais's confident artistry and promising future in the Latin music scene.

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Notable Quotes

• Ana Maria Sayer on Guitarricadelafuente’s Babieca:

  “It's magic to me. It's cinema.” ([03:00])

• Felix Contreras on Marcario Martinez’s story:

  “I love this man. I love this story.” ([10:32])

• Eder Peralta’s interview with Martinez:

  “This whole experience, he says, is a battle cry for hope… I'm closer than ever to reaching my dreams.” ([14:52])

• Felix on Lido Pimienta’s transformation:

  “I was just knocked out.” ([22:34])

• Ana Maria on Audrey Pais’s confidence:

  “It's confidence in what they do that seals the deal 100%.” ([28:32])

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Insights and Conclusions

Throughout the episode, Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras emphasize the rich diversity and evolving nature of Alt.Latino music. They celebrate artists who blend traditional sounds with contemporary influences, forging unique identities and pushing genre boundaries. The hosts highlight the personal stories behind each musician, underscoring themes of resilience, innovation, and artistic integrity.

From Guitarricadelafuente’s cinematic compositions to Marcario Martinez’s inspiring rise from humble beginnings, the episode paints a portrait of a vibrant and dynamic Latin music landscape. Lido Pimienta’s bold symphonic ventures and Audrey Pais’s genre-spanning debut further illustrate the creative fervor driving Alt.Latino forward.

Conclusion

This episode of All Songs Considered serves as a compelling exploration of current trends and emerging talents in Alt.Latino music. Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras adeptly guide listeners through a tapestry of heartfelt stories and innovative sounds, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of Latin music. Whether you’re a long-time enthusiast or new to the genre, this episode offers a rich and engaging listening experience that captures the essence of contemporary Latin artistry.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

[e-mail] it's this very normal sensation, like, oh, you're being kind of silly on the dance floor. And you see someone like, okay, cool, whatever. And in his world, it's like, it's romance. You're like, oh, my God, I, I saw someone on the dance floor.

[Felix Contreras]

That's not an experience I have.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You're not seeing people on the dance floor. I don't know. Felix, remember NPR Holiday Party 2023 when you quite literally ate it on the dance floor and everyone always rushes to help. Felix and I just stand there and laugh.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God. Let's move on. Let's change subjects.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

From NPR Music, this is Alt Left Me. I'm Ana Maria Sayer.

[Felix Contreras]

And I'm Felix Contreras. Let the chisme begin.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh, I like it.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, I got to say it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You got to say it's kind of fun, right? A lot of power there.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah. Yeah. A little bit of studio shenanigans ahead of time, but we got it figured out, Felix.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This is like that time of year, like May, when things get going. There's so many releases. I've been going on about this record forever. It's finally here. It's finally happening. The Spanish singer songwriter Guitarica de La Fuente is officially releasing his record on May 16, and he has agreed to give us a special preview of the focus track of his record. It's called Babieca. Felix, I am so obsessed with this man. I'm so obsessed with his music. The album is called Spanish Leather. It's his second album. His first one was released in 2022, and it's one of those that I just come back to personally over and over and over again. This record, Felix, it's so much tighter. It's grown up. It's that same energy, that same. No two songs are ever the same. He always plays with structure. He's always kind of instrumental but electronic. But this is just that next level for him. I heard this song, Felix, and I kid you not, I have played it already like 10,000 times. It's that energy of the opening line where he says, en la madrugada, tevi estaba comiendo el techo. Like this idea that it's like I saw you in the early morning hours. We were eating up on the dance floor and this, that I feel for you, it's a pistol to the chest. And then at the exact same moment, the music, it just colors it. Like he has this perfect conversation, always with lyrics and with the instrumentation, and it just. It's magic to me. It's cinema.

[Felix Contreras]

What is it about this new record that continues the strain of his first record and then adds to it?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

To me, it's very much energetically similar. Like he is this person who's kind of almost oppositional within his music, where it's like he does this kind of contemporary, electronic, very reflective of the Spanish scene right now, kind of playing with a lot of beats and synths and things like that, but then also as a whole other side of the spectrum where he has these beautiful. He loves to play with strings and kind of big instruments and big sounds, live sounds. And so to me, this is him kind of like honing in on that craft a little bit more. I think every track is really tight, it's really neat. It's really clear to me that his vision is still not poppy. Like, if you listen to a lot of the songs, they don't all move like this one does, but they're very artistically sound, artistically tight. I think he just has a really clear vision that he just continues to build on. That was Babieca by Guitaria de la Fuente.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, now I have a song from someone who's been making music for a while. This is a new track from the singer songwriter from Cuba, from Havana, Aiden Milanes. The song is called Un Amor Ques de Mora. It's her latest single that's going to lead up to an eventual album. I'm going to talk a little bit about the record after we hear the music.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Me. Wow, that Letra Felix, right? Yeah.

[Felix Contreras]

It makes sense that she would be writing such profound lyrics. And for those of people who don't know ayde. Milanes is the daughter of Pablo Milanese, who is one of the most iconic Cuban musicians to come out of the island post revolution. Just a deep catalog of amazingly poetic lyrics, discussing life, discussing all kinds of things. He unfortunately passed away in November of 2022. She has worked with her dad in the past. They did great duo albums. But she's also, since 2004, been making her own music. And you know, it's one of those things where it's like being John Coltrane's son, right? It's like, how do you step out of that shadow and become your own person? She's been very, very successful at establishing her own Voice. Even within the context of her dad's music of Cuban Trova, which is, you know, her dad practically invented it with a few other artists. This record stands out to me because it's bachata, right? From the Dominican Republic. So she's exploring these other forms, these other song forms. The last time I visited Cuba and we had a chance to sit down and talk to her for a second, she's, you know, she's listened to all kinds of stuff. Her dad's music, jazz, Billie Holiday, Aretha Frank. She's listened to everything. All of that comes out in the way that she makes her music and the way that she records and the way her voice adapts to different styles.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I, I admittedly had not heard it. And when you said Pablo Milanese and then you played it, I was like, wait, I'm. I'm confused. It's like it's a bachata, what's going on? But that's a really cool way that she's able to kind of explore something else, make her own mark, I think. So many of these offspring of these very talented people, like within their own right, they have this gift, they have this talent. Talent. They were raised around music. They've probably been playing since they were, you know, whatever, baby years old. And so to be able to then go out and, and form her own voice and clearly, I mean, with the lyricism too, like she has it in her a hundred percent.

[Felix Contreras]

Again. The track is called Una Mor quese de Mora. The artist is Ayde Milanes. Can't wait to hear the rest of the record.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, Felix, buckle up. We're going on a journey. I've been waiting to talk about this. This has happened. It's been news since January. And I was like, it's not the right moment. It's not the right moment. And now it just feels like we gotta talk about it. Have you heard of Marcario Martinez?

[Felix Contreras]

No.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, yes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, so Marcario Martin.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, wait a minute. Wait, wait, no. I know everything about him. In fact, I'm the one who taught him music. I was there from the beginning. I haven't seen him.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, so you take it away. Felix, who is he? Marcario Martinez. I teased a mention of him when we talked about the Eslabon Armado record. I played a song from him. It was a collab that they did. It was my favorite on the album. But this guy, he has like taken the world by storm. He's a 23 year old street sweeper from Mexico City, Felix. And he posted this video on January. January 27th to TikTok. It was a video of him at night doing his street sweeping job on the streets of Mexico City. And he put this text on the video saying life asks for a lot and I'm just a street sweeper who wants to be to listen to his music. Felix, the thing exploded. Almost 50 million views to date. He had at the time 2,622 monthly listeners because he put a screenshot of where to find his music on Spotify in the video. It is now at over 440,000. He started posting his music to Spotify in 2019. He's been doing this for six years. He has beautiful music, but it wasn't until this moment that people found him and it just exploded. So the song that he posted, which I'll play for you first by Marcario Martinez.

[Felix Contreras]

I love this story. I remember you talking about. Okay, we're not in the same studio so you can't see the big smile on my face. I love this man. I love this story. I love this story.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I think so many people do, right? Because one Mexico loves like a rags to riches stories. Very classic telenovela, like, you know, whatever. But beyond that, Felix, the music, it's Stan like it is really excellent. Like his melodies, his sound. I've been on a deep dive now since January about this dude. I listened to him on my own. I'm like very familiar at this point with his very limited catalog. And so what I wanted to do today is play a couple of those songs. So the first one, which is one of his earlier songs that he ever put on Spotify is called Otra Vessel.

[Unknown Speaker]

Hi.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

He has this almost Felix, like some of the greater like singer, songwriter qualities to him, like that voice and his melodies, they're simple but they're really pure and lovely. He released a seven song album in 2024. This is a song off that album called Que Somos o.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, you have my attention. Keep going.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean there's a lot of pop stylings. Like to me the melodies strike me as a bit poppy, but he can be kind of like avant garde experimental in certain moments. I've listened to this whole record and the melodies, they just, they're really excellent. They're almost like Aves is a little indie rock influenced. And I think what it is Felix that people love about the story but also that's so magnetic about the music is he's just so honest, right? Like we talk about really good music, being reflective, being in especial of what life is. And I think him being in his position, I mean, he literally figured out how to do this music while fully living this life of being a street sweeper that's really, really like intense, laborious work and still finding a way to make his dreams come true. And I love that our amazing colleague Eder Peralta actually was able to do a story on him. He did an interview with him and I loved what he said. Here's Eder with Macario Martinez.

[Eder Peralta]

I meet Macario Martinez in the middle of Mexico City on one of the same streets he used to clean. And except today, he's about to play a big outdoor concert. This whole experience, he says, is a battle cry for hope, because we all dream about something. He says his dream was for people to listen to his music. When he was on that trash truck, he was thinking about the beauty of the city, about the stories of the. The people in those buildings, and he was dreaming. I used to watch a lot of old videos from my favorite bands in the 2000s, he says, and they toured. They got to leave their cities. Some even left their countries. And right now, he says, I'm closer than ever to reaching my dreams.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This idea, Felix, that he talks about, about, about a desire to be more, to complete his dreams, to escape, it's. It's right there in the music. Like you can hear it in the music he already had out there. Here's a track from that album that he'd released called hey Destino.

[Felix Contreras]

You've done such a great job of distilling who he is and what he's doing right now, and it's such an early, early part of his career. It's amazing.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And that's the thing, Felix, is what's beautiful to me is sometimes you have these viral moments, right, where people love a TikTok story again, like I said, a rags to riches story. But I think with him, you listen to the music and you just feel how much of him, this desire he's bursting almost with, this desire to be more, to get his art made, to be heard, to leave the city. And I think you can see how people have sounded off since then. Wow. This story has made me believe that my art could be something, that I could be something, that I could leave my city. And there's just so much. There's something in that for literally everyone. I'm just so excited about him. I can't wait to see what happens. That was a few songs from a new artist called Macario Martinez. You heard it here first on Alt Latino. We're all going to keep watching Wonderful.

[Felix Contreras]

Wonderful wrap up. Thank you so much. That was really cool. Thanks. We're going to need to take a break right now and then come back with more music.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

Take it away, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, we're back with more music. Okay, Lido Pimienta has a new record coming out. It's called La Belleza and it is a very, very big departure for her. I'm going to talk a little bit about the record after we hear the music. This is called Quiero que Me.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Sam.

[Felix Contreras]

I think that she's one of the most fascinating musicians in Latin music right now.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Do say more.

[Felix Contreras]

No, because, you know, think about it. Her breakout album was called Miss Colombia in 2020. It was released during the pandemic when everyone was really looking inward. Reexamining our lives, the world around us and all that. That record was a perfect soundtrack for introspection. And it was fascinating for me because it was all electronics driven. Right. There's a lot of synthesizers, a lot of keyboard stuff, and it was mashed up with her Colombian Caribbean aesthetic. Her voice, for me, it was so new, it was so different. And then her new record is completely wrapped in symphonic strings, and so now she's going to this symphonic backdrop, lush, beautiful string arrangement. It stands out because Miss Colombia was a bold statement about Caribbean blackness. And now she's leaning into the traditions that subjugated that blackness for hundreds of years. Right. So seems to me like she's claiming that tradition as her own. The symphony is no longer the other as it is for so many of us in the world. Right.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh, that gives me chills, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

She wraps her voice in this in, like, the sound of 18th century Vienna, of Mozart, and that's the impact this record has had on me. I'm just knocked out.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. And I understand what you mean. I feel lucky that we get to bear witness to it, honestly.

[Felix Contreras]

The album's called La Belleza. The artist is Lido Pimiente. That track is called Quiero que Mebezes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, Felix, we're pivoting a little bit to just something fun. It's fun, it's light, it's new, it's different. Marco Mares from Mexico City. This is his third album. It's called Porque corres ya estamos Ay. This song is called Digo que no Perosi, and he did it with Mexican rapper Sabino. Okay, Felix, it's reggae. Reggae. The way I just said reggae.

[Felix Contreras]

Yes, it is.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, Reggae with merengue. Like what? It's really like the album itself, it's produced by Eduardo Cabra and Sebastian Criss. There's so many tropical sounds. There's bachata, merengue, there's reggae, Merengue, avesis. It sounds a little Mexican, but it really just feels like he played a lot here. It's kind of expanding in a really, like, inoffensive, not crazy. He's not, like, expanding the boundaries to heaven and back. He's not, like, making disruptive sound, but just kind of really nice, fun to listen to. Sound that plays with a lot of Latin America right now.

[Felix Contreras]

You know, Eduardo Cabra, or he goes by Cabra. He's turned me on to so many musicians over the years because he has this knack of finding these musicians that we probably have not heard of or maybe got A buzz way, way below the level. And he just finds these guys and just like, okay, you know what? I'm gonna do something with you. And then he puts his own little stamp on it, but in a way that reflects the artist as well, Right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Like, really lets them kind of, like, pull out all the little shiny parts.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, yeah. I'll listen to anything they produce, man, and I will probably like it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That was Cosa Buena Y digo que no pero by Marco Mares. Your turn, Felix. The grand finale.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay. Grand finale. Here's an artist I had never heard of before. Her name is Audrey Pais. She's from Panama. This is her first record. I'll tell you how I found her. But first we're going to hear the track called Quererte. Oh, no.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix. One of these days, I want to play on the show. You know, like those games they play at baby showers where it's like, who said this? Or who did that? I want to play a show where it's like, who brought the song? Felix or Anna? And no one would guess you for this one, Felix. And I love it. Where'd you find her?

[Felix Contreras]

Believe it or not, I saw a post by Ruben Blades on Facebook.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Whoa.

[Felix Contreras]

And he was right. He was congratulating Audrey Pais for her new album. And it was just a slight little things like, hey, from Panama. Another Panamanian artist. She's got a new record. Check it out. I think you might like it. And, you know, he's got 2.1 million followers just on his Facebook account alone, so I'm sure a lot of people just looked her up right away. The album's called Mar y Amar. It covers so many styles. There's bachata, there's bolero, there's flamenco pop. There's even reggae. As you say, she just delivers. Her voice is adaptable. And you said something earlier. It's confident. It's confidence in what they do that.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Seals the deal 100%. And I just looked her up, Felix. 7,000 monthly listeners like nothing. I can't wait. I can't wait to see how she grows, because the music, it's gonna st.

[Felix Contreras]

Her name is Adri Paiz. The album's called Mar y Amar, and the track is called Quererte. Oh, no. Check it out.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Quererte or no. Good question. I love it, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

It's also a nice way to. To end the show because this is what an amazing collection of music.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I know. God, we keep leveling up.

[Felix Contreras]

That's what we do. That's what your friends here at Alt Latino. Do we bring the best of it to you? You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. Our audio editor is Simon Rettner.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

The woman who keeps us on track is Grace Chung.

[Felix Contreras]

Sara Mohamed is the executive producer of.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

NPR Music and VP of Music and Visuals is the one and only Keith Jenkins.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Thanks so much for joining.

[Felix Contreras]

Thank you for listening.

[Unknown Speaker]

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