Alt.Latino: Natalia Lafourcade, Eladio Carrión, more

Summary

All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino Episode Summary

Released on April 23, 2025

NPR's flagship music discovery program, All Songs Considered, presents its "Alt.Latino" episode, delving deep into the vibrant and diverse Latin music scene. Hosted by Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras, the episode spotlights renowned artists such as Natalia Lafourcade, Eladio Carrión, Irene Diaz, Luis Gabriel Lopez, Santi Sac, and Maria Marquez. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of their discussions, key insights, and the emotional resonance of the featured tracks.

---

1. Natalia Lafourcade’s "Cancionera"

The episode opens with Ana Maria’s excitement about Natalia Lafourcade’s eagerly anticipated album, "Cancionera". Natalia, celebrated for her role in reviving traditional Mexican music, returns with her second album of original compositions, marking her continued evolution as a solo artist.

Ana Maria Sayer highlights Natalia’s meticulous craftsmanship:

“She does everything so precisely and perfectly. And even the lyricism here, Felix, like, it's her, I guess, being this alter ego, being the songstress...”
[01:54]

The hosts play the title track "Cancionera", which encapsulates Natalia’s effervescent energy and poetic lyricism. Natalia’s dedication to sound engineering is emphasized, showcasing her ability to blend traditional elements with modern precision.

Felix Contreras expresses his admiration:

“It's just. Just gets better and better, you know?... I can't wait to hear the rest of the record. It's just incredible.”
[07:21]

The duo also features "Como Quisiera Quererte", a collaboration with El David Aguilar, praised for its simplicity and the harmonious blend of voices:

“Absolutely stunning. It's simple, but it's stunning. And it's clear.”
[06:00]

---

2. Irene Diaz’s New Single "Anything for You"

Transitioning to Irene Diaz, the hosts introduce her latest single, "Anything for You", set to release on May 2. Felix Contreras lauds her for embodying the essence of classic Chicano oldies with a contemporary twist:

“Her voice is so adaptable, and it's perfect for the drama and the intensity...”
[12:15]

Ana Maria admires the nostalgic feel of Irene’s music, likening it to vintage recordings with a modern polish. The track highlights Irene’s ability to evoke deep emotions through her vocal prowess, making it a standout in her repertoire.

---

3. Eladio Carrión’s "Don Cabron"

Eladio Carrión is next, with his new record "Don Cabron". Ana Maria appreciates his authenticity:

“I'm just going back to my roots. I'm doing full trap. It has a lot of hip hop and R and B influence.”
[13:11]

Eladio’s commitment to his Puerto Rican heritage while infusing American hip hop and R&B influences is a focal point. The hosts discuss his track "Memoiro", featuring Akali Memoiro, highlighting its innovative use of traditional church organ sounds melded with modern beats:

“Ridiculous the way he is approximating the church organ in the background...”
[16:49]

---

4. Collaborating with Indigenous Brazilian Musicians: Luis Gabriel Lopez’s "Cayativo"

Luis Gabriel Lopez, also known as Luis Ga, collaborates with the Hunikin people from the Amazon. Their project, "Cayativo", bridges indigenous Brazilian musical traditions with contemporary production.

Felix Contreras expresses deep respect for Luis’s approach:

“I really respect and admire the approach that he has on this record and how he's, like, bridging these two cultures...”
[21:33]

The featured track "Nai Basa Machete" showcases the enchanted spirits of the forest through poetry and chants, performed by Yaka, an indigenous vocalist and visual artist. The episode underscores the importance of preserving cultural heritage through innovative musical collaborations.

---

5. Rising Star Santi Sac from Chile

The episode spotlights Santi Sac, a 14-year-old prodigy from Chile who has taken TikTok by storm with his emotionally charged performances.

Ana Maria Sayer shares her fascination with Santi’s emotional depth:

“I was like, what is this? The level of emotionality...”
[23:50]

Despite his youth, Santi delivers powerful performances that resonate deeply with audiences. His versatility across genres—from emotional love songs to trap beats—has garnered widespread acclaim in Chile, blending seriousness with a unique cultural humor.

---

6. Salsa de la Bahia’s "Renegade Queens" Featuring Maria Marquez

Concluding the episode, the hosts celebrate the rich history of salsa music in the Bay Area with Salsa de la Bahia, Volume 3: Renegade Queens. This project, led by trombonist Wayne Wallace and filmmaker Rita Hargrove, documents the pivotal role of women in the Afro-Caribbean music scene.

The featured track, "La La Grima" by Maria Marquez from Venezuela, encapsulates the tight rhythms and soulful melodies that define the Bay Area’s salsa legacy:

“The rhythm, it's just so tight, so beautiful.”
[28:43]

Felix Contreras reflects on the archival significance of the project:

“Renegade Queens is the title of a film that Rita Hargrave made that is basically a history of the women's role in the Latin music in the Bay Area.”
[28:47]

The episode honors the contributions of women-led bands and the enduring cultural fusion that shapes modern salsa music.

---

Conclusion

"Alt.Latino" on All Songs Considered offers a rich tapestry of Latin music, celebrating both established artists and emerging talents. From Natalia Lafourcade’s poetic explorations to the indigenous collaborations of Luis Gabriel Lopez, and the youthful dynamism of Santi Sac, the episode underscores the diversity and depth of the Latin music landscape. The inclusion of Renegade Queens highlights the importance of historical preservation and the ongoing evolution of salsa in the Bay Area. This episode is a must-listen for music enthusiasts seeking to explore the multifaceted world of Latin music.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Ana Maria Sayer on Natalia Lafourcade:

  “She's such an engineer. They were doing sound checks... No, it sounds like this over here.”
  [03:50]

• Felix Contreras on Natalia’s music evolution:

  “I remember playing her because I didn't know how to pronounce her name... I can't wait to hear the rest of the record.”
  [07:21]

• Ana Maria Sayer on Irene Diaz:

  “This kid is incredibly versatile... it's so distinctly Chilean.”
  [26:21]

• Felix Contreras on Salsa de la Bahia:

  “Renegade Queens... all over the Caribbean, Nicaragua, all over the place.”
  [29:56]

This detailed summary provides a comprehensive overview of the "Alt.Latino" episode, capturing the essence of each discussion, the passion of the hosts, and the profound artistry of the featured musicians.

Transcript

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A quick note before the show. This podcast contains explicit language.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I tell you how I tore my hamstring.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, I want to hear this. Go ahead.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So I was in yoga. Who gets interested in yoga? I was trying to do the splits, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Anyways, we're here now and we're alive, and it's fine.

[Felix Contreras]

Don't do the splits while we're recording this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That's kind of exactly what I was doing.

[Felix Contreras]

Let's get this show over with before you hurt yourself. From NPR Music, this is all Latino. I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Let the chisme be begin. And Felix, oh, my God, I'm so excited. You know, you get why I'm so excited. I mean, it's like it's the day, it's the time, it's the event of the season because Natalia La Furcade is finally releasing another album. It's called Cancionera, which translates directly to like a collection of songs or a songbook. It's the second album, Felix, that she's released that has basically been her own music again. So as we all know, obviously, Natalia has her whole story history of being the spirit singer of Mexico, basically reviving tradition. I know, I'm like, how would you describe her?

[Felix Contreras]

Exactly.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Exactly right. And she spent all these years doing covers, reviving, keeping traditional music alive. And then her last album was her first album that she'd done in a very long time. That was her own music. This is now the second iteration of that. This album comes out in two days. I'm really excited about it because I do think it is her so returning to herself. I think that first album was an exploration of her grandiosity. She's always very cinematic with all the strings and all these beautiful things. In this one, it's more writhe. And so I want you to hear first a little bit of this track, the title track, Cancionera, because I think it encapsulates a lot of the energy she's putting here.

[Felix Contreras]

Wow.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean, obviously, she's effervescent. She's Natalia. She does everything so precisely and perfectly. And even the lyricism here, Felix, like, it's her, I guess, being this alter ego, being the songstress, but also, I think, speaking almost as though the songwriting itself is its own character. She says, you are a songstress soul of your lyrics. I would like to give my whole life to you. You are a songstress. Calm my sorrows, Sing to me beautifully, and I will always love you. So much of her art, I think, is in the poesia. I mean, that's really where she shines. But she also is precise with the sound. I was talking. Felix, this is actually really funny. I was talking to someone from her team recently, and she was telling this story about how she's so intense about the sound of things. Like, she's such an engineer. They were doing sound checks at some concert or something, and she's walking, marching around, being like, no, it sounds weird over here. No, it sounds like this over here. So precise with her art. And you can hear that in this record, too. I mean, there's this other beautiful song that I want to play you a little bit of. It's her song with El David Aguilar. It's called Como Quisiera Quererte. And I want you to hear just a little bit of this. Absolutely stunning. Absolutely stunning. And it's simple. It's simple, but it's stunning. And it's clear. Like, it's so, so well thought out. Not to mention, El David Aguilar is truly one of the best writers in Mexico right now. But I think I've been hearing him a lot on these. On these tracks with these beautiful female vocalists lately. And I think there's such beauty to the way that he's able to just play with their voices and blend so gorgeously.

[Felix Contreras]

I should have something to say, but I'm stunned.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I know. I'm like, felix, what do you think?

[Felix Contreras]

It's just. Just gets better and better, you know? I mean, we were playing her music on Au Latino before, you know, she started doing the covers and the roots albums and stuff. So I remember playing her because I didn't know how to pronounce her name. You know, I couldn't figure it out for a long time. So I'd been playing her music for a while, and the way she pivoted to the folk thing and the COVID thing and did it so well, as you can see, even on her tiny desk, that she did what I've heard so far, the two tracks you played are just stunningly beautiful. And for all the reasons that you said. Can't wait to hear the rest of the record. It's just incredible.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Well, lucky for you, Felix, you get to hear a little more today, because Natalia's team has been so kind as to allow us to exclusively play a little special preview of a song that I specifically picked because it blew my mind. We all know Hermanos Gutierrez instrumental. Gorgeous. We've talked to them before. They played a tiny desk. Remember when we interviewed them, and it was like, oh, the guitar cries. And then it's like her voice cries, and the two of them together. I just. I need you to play it.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God. Okay.

[Irene Diaz]

Sa.

[Felix Contreras]

It's just stunning. It's.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah.

[Felix Contreras]

And remember, she's a very good guitar player herself.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

She does, Felix, have one of those voices where it's like, you cannot put it on in the background. And there's always these, like, nature sounds that make their way in there, too. I mean, Felix, we have to remember where she lives. She's still in Veracruz. Her music always takes me back to what Silvana Estrada said to me, where she's like, nature is perfect, and we're all just trying to make art that can possibly try to live up to that. And what she does feels so essentially there to me. We're talking about Natalia La Furcade's new album, Cancionera. We just played a few special selections for you all.

[Felix Contreras]

Wow. Okay. Got the show off to a very, very cool start.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I just. We had to start with Natalia. I feel like I've been holding this phone every week. I'm like, do I talk about it? Do I talk about it yet? Do I talk about it? I was like, no, it's not time now. It's time.

[Felix Contreras]

Ana, remember we did a show a while back. I moved, and I found a bunch of CDs and stuff in the move. And I played a track by Irene Diaz from Southern California. That was.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yes, of course.

[Felix Contreras]

That was gorgeous, right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yes. It still sits with me.

[Felix Contreras]

So check this out. The day after we recorded that, her musical partner and her partner in general, Carolyn wrote to me, an email, says, hey, we have a new track out coming out, right? We have some new material coming out. It was like, it was so perfect. It's so on time because we played this stuff from years ago. She's working on new material for a whole new record. I'll play the song and we'll talk about it later. This is called Anything for your. This is Irene Diaz.

[Irene Diaz]

I've been on love to do anything. Cause I would do anything, oh, anything, Anything for you. We come on mountains we could part the seals. Cause I would do anything, oh, anything, Anything for you. Give me love. I can't wait to be found in your embrace. I will do anything, oh, anything. Anything more.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Gorgeous. Gorgeous, Gorgeous.

[Felix Contreras]

She's really leaning into the whole Chicano oldies thing. Her voice is perfect. It's like you could close your eyes if you put little scratchy record sounds behind that recording, right? Like you're playing an old 45 from like 1954. It would fit perfectly. Her voice is so adaptable, and it's perfect for the drama and the intensity and everything about these oldies. Arpeggio, guitar. Right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You know, why didn't she just ask you? Like, Irene, remix.

[Felix Contreras]

Sorry, sorry, Irene. You don't want to hear me in the background. But anyway, I mean, I'm just such a fan of her voice.

[Irene Diaz]

I bet all love could do anything. Cause I would do anything, oh, anything, Anything for you.

[Felix Contreras]

The single is called Anything for your. The vocalist is Irene Diaz. That single's gonna be out on May 2, so check it out, mang. Okay, your turn.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

My turn. A fun one. This is Eladio Carrion. We know him, we love him. We brought him to the Tiny Desk. This new record that he released, I love it because it's so not trying to be anything else. You know, everyone. I think he's Puerto Rican. There's a lot of pressure maybe on the island right now to do something really unique and stand out next to a Benito record. All this stuff, and he's like, no, no, no. I'm just going back to my roots. I'm doing full trap. It has a lot of hip hop and R and B influence. He's always had a ton of American influence. It's called Ve.

[Irene Diaz]

Yo.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So, Felix, what'd you think?

[Felix Contreras]

It wasn't what I expected. After having interviewed him and then seeing him on his tiny desk and then talking to him a little bit about it off stage. I can hear that. His love and his appreciation, his familiarity with just straight ahead, hip hop, R and B. Not from the island, but from the mainland. And how he incorporates it into what he does.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's from the mainland and yet also, like, that is fully Puerto Rican. I want to play you really quickly one more cut from this album because this is the song that he previewed for us at the tiny desk with the inside insane, most incredible, wonderful voice of the Akali Memoiro because it's officially out on the record. Ridiculous.

[Felix Contreras]

Ridiculous the way he is approximating the the church organ in the background. That comes from the R and B tradition, the church tradition. You know, that's not lost on me because that's the sound I grew up with in the 70s music.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Well, thank you, Felix. That was Memoiro by Eladio Carrion off of his new record Don Cabron.

[Felix Contreras]

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[Luis Gabriel Lopez]

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[Felix Contreras]

So I found this record and this is a collaboration between a group of indigenous musicians from the Amazon in Brazil, a Brazilian music producer whose name is Luis Gabriel Lopez, who goes by Luis Ga. Let's hear this song, I'm just gonna phonetically say the word because it's in. In their particular language, and then we'll talk a little bit about afterwards. This is Nai Basa Machete it. Okay. That vocalist, her name is Yaka. This group of indigenous musicians are known as the Hunikin people from a part of the rainforest of Brazil that's near Peru. And this young vocalist, Yaka, she's also a visual artist. All the music on the album comes from the poetry and chants of these people that celebrate the enchanted spirits of the forest. He spent years working with indigenous groups on a lot of different things, and then he decided to make some music with it. I really respect and admire the approach that he has on this record and how he's, like, bridging these two cultures in a way. A little. Little bit of the modern, a lot of the traditional. And every track that I've heard so far on the record is just really spectacular.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Absolutely stunning. That voice, just transfixing, otherworldly. Really love this.

[Felix Contreras]

And it just reminds me there was an album that was put out years and years ago. It was a soundtrack to the movie called El Norte. There's a funeral scene, and it takes place in the mountains of Guatemala, and there's a woman who's singing this funeral chant. And I just remember, like, she's not a professional singer. She's one of the actresses in the movie that were just sort of drafted to participate in this. But just think about all the places in the world and all the cultures where there's people with these amazing voices who are not in show business or are not making records, but they still have these amazing voices for that they share with their family, their friends, their community, you know? And that's what this reminds me of. Folks who just. They have this great gift. The project's called Cayativo. It's Luis Gabriel Lopez, who goes by Luisca, and a group of indigenous musicians from the group of people known as the Huni Kuhun people.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Gorgeous.

[Felix Contreras]

And that track is called Nai Basa Machete.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, thank you for bringing that in. I love it. So my last track, I'm really excited about this, Felix. You will see on the dock, I took my notes away because I have a surprise for you.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So I'm gonna play a little bit of this song and then we can talk about it. The song is called Cuando Nos besamos, and it's by Santi Sac.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God. He's like 8 years old.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay. He's 14. But he's a 14 year old. Santi Sac from Chile. This kid has exploded in Chile. Everyone is dying over him. He's all over. He exploded on TikTok. He's from Puerto Varas. And I went to my friend, I was like, I don't understand the phenomenon of what's happening here. Because I heard this voice and it made me stop in my tracks. I was like, what is this? The level of emotionality. I don't understand how a 14 year old can carry that much. But then Felix, listen to what his other tracks have been like. This was the first track he ever released called Home Run on Spotify.

[Irene Diaz]

Now.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Obviously, this kid is incredibly versatile. So I talked to some of my friends who are up on Chilean culture and they were like, I don't even know how to explain it is basically what they said. But they were like, it's so distinctly Chilean. Like, there's just a level of seriousness but also hilarity to everything that people in Chile become obsessed with. Like, even down to the language, right? It's like Chilean Spanish is a little bit ridiculous. They have like this expression that is so distinct because living at the end of the world and having this dark history that it's like nothing is off limits and nothing is too ridiculous. And this kid is just like doing this art that he can do all these different things, like this most emotional love song, this really weird, like rapping over trap beats that kind of works. And everyone loves him. It's just this really fun pocket of what's happening in Chile right now.

[Felix Contreras]

Thank you. I mean, it caught my attention, man. These people all over the world are making incredible stuff and they're getting the love and support from their neighbors, their family, their communities.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I think he's gonna be big one day. Felix Santi Sac from Chile. Watch out.

[Felix Contreras]

We played him right here. We played him right here first.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

All Latino.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm gonna close out the show with some. That's pretty close to my heart. There's a series of albums called Salsa de la Bahia. This is all this great salsa music made by musicians from the Bay Area in California. There's a trombonist named Wayne Wallace who plays. He's a trombonist, composer, bandleader, music historian. He's played with a bunch of people in the Bay Area. There's also a woman named Rita Hargrove who's a filmmaker and historian. They work together on this record. It's like an archival record. These are all songs that have come out over the years documenting the role of women in the salsa scene and the Afro Caribbean scene in the Bay Area. So the album is called Salsa de La Bahia, Volume 3, Renegade Queens. This is a track. The vocalist's name is Maria Marquez. She's from Venezuela. This track is called La La Grima. We're going to hear it and then we'll talk a little bit more about it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Incredible. And I mean, the rhythm, it's just so tight, so beautiful.

[Felix Contreras]

The Renegade Queens is the title of a film that Rita Hargrave made that is basically a history of the women's role in the Latin music in the Bay Area. It just looks so intriguing and looks very, very comprehensive. And again, the Bay Area has a long history of Afro Caribbean music. Of course, the majority of the people out west are all Mexican American, but the Bay Area for some reason had like this influx of people from all over the Caribbean, Nicaragua, all over the place. And so this music that came out of the Bay Area was very special. And this record goes back and documents a lot of those bands and a lot of the women led bands. Maria Marquez, like I said, man, the album that she put out in 2004 is called Princesa de la Naturaleza. I fell in love with the voice back then. It's still haunting me right now, and I'm glad that they re released it again. The album's called Salsa de La Bahia, Volume 3, Renegade Queens. And that was the track La Lagrima featuring Maria Marquez. So you know what, Ana? There was a theme, though, kind of again, we did it again.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

We had this sync.

[Felix Contreras]

These voices, these voices that come from all over that just are so distinct. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. Our audio producer is Simon Rettner.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

The woman who keeps us on track is Grace Chung.

[Felix Contreras]

Soraya Muhammad is executive producer of NPR.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Music, and Keith is VP of music and visuals.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Thank you for listening.

[Luis Gabriel Lopez]

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