Alt.Latino: Paloma Morphy, rusowsky, Pachyman

Summary

All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino – Featuring Paloma Morphy, Rosowski, and Pachyman

NPR's flagship music discovery program, "All Songs Considered," delves into the vibrant world of Latino music in its episode titled "Alt.Latino: Paloma Morphy, Rusowsky, Pachyman." Hosted by Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras, the episode released on May 21, 2025, offers an engaging exploration of emerging Latin artists who are redefining genres and pushing creative boundaries.

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Paloma Morphy: A Fresh Voice in Pop

Ana Maria Sayer introduces listeners to Paloma Morphy, a dynamic pop vocalist hailing from Mexico City. Morphy's debut album showcases her inventive approach to pop music, blending diverse production styles and lyrical content that remain distinctly her own.

• Debut and Musical Journey:
  Ana Maria Sayer shares, “She actually does something really different, production-wise, lyrically, on every single song. And it all still sounds like her, her.” [02:18]

• Breakthrough Story:
  Despite having no prior performance experience, Morphy's rapid ascent in the music scene is remarkable. Sayer recounts, “She was in law school, Felix, and she just started writing songs. She played one open mic. She had never performed before, and she just exploded.” [03:00]

• Featured Tracks:
  The episode features tracks like "Un Tipo Nuevo" and "Pijama," highlighting Morphy's versatility and emotional depth. Sayer adds, “It's hard to not notice him (referring to Michael B. Jordan's involvement). But that wasn't my focus on the film... It has so much to say about culture and life.” [05:13]

Camila Mesa: Bridging Jazz and Latin Influences

Though not in the episode's title, Camila Mesa receives significant attention for her contributions to the jazz genre. A Santiago, Chile native immersed in the New York jazz scene, Mesa's upcoming album "Portal" marks a six-year hiatus since her last release.

• Artistic Vision:
  Sayer explains, “She says her goal in writing is to, quote, portray the human capacity to transform our reality from evident darkness that surrounds it into its potential for light and beauty.” [07:04]

• Musical Style and Collaborations:
  Mesa's work blends traditional jazz elements with Latin American folk influences, featuring collaborations like harpist Margaret Davis. Her compositions emphasize melody over strict musical theory, offering a more fluid and emotive listening experience.

Rosowski: Emotion and Innovation in Production

Rosowski, an artist rooted in the Spanish music scene, presents his debut album "Daisy," which includes standout tracks like "Malibu" and "Sophia."

• Production Mastery:
  Sayer remarks, “He's used to playing with sounds, almost sound design, in these very inventive and creative ways.” [10:09]

• Emotional Depth:
  Rosowski's raw vocal performances elicit strong emotional responses. Sayer shares, “I heard raw vocals from him recently. Oh, my God, I cried. There's so much soul under all those layers of effects.” [10:09]

• Musical Influences:
  With a foundation in classical piano training, Rosowski interweaves strong, beautiful piano melodies with intricate electronic sounds, creating a rich tapestry of sound that resonates deeply with listeners.

Pachyman: Mindfulness and Repetition in Modern Music

Pachyman offers a contemplative take on music with his album "Another Place," featuring tracks like "False Moves" and "Hard to Part."

• Thematic Focus:
  Sayer discusses, “The whole record is kind of... the repetition is the point.” [21:16] Pachyman's work emphasizes mindfulness and the essence of living in the moment, avoiding traditional song structures that build toward a climax.

• Cultural Fusion:
  His music blends Caribbean influences with a tropical vibe, encouraging listeners to engage deeply and attentively with each track. Sayer notes, “He's bringing the culture he's bringing where he's from, but he's doing it in a way where he's making you sit and pay attention and sit in front of the record player and listen to it.” [22:05]

Ines Velasco: Poetry and Jazz Converge

Ines Velasco, a jazz composer and arranger from Guadalajara, infuses her music with poetic narratives. Her album "A Flash of Cobalt Blue" begins with the recitation of poetry by Jorge Esquina, creating a seamless blend of literary and musical artistry.

• Creative Process:
  Velasco draws inspiration from Esquina's poetry to construct intricate jazz arrangements, reminiscent of the collaborative genius between Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Sayer observes, “Her compositions and arrangements remind me of a very well-known jazz composer, Maria Schneider.” [16:00]

• Emotional Resonance:
  The album delves into themes of death and transformation, particularly reflecting on personal loss and the broader human experience. Sayer reflects, “The album's called A Flash of Cobalt Blue. It’s a deep meditation on the moment.” [19:27]

Las Choriceras: Blending Tradition with Americana

Closing the episode, Las Choriceras, a new quartet from Southern California featuring vocalist Nancy Sanchez, bridges traditional acoustic Mexican music with Americana folk.

• Origin Story:
  Sayer shares, “She was visiting her family in Toluca, Mexico, and came up with the idea for an all-female group doing the music she grew up with...” [25:07] The band's name, inspired by the regional specialty chorizo, reflects their deep cultural roots.

• Musical Style:
  With tracks like "Blue Eyed Man," Las Choriceras blend soft Mexican rhythms with the rugged edges of Americana, creating a unique soundscape that honors both traditions. Sayer enthuses, “The band is called Las Choriceras... Keep putting it out because we'll keep playing it.” [26:41]

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Conclusion

"Alt.Latino: Paloma Morphy, Rusowsky, Pachyman" offers a rich tapestry of Latino music, highlighting artists who are not only talented but also deeply conscious of their cultural and emotional narratives. From the inventive pop of Paloma Morphy to the mindful repetitions of Pachyman, and the poetic jazz of Ines Velasco, the episode underscores the diversity and depth of the Latin music scene. Hosts Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras guide listeners through these compelling stories, enriched with notable quotes and thoughtful analysis, making it a must-listen for those seeking fresh and meaningful musical experiences.

Notable Quotes:

• Ana Maria Sayer at [02:18]: “She has got to be one of the most inventive, dynamic pop vocalists out there right now.”
• Ana Maria Sayer at [07:04]: “She says her goal in writing is to, quote, portray the human capacity to transform our reality from evident darkness that surrounds it into its potential for light and beauty.”
• Ana Maria Sayer at [10:09]: “I heard raw vocals from him recently. Oh, my God, I cried. There's so much soul under all those layers of effects.”
• Ana Maria Sayer at [21:16]: “The whole record is kind of... the repetition is the point.”
• Ana Maria Sayer at [25:07]: “She was visiting her family in Toluca, Mexico, and came up with the idea for an all-female group doing the music she grew up with...”

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For those who haven't tuned into "All Songs Considered," this episode serves as an accessible and insightful gateway into the evolving landscape of Latino music, celebrating artists who blend tradition with innovation to create unforgettable sounds.

Transcript

[Felix Contreras]

This message comes from Sony Pictures Classics with the new romantic comedy Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. A woman dreams of becoming a successful writer and experiencing true love while at a Jane Austen writer's residency. Opens only in theaters, select cities, May 23rd.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Ana, have you seen Sinners? You gotta see it. This is like a reclamation of the blues on the part of a completely younger.

Oh, that's cool.

African American generation. Yeah. Plus, it's a zombie movie and a vampire movie, which is not scary because if I sat through it, I hate horror movies. But you know what it is?

Life is a horror show. I don't want to see more.

It's like horror lite. It's really about culture and life and all the things that we talk about on the show, like who has a right to sing what.

It has Michael B. Jordan in it. Oh, my God. Done.

But it's also, again, like I said so much about what we talk about on the show. Who has a right to sing what?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Michael B. Jordan's in it. That's really all I care.

It's hard to not notice him. But that wasn't my focus on the film. Let's just start the show. Okay. From NPR Music, this is all Latino. I'm Felix Contreras.

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Let the chisme begin. And the chisme is that. I guess we have some new music this week, Felix.

All right, kick it off.

All right. This artist, I have actually brought her up a number of times, so I don't know if you remember.

I do remember.

Her name is Paloma Morphe. She's a Mexico City native, and this is actually her debut album. I'm gonna play you a track. It's called Un Tipo Nuevo.

You got me?

Are you hooked?

Okay.

This Felix, she has got to be one of the most inventive, dynamic pop vocalists out there right now. She is pop, but in this kind of alternative, very distinct way. She actually does something really different, production wise, lyrically, on every single song. And it all still sounds like her, her. And I think to have a command of your voice like that that quickly into your career, I mean, it's really impressive. It's like what we praise, you know, the Olivia Rodrigo for, let's say, which I know, Felix, you don't really know who that is. We just taught you about that. But anyways, just two years ago, she was in law school, Felix, and she just started writing songs. She played one open mic. She had never performed before, and she was like, you know what? I'm just going to play an open mic, whatever. Starts writing songs and just exploded. I actually reached out to her and we talked a little bit about her first show ever in Mexico City this weekend. She told me she's really nervous. I'm amazed by how far along she already is. I want to play one other song that I really love from the record, and it's called Pijama.

So what's really interesting to me is that the whole songwriting process, you're saying she's never performed in front of an audience before, and more power to her. But the usual songwriting process is that people write songs, they take them out on the road and they try them out and they see what works, what doesn't work, what the audience responds to. And, you know, I've heard of bands doing both, but mostly taking the songs out ahead of time and trying them out in the audience. That, to me, that's the normal process. So it's fascinating that she has such a clear vision of her own musical identity by just working probably with a small circle of friends and advisors and co musicians and producers and stuff. It's just blowing my mind that she's never played a live show.

Those were a couple songs from Paloma Morphy's new album. Ow, O O.

Okay, it's French.

Letters are au guys. I really can't pronounce French. I don't know. Figure it out.

I think that there are more musicians from Latin America putting out jazz than ever before. That's just my sense, my feeling. And this next musician is someone who I've been listening to for a while, actually. Her name is Camila Mesa. She's a guitarist, vocalist, composer. She's originally from Santiago, Chile. She's completely immersed now in the New York jazz scene. She's got her first new album in six years coming out in June. She's dropped a couple singles, and this one is called Persistil.

That voice is so lovely, and you.

Can hear how she mixes that voice with the instruments that come from both the jazz world and other parts of the music genre scene. And in this particular track, she's playing an acoustic guitar. She's another example of this bilingual approach to jazz. Her early influences, she says, included jazz guitarists like Pat Metheny, George Benson, John McLaughlin, as well as musicians like Victor Jara Milson, Nacimento, Mercedes de Sosa, all the great big names of Latin American folk music. And I hear that distinction in her music and others who originally come from South America because there's more emphasis on Melody rather than music theory, which is like arranging the notes in a cohesive, logical way. This is her first album of all originals, and she says most of the songs were written in 2019 and 2020, during the process of going through the pandemic and pregnancy and then motherhood. And she says her goal in writing is to, quote, portray the human capacity to transform our reality from evident darkness that surrounds it into its potential for light and beauty. The album also features other collaborations, including harpist Margaret Davis on the track. She's a very talented musician in her own right, and I just have to put pointed out that she performed with Bob Ware and the Wolf Brothers on their tiny desk, which ran in March of 2020. Camila Mesa is the artist. The album is called Portal, and that track was called Persistir.

My turn, Felix. This is another artist I have brought up a couple times now. I feel like I'm always leaving you little like Easter eggs for. For what's to come. Rosalski. He's part of this Spanish scene that I'm obsessed with. I talk about them all the time. The Ralphie choose, even Pablo. Pablo. This is Rozowski's debut album, his personal project. And oh, my goodness, Felix, it's so delightful. This is the song off of the album Daisy. It's called Malibu.

[Sam]

I was thinking about you I was thinking about you.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This is one of those. Those instances where I. I've not heard the song before, and I'm just blown away. And I think that it. It sort of segues from the Camila Mesa track.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is a man who is a producer for. So he's used to playing with sounds, almost sound design, in these very kind of, like, inventive and creative ways. And then you take in the fact that the man has classical piano training. There is a base there of really, really strong, beautiful piano that he kind of builds all these really fun and interesting electronic sounds around. Felix. I heard raw vocals from him recently. Oh, my God, I cried. I literally started crying immediately when I heard those raw vocals. There's so much soul under all those layers of effects, too. There's so much soul to his voice. He's a beautiful singer. I do want to play one other track from the album. This is a single he released earlier this year from this album. It's called Sophia. That was two songs off his debut album called Daisy. That was Rosowski.

So much to take in. I think we need to take a break. All right.

Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Excellent segue.

We'll be right back.

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[Felix Contreras]

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[Felix Contreras]

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

And we're back. Felix. Okay, how are you going to top what I just did?

Okay, with more jazz. I'm going to play some music from Ines Velasco. She is a jazz composer and arranger. She lives in New York City. She's originally from Guadalajara. She says that during the break from her first semester at the Berklee School of Music In Boston about 12 years ago, she read the poetry of a guy named Jorge Esquina. And she kept that poetry in mind and eventually constructed amazing jazz arrangements around his poetry for her album A Flash of Cobalt Blue. And the album starts with the poet reading from the opening poem of the book. I'm gonna play the opening part of this track again. This is Ines Velasco.

[Felix Contreras]

Todo esta pordecira el impulso en los pies de ESA muchacha Maria quesue a los arboles.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, this is going to be our weekly deep dive.

Okay oh, here we go. Buckle up, everybody. We're at the family party and Theo Felix has something to say.

This book of poetry is a meditation on death and the death of this poet's father. And it's something that pops up often in music from Mexico. In particular, the dance of death that we all do with our lives.

For those who don't know, Felix loves death.

It's part of the whole Mexican. Mexican American existence. You know, iconography, everything. Right, next, listen how she has arranged horns behind the tenor sax solo, still reflecting that opening line. Todo esparade, sir. Everything remains to be said. So there's a feeling of inconclusiveness that sometimes accompanies the passing of a life. Check this out. Her compositions and arrangements remind me of a very well known jazz composer, Maria Schneider, who also works with big, giant orchestras. And this is exactly what Ines Velasco does. What they have in common is that the art that they create by arranging those little black dots, the notes on paper, to be interpreted by musicians who then create these amazing sonic tapestries. There is a well known precedent for this type of jazz. It was a collaboration between Miles Davis and the arranger, Gil Evans. This is late 50s, early 60s. They made music with symphony orchestras to create a new form of jazz expression. Check out the opening section of their album, Sketches of Spain from 1960. See if you can hear some of the sonic similarities.

I know this album.

[Sam]

Sam.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And now listen to the. The excitement, the drama of the track that we've been listening to. Check it out.

[Sam]

Sam.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And it ends again with the idea that everything's still to be said. And also the idea that the dream is just a second life.

Wow.

So Mexican poetry and jazz. I mean, who does that? Ines Velasco does that. The album's called A Flash of Cobalt Blue. It's gonna come out on June 6th. There are already two singles out right now, and there are more to come. All right, what's next, Donna?

This is the second album that I got special permission to give a little sneak preview of. This is the song False Moves by Pachiman off of his album coming May 23rd, called Another Place.

Sa.

[Sam]

False.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Terminal 1. Terminal 1. Terminal 1 reminds me of the phrase, I had a lot of fun while I was waiting around for something to happen.

You know? And again, we mean it so unoffensively because I.

Right.

But the whole record is kind of. That it is, yeah.

The repetition is the. The point.

Yes, right, exactly. The album moves in that way that I find so refreshing, because you're not really Working towards anything, like, you're not reaching the climax. To me, it's actually like this amazing exercise in being a little more mindful of, like. No, we're just in it right now. He calls this album an ode to la. And I think he forgets how Caribbean he is. Especially that track feels very la. I want to play you another one. It's called Hard to Part and it already actually was released as a single.

Do be hard to part do be hard to part do be hard to.

[Sam]

Part do be hard to fight do.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Be hard to part do be hard to fight do be hard to part Anna, you said something that is just striking a chord with me, the mindfulness.

I'm like, oh, did I?

Yes. We exist in this moment. Like, once this moment is over, it's in the past and it doesn't exist anymore. And the idea of the song, the first part of the song, the verse, the chorus, you know, the bridge, it takes us out of the moment. Music like this, it just repeats. It's over and over. It is like a deep meditation on the moment.

Right. I was listening recently to the electronic artist John Hopkins. Do you know him? Felix?

I do not.

He works a lot with, like, Forte, all those guys, Brian Eno, Felix. Like, it is so subtle. He does these, like, super, like many, many minute songs where it's like the repetition of the same exact thing over and over and over. You get this tiny little, barely. You can hear it melody and it's the same thing over and over. And every like two minutes, he'll layer like one extra little thing on there, you know what I mean? And it's like you have to be so careful and listen so closely and be like, okay with sitting there with no change. And then you get rewarded with just a little nugget of a little something. And it feels so special and distinct because you've been waiting and you've been sitting in the moment and you've been enjoying the moment. And we don't hear a ton of music like that anymore. It's like two minute songs and it's boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And I think, like Bachiman, who, you know, a lot of this song is actually pretty tropical. I didn't play the those tracks necessarily, but he's bringing the culture he's bringing where he's from, but he's doing it in a way where he's making you sit and pay attention and sit in front of the record player and listen to it. And it's just really refreshing to me. Those were two tracks off of the new Pachiman album, Another Place. All right, Felix, take it home.

Time for a little bit of whiplash. There is a new quartet from Southern California. It features the vocalist Nancy Sanchez.

[Sam]

I broke the curse of the blue eye man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This group blurs the lines between traditional acoustic Mexican music and Americana folk music. The group was called Las Choriceras. They've dropped a few singles. Their full album is due out mid May. This is a track called Blue Eyed Man.

[Sam]

Six feet tall, dirty blonde Got me in a dress with a bra can smile he left me no chance.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I.

[Sam]

Fought so hard not to play his game that's when I broke the curse of the blue eyed man Blue, blue eyed man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, you and your country, man.

Don't even get me started. And the story behind this is that she was visiting her family in Toluca, Mexico, her hometown, and she came up with the idea for an all female group doing the music she grew up with, which includes Mexican music. And also another big influence, Americana, which is not exactly country, maybe country. Rough around the edges, I guess you can call it. Toluca is known for its chorizo, which is a meat product like a sausage. And it's very different than a chorizo in Spain. I made that mistake and will never make that mistake again. Asking for chorizo from Spain, I'm like, what is this? Where's my chorizo? Important lessons, the Mexican chorizo. For those that don't know, it's soft. It's like a soft sausage that you put in. You scramble with your eggs. The people from Toluca call themselves choriceros or choriceras because of their regional product. And when she figured that out, she had a name for her band.

Love it. Love Meat inspired band names.

Yeah, yeah, meat inspired. That one almost slipped by me. The band is called Las Choriseras. The track is called Blue Eyed Man. The album's gonna be called Las Choriceras. Again from our friend Nancy Sanchez. Keep putting it out because we'll keep playing it.

[Sam]

You were all I had. You were all I. Whisper in my ear Whisper in my ear what I wanna hear. Make me scream your name over and over.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I think our time here is done.

You have been listening to All Latino from NPR Music. Simon Rettner has the almost impossible job of making sense of this by cutting all this audio together. And we appreciate his work every week. He is our audio editor.

The woman who keeps us on track, who deals with this on a regular basis is Grace Jones.

In real life, Saraya Muhammad also keeps us on track. She is executive producer from NPR Music.

And Keith Jenkins is VP of Music and Visuals.

Thank you so much for listening. It's just been a long day. I'm Felix Contreras. Thank you for listening.

I'm on a singer. Thank you for listening.

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[Felix Contreras]

With the novel Iceberg from the number one New York Times best selling author Jennifer A. Nielsen, a young stowaway on board the Titanic, will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. Iceberg, available in paperback wherever books are sold.