Alt.Latino: Songs she loves: Sofia Rei and the magic of the human voice

Summary

NPR Music: Alt.Latino – "Songs She Loves: Sofia Rei and the Magic of the Human Voice"

Date: March 25, 2026
Hosts: Felix Contreras & Ana Maria Sayer
Guest: Sofia Rei (Argentine vocalist)
Main Theme: Exploring the influences, creative processes, and pan-Latin collaborations behind Sofia Rei’s upcoming album, Antonima, plus a curated playlist of songs that inspire her.

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Episode Overview

This episode of Alt.Latino welcomes back celebrated Argentine vocalist Sofia Rei to preview her forthcoming album Antonima and to discuss the magic of the human voice, creative collaboration, and cross-cultural influences in Latin music. Rei brings a pan-Latin playlist of tracks that have shaped her artistry, sharing deep insights into her unique musical sensibility.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Introduction & Album Preview (00:21–03:24)

• Hosts Felix Contreras and Ana Maria Sayer highlight how Rei’s upcoming album Antonima (out April 3rd) gathers an "incredible list of collaborators" like Gaby Moreno, Daymé Arocena, Mireya Ramos, Xenia Rubinos, and Juana Luna.
• Sofia Rei is welcomed onto the show and expresses her excitement:

  “I’m so excited to be here. I love you guys. I listen to you guys.” (01:24, D/Sofia Rei)

2. The Making of Antonima: Global, Female Collaboration (03:28–06:31)

• Inspiration: The album’s genesis began as a playlist of phenomenal female musicians from across Latin America pushing Latin folk into new territories—electronica, Afro-Caribbean, experimental pop, and more.
• Collaborative Process:

  “We recorded in Buenos Aires, in Córdoba, in Bogotá with Las Añes… in Miami with Jaime, in LA with Gaby… crafting the sound of this record, which was very, very artisanal… A gift to me to have these incredible women on the record.” (03:54–05:32, D/Sofia Rei)

• Intentionality in Collaboration: Ana Maria notes the deeper intentionality and pan-Latin approach in Rei’s vision—blending unexpected artists and cultural influences into an effortlessly unified sound.

3. The Playlist: Tracks That Shaped Sofia Rei

a. Silvana Estrada – "Te Guardo" (06:50–10:23)

• Rei’s Admiration:

  “Silvana is the present of Latin folk music, literally. Her poetry is just incredible. Her voice is to die for… You need to wait until the end of the phrase to even attempt to breathe again.” (09:01–09:47, D/Sofia Rei)

• Jazz Influence: Appreciates Silvana’s musicianship, versatility, and subtle influences from jazz icons like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday.

b. Juana Molina – "Cuentas" (11:26–13:59)

• Felix’s Take: Calls Molina the “madrina of women who do amazing things with their voices, either naturally or with electronics.” (11:56, B/Felix)
• Rei’s Perspective:

  “I love how odd her choices are… She’s always being herself. And I don’t know if you know, but Juana had a major career… as a comedian back home in Argentina.” (12:08–13:28, D/Sofia Rei)

• Origins & Innovation: Molina’s transformation from TV comedy to groundbreaking music, her experimental drive, and unique artistic DNA.

c. Tune-Yards – "Bizness" (15:37–17:52)

• Ana Maria’s Nostalgia:

  “I forgot I love this song.” (16:52, C/Ana Maria)

• Rei’s Response:

  “First time I heard Tune-Yards… I was like, she’s like my American sister… I would love to do a collaboration with her one day.” (17:18–17:49, D/Sofia Rei)

• Vocal Exploration: Tune-Yards' bold use of voice, rhythmic experimentation, and the same spirit Rei admires and channels.

d. Rita Indiana – "Mandinga Times" (20:43–24:41)

• Ana Maria’s Context: Rita Indiana deemed a "best kept secret" whose innovation defines much of today’s alt-Latin music.
• Rei’s Analysis:

  “She takes tradition and she pushes it to the very extreme… This is futuristic folk… I started this project calling it Folk Confuturism, and I think Rita represents that.” (23:23–23:54, D/Sofia Rei)

• Total Package: Indiana’s multi-faceted artistry as a musician, novelist (Latin science fiction), and performer—mixing analog, digital, explosive merengue, and forward-looking vision.

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4. Production & Partnership: JC Maillard (17:54–20:43)

• Felix on Live Chemistry:

  “There’s something between you guys, man. It just works.” (20:03, B/Felix)

• Sofia on Collaboration:

  “He's a multi-instrumentalist... one of the most musical humans I have ever met… he sings really well. I was able to fire everybody after I met him… With one guy, you have your orchestra.” (18:17–20:14, D/Sofia Rei)

• Process: Rei and Maillard’s partnership enables them to meld disparate Latin influences into a cohesive, boundary-pushing sound.

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5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Artistic Vision:

  “I wanted to make something very pan-Latin, like global Latin in a way.” (06:31, D/Sofia Rei)

• On Juana Molina’s Roots:

  “Her mother was a phenomenal actress… her father was a tango musician—a good DNA she got, and she did something spectacular with it.” (13:59, D/Sofia Rei)

• On Folk Futurism:

  “This is futuristic folk… Folk Confuturism… Rita [Indiana] represents that in the best possible way.” (23:23–23:54, D/Sofia Rei)

• On Sonic Cohesion:

  “It could very easily turn into a spoiled soup with sugar… But JC and I understand each other super well.” (19:46, D/Sofia Rei)

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6. Closing Reflections & Final Track (24:41–28:16)

• Felix’s Summary:

  “It’s like a statement of Pan Latin female creativity... I’m always just completely mesmerized by the scope of how you hear things… The secret sauce is how you hear them.” (25:36, B/Felix)

• Sofia’s Response:

  “It took forever, but it’s here. Yay.” (25:56, D/Sofia Rei)

• On Collaborators:

  “With the list of collaborators you have on the show… If you think they’re cool, then I think we’re on the right track.” (25:56, B/Felix)

• Final Song: “Siete Lirios” featuring Mariana Baraj—an ode to experimental folkloric music, recorded in Buenos Aires, closing the episode with Rei’s signature blend of tradition and innovation.

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Episode Structure & Playlist

• Intro & Album Preview (00:21–03:24)
• The Making of Antonima (03:28–06:31)
• Playlist Selections & Reflections:
  • Silvana Estrada – "Te Guardo" (06:50–10:23)
  • Juana Molina – "Cuentas" (11:26–13:59)
  • Tune-Yards – "Bizness" (15:37–17:52)
  • Rita Indiana – "Mandinga Times" (20:43–24:41)
• Production Partnership (17:54–20:43)
• Final Track:
  • Sofia Rei (feat. Mariana Baraj) – "Siete Lirios" (26:27–28:16)

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Summary

This episode is a vibrant celebration of Latin female creativity, experimentation, and the limitless possibilities of the human voice. Through Sofia Rei’s stories, song selections, and collaborative spirit, listeners get an intimate look at the future of Latin music—a future rooted in deep tradition yet always hurtling innovatively forward. Whether through a folkloric ballad, electronic experiments, or syncretic collaborations, Rei’s philosophy emerges: "futuristic folk" belongs to everyone bold enough to hear—and shape—the world anew.

Transcript

[A]

This message comes from Bombas. You need better socks and slippers and underwear because you should love what you wear every day. One purchased equals one donated. Go to bombus.com NPR and use code NPR for 20% off.

[B]

From npr music, this is alt latino. I'm felix contreras.

[C]

And I'm ana maria sayer. Let the chisme begin. Okay, Felix.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

This week we're doing one of my favorite types of episodes. So you and I, we brought in a lot of amazing records so far already this year that we're really excited about, and there's been a few that we want to spend an extra amount of time with. One in particular is one that hasn't even come out yet, but we're going to give everyone today a little bit of a preview, not only of the music, but of the stuff, sounds, sights, smells that inspired the record.

[B]

The album's called Antonima. It's coming out on April 3rd, and it's by the Argentine vocalist Sofia Ray.

[C]

It has an incredible list of collaborators, including Gabby Moreno, Daimir Rosena, Mirea Ramos, Senia Rubinos, Juana Luna, just to name a few.

[B]

And we're extremely, extremely honored to have her with us on the line today. Sofia, welcome back to All Latino.

[D]

Thank you, Felix And Ana Maria, this is so, so. I'm so excited to be here. I love you guys. I listen to you guys.

[C]

Oh, my goodness. We love you and listen to you and are more a fan of you.

[B]

So what we did was we asked Sofia to bring in some tracks that have influenced her that she's listening to that maybe influenced the record. Just sort of stuff for your life. Yeah.

[C]

Any of it. All of the above.

[B]

She sent me a super, super long list. We pared it down because I get it right. How are you going to.

[C]

Honestly, if I had to, I just wouldn't. I'd be like, no, this is my list of 100 or nothing.

[D]

Super, super difficult to narrow it down.

[B]

Before we get to that list, though, we're gonna hear a little bit of the new record. This is the title track. It's called Antonima, and it features a group called Las Anes from Colombia.

[D]

Right, right.

[B]

Okay, check it out.

[D]

Siata.

[B]

Sophia.

[C]

Wow. Caswal.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. How did this thing come together conceptually? Because listening to your records over the years, there's always something a little different. You always have a little bit of an idea, a theme. But this one seems to be completely realized and very, very well thought out with the layers of the voices and the concepts and rhythms just in that one alone. I mean, how do you do this, man? Where does this stuff come from?

[D]

So I actually realized not so long ago that this whole thing started with a playlist that I put together of all these phenomenal women from all parts of Latin America that are creating music that I love, that are doing things that are related to Latin folk music, but in a very different way. Like, some of them are into electronica, some of them are mixing things up with Afro Caribbean stuff, some of them are into soul music, some of them are into experimental pop, some of them are into. And they are just doing something new or something different. And I was like, oh, I want all these folks in a record together. How can we make it happen? So it took a long time, Felix, because we recorded in Buenos Aires, in Cordoba, in Bogota with Las Anas, this track that you just listened to in Miami with Jaime, in LA with Gabby. And also we started working with my longtime collaborator, J.C. maillard, in crafting the sound of this record, which was very, very artisanal in a way. Like, every sound you hear, every instrument, if it's virtual or if it's acoustic, was like, really, really worked on. And we, you know, I envisioned kind of like the perfect marriage between the electronic sounds that we love for so long, but keeping. Being able to keep the DNA of these rhythms. It was like a gift to me to have these incredible women on the record.

[C]

Something that I tell people a lot about music from all parts of Latin America. And this is a generalization, but I feel as though often collaboration is more naturally a part of the process. It's more, you know, accepted, used. You see people collaborating across records all the time. But what I. About everything you're describing is the intentionality behind not only selecting these artists that you deeply admire, but really this very thoughtful yet natural infusion of a lot of different cultures. I mean, you see perhaps artists from Mexico collaborating with other artists from other parts of Mexico. Or you'll see maybe like Caribbean artists coming together, like a very naturally Puerto Rican and Dominican or something to that effect. But the way you tied in a Gabi and a senia and a daime, as if it all makes perfect sense together, because I think it does. There's something. There is something. And in the sonic landscape that you've really built in this record, they do fit beautifully in a way that you wouldn't expect them to.

[D]

Yeah, it was really interesting to. In the case of songs where I invited them, I was like, okay, where can Gabi shine? Or where can Chado shine in Whatever we're gonna be putting together. And I don't know, I really like that we managed to make something very pan Latin, like global Latin in a way.

[C]

I love that you use that term pan Latin, because pan Latin is such. It has a specific association with it that you've kind of flipped on its head a little bit. And looking at the playlist that you brought in today, also very pan Latin in the way that you're describing it. I mean, you have clearly influences artists you admire from a lot of different regions of the world, in Latin America and outside. So we want to start by playing the first song you brought in today, which is God, one of my deeply personal favorites. This is Teguardo by Silvano Estrada.

[D]

Tengo tres caras pocios.

[B]

Okay, so I'm curious because Anna and I have talked a lot about Sylvana Estrada on the show, I bet, about why we like her and what appeals to us. I'm curious about what do you hear, what attracted you to her music as a fellow musician? Like what? How do you filter that appreciation based on your own creativity?

[D]

I find Silvana to be the best representation of the things I love in music and in folk, Latin folk music in particular. I think she's the present of Latin folk music, literally. I cannot think of anybody else that could be at that level of beauty and creativity. Her poetry is just incredible. Her voice is to die for. It's just like she opens her mouth. I saw her live multiple times and I'm like, you can't breathe. You need to wait until the end of the phrase to even attempt to breathe again. She's just. It's just mesmerizing. And I really like, as a musician, her musicianship level. You know, I appreciate that. I appreciate how great she is playing multiple instruments. She also has a connection to jazz, which is part of my background and something very important in my music and a major influence in everything that I do. And she, you know, she listened her influences, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, and I just. I couldn't stop, you know, listening to her. If she would do a four hour show, I'd be happy to be standing

[B]

up and clapping and dancing.

[D]

And dancing.

[B]

We were listening to the voice of Silvano Estrada with attracting from her 2022 album Marchita. We're going to continue with the next track. One of the things I discovered, and when I think back about how long we've been doing the show, one of the connective tissues is my fascination and appreciation for female vocalists of all kinds. And one of the Ones I remember very distinctly hearing Juana Molina for the first time and just being completely mesmerized and blown away. And I was fortunate enough to have her on a tiny desk and also interview her on the show once. Let's play a little bit of the track that you brought in, and it's called ctones, and then we'll talk a little bit about her.

[D]

No, Sam.

[B]

I like to think of Juana Molina as, and correct me if I'm wrong, as the madrina of women who do amazing things with their voices, either naturally or with electronics.

[D]

I love her. I love how odd her choices are. The song forms she creates are completely different from what you would expect of a pop song. The way she also uses live electronics is very specific, very particular. She's always being herself. And I don't know if you know, but Juana had a major career when she was in her 20s as a

[B]

comedian back home in Argentina.

[D]

The most incredible stuff you've ever seen. She had a show called Juana y Su Sermanas where she would play multiple characters, and it was also very much herself because it was a very, very weird type of humor. But it was on public television. Everybody was watching this show. Me like, oh, my God, this is hilarious. This woman, she's so talented. She's a very talented actress and comedian. And when she was at the peak of her career, she's like, yeah, you know what? I just want to play music. And all of a sudden, people started to recognize that she was kind of a genius and she was doing something really new and very, very innovative. And so she's really a pioneer. She's very experimental in her way of approaching music. And that's what I admire of her.

[B]

When I had her on the show, I surprised her at the end of the show and had her to say goodbye in one of her TV character voices. Her voice and her character and her whole being. She took a second and she went into that, I guess, her zone, and it was like a little kid's voice almost, right?

[D]

And.

[B]

And. And she was this little kid right in front of me. She transformed. It was. I'll never forget it. Her voice, her being, everything about her became this, like, little. Little person, little kid person, this character.

[D]

She's an incredible actress, and her mother was a phenomenal actress, super famous actress, and her father was a tango musician. And I think she. She got the best out of both of them. It's a good DNA, good DNA that she got, and she did something spectacular with it.

[B]

We're in the studio Talking to Sophia Ray about her new record, but also about some of her favorite records. We're going to take a break and we'll be right back.

[E]

This message comes from Carvana Finance. And buy your next vehicle with Carvana Shop. A huge selection. Customize terms to fit your budget, and buy completely online. No hassle, no pressure. Get the car you love the easy way with Carvana. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Strawberry Me. If you could go back and talk to your younger self, would you tell yourself that you have a job that truly makes you happy? Many people are stuck in jobs they've outgrown or never really wanted. A career coach from Strawberry Me can help you move on to something you actually love. Benefit from having a dedicated coach in your Corner, and get 50% off your first coaching session at Strawberry Me. NPR support for NPR. And the following message come from Warby Parker, the One Stop Shop for all your vision needs. They offer expertly crafted prescription eyewear, plus contacts, eye exams and more for everything you need to see. Visit your nearest Warby Parker store or head to warbyparker.com

[C]

and we're back from break. We're sitting here with Sophia Ray talking about some of her favorite music. Is that fair to say most influential perhaps.

[D]

Right?

[C]

All right, we're going to move on to this next track, which I was surprised and excited that you put on here. This is a track from Toon Yards, and the song is called Business.

[D]

Then cut away the body Represent the thing that's got you

[C]

I say

[D]

get

[C]

up, stand up, get up, stand up,

[D]

get on, get down no longer who you thought this one would be.

[C]

Okay. Another song that I had not heard in years. This was like, amazing, amazing reminder of things that I love. I was like, wow, I forgot I love this song.

[D]

Song.

[C]

I mean, I said it didn't make sense until it really did. I think that there's a really clear through line to me of some of the things that it's clear that you admire. I mean, what about this song specifically? And I'm noting the vocalizations, especially here, really draws you in.

[D]

The first time I heard 10 yards, I think this was the first song I heard. I was like, oh, my God. She's like, my, my American sister. What's going on here? I never met Meryl, but I would love, would love to do a collaboration with her one day because again, I feel like, hey, we should. Yeah, yeah. It's like a sister from, from the north that I should meet sometime.

[B]

Okay, we're gonna put it out there. Hopefully she's listening.

[C]

I was gonna say noted.

[B]

Before we move on to the next Track. You mentioned J.C. maillard at the beginning of the show. Just a little bit. Can you talk a little bit about your creative relationship, the association that you have with him? Because I've seen you guys live, he's on all of your records, just about. Where did that come from? Where's he from? Because he's got an interesting backstory. But then how do you guys work together? What's that chemistry like?

[D]

That's a really great question. JC and I met in Montreal in. At the Montreal Jazz Festival, and I was introduced to him by my friend Malika Zara. I think he was 2011, 2012. And I went to see them play and I was like, what? What's going on? He's a multi instrumentalist. He's from the French Caribbean. He's from an island called Guadeloupe, and he is one of the most musical humans I have ever met. And he's really skilled in piano and guitar and bass and percussion. And he's a great songwriter and a great producer as well. So he was very essential in the making of this record. The way we work, typically, I do write, and then I bring the ideas and the writing to him, and then we start to brainstorm about, okay, how are we. How are we going to bring this to life in the studio in particular. Right. And he's. He's an incredible producer. We. We produced this record together, and we worked hours and hours on end for each song to have, as I was saying at the beginning, the. The type of sound and the. And the cohesiveness that we wanted, because again, we're mixing so many different things here. It's like it could very easily turn into. Into a spoiled soup with sugar.

[B]

Right, Right.

[D]

And we work together super well. We get along really well, and musically, we understand each other super well. So it's like, really a pleasure to have a musical partner like that.

[B]

You can see it, too. When you guys play live. There's like this unspoken thing. And when I saw you, I forget. I don't remember who else was in the band, but I know you had Jorge Glenn in the band.

[D]

That's right.

[B]

Venezuelan quato player. And then JC and you and I forget who else, but, like, all these amazing musicians on a stage, but there was something between you guys, man. It just. It just works.

[D]

And here's the thing also, we worked as a duo. We worked as a trio, we worked in a sextet. We have managed to create music in so many different formats that really worked for us. And again, he sings really well. I'm like, so lucky I was able to fire everybody after I met him. I'm like, okay, that's it, that's it. It's just easy with one guy. You have your orchestra, so that's it.

[C]

Okay, More music, more music. Okay, this last one too. Oh, my goodness. I need, like an expanded version of this playlist. Whatever your original 100 songs were, I'm

[D]

gonna send it to you.

[C]

No, please, I'm super, super serious. Okay, so last song we have for today. This is another amazing. Deserves to be in the hall of fame. Rita Indiana. This is her song, Mandinga Times. She is, to this day, I think, one of those almost to me, a best kept secret in a lot of ways of. Of the kind of like independent alternative scene where what she. She did and continues to do is instrumental, I think, in defining some of the sounds that we hear today, some of the most exciting sounds that we hear today. And yet maybe has not fully gotten her flowers for how innovative, for how brilliant she is in manipulating sound. I mean, you can hear it in that song, right? I could see Felix with that percussion absolutely losing his mind as he does. What about her specifically? Really, really has inspired you, I would imagine.

[D]

Well, I agree with you. She's brilliant. And not enough people know of her music and her actually, her overall, she has a career as a writer, a novelist. Yeah, Latin science fiction. Are you kidding me? It's amazing. It's like it blew my mind. And her lyrics are just out of this world. The sound of her music is kind of like a perfect marriage of analog and digital. And this song in particular is a Dominican merengue on steroids.

[B]

Super steroids.

[D]

Yeah. I'm like, yeah, this is it. This is it exactly. Because she, again, she takes tradition and she pushes it to the very extreme. Present or the future, actually, because she's a futuristic that. This is futuristic folk. Like, I like it, you know, like, this is it. That's it. And I started this project calling it Folk Confucurism. And I think Rita represents that in the best possible way. So of course she needed to be in my short playlist and she's definitely my long playlist as well.

[B]

Former Latino co host Jasmine Garz introduced me to her years and years ago right after we started the show. And I was just checking right now, we had her on as a guest DJ, like we're doing right now in 2011, right after this track came out. I remember talking, spending A lot of time talking about the mechanics of how to play merengue so fast.

[D]

Exactly. There is something. It's not easy to keep the groove alive when you are also bringing the electronic component. And she does it super well, and it's the whole package. Also, you see her performances, and there is a very well crafted image. Her style, her clothing style, the way she presents herself, the storytelling, it's just brilliant. Brilliant.

[B]

Before we close out, that wasn't exactly the last song. We want to close out the show with one of your songs. But before we do that, we wanted to thank you for taking time to share this music with us and talk to you a little bit about your record. One of the things that. And I was taking notes that one of the things that I just. I think it's a statement. I mean, it's like a statement of Pan Latin female creativity is what I think of whenever I think of your work. And then all the musicians that you work with at the same time, it's just. I'm always just completely mesmerized by the scope of how you hear things. That, to me, is the secret. The secret sauce. It's like. It's how you hear them. We all listen to the same stuff, man. Colombian music, we all listen to it, right? The stuff you do with Daime, there's Afro Cuban, there's Santeria. But it's the way you hear it and the way you and JC put it together that makes it so special.

[D]

Thank you, Felix. I really appreciate it. I appreciate it. Appreciate you guys for your show, for your love, you know, and it's really special to be here with you. I'm really excited about this record. It's something I wanted to do for a long time. It took forever, but it's here. Yeah. Yay.

[B]

And I gotta say, with the list of collaborators that you have on the show, it was like a stamp of approval of what we do here on the show. Because look at the list. Gabby, Daime, Mirei, they're all women we've featured on the show, or including you on the tiny desk and all that. So if you think they're cool, then I think we're on the right track.

[C]

That's all Felix really waiting for.

[D]

I was like, felix, you got to know everybody here. They like.

[C]

Yeah, of course.

[D]

That's awesome.

[B]

Let's close out the show with your song Siete Lirios. Tell us a little bit about it before we hear it.

[D]

So this is a song that we recorded with Mariana Barrac. She was one of the first people I heard back home in Argentina doing more experimental folkloric music. She's a percussionist. She's a singer. She knows traditional music really well. But she always, from the very beginning, from her first record, decided to do something different with it. Very minimalistic, very organic, yet like bringing it to a completely different sonic landscape. So I asked her if she wanted to do this with me. And this is a song of mine called Siete Lirios. Yeah. And we were able to record it in Buenos Aires a few years back. Blood.

[B]

The name of the record is Antonima by Sophia Ray. It comes out on April 3rd. You have been listening to alt latino from npr music. Our audio producer is noah caldwell.

[C]

Saray muhammad is the executive producer of npr music.

[B]

Sonali mehta is executive director of npr music. I'm felix contreras.

[C]

And I'm ana maria sayer.

[B]

Thanks for listening.

[A]

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