Ana Maria Sayer (4:56)

There's really two things that I'm hearing here. One is it actually kind of. Her voice kind of reminds me of the vocal quality of poor Portuguese singer Maro, which I do think it's beyond just the Portuguese. There's something about the richness of their tone. And maybe it is the melodic expression, like is the actual expression of the notes vocally that feels similar here. And the other part of it too is there's an emotionality here that reminds me of Fado in a way, not so much in the actual sonic expression of the sound. Right. It is distinct, obviously, from what a phallo sound is. But there is something, I think, in the emotionality here. And that's why I was curious. I'm like, what is that folkloric thing they're tapping into? And is there a common thread there?

Felix Contreras (5:46)

That's something that's only answerable by listening to their records together, you know, and then trying to following those breadcrumbs.

Ana Maria Sayer (5:53)

You're gonna make one of your back to back Spotify playlist.

Felix Contreras (5:58)

I already did, man, with these guys. And I want to talk a little bit about the track because it's from an album that's a tribute to another great Brazilian musician, composer and poet, a guy named Chico Cesar. And I want to cite the lyrics of this tune because I really like the way he nods his head to what's going on in contemporary music right now. The lyrics say, when the letter arrived, I opened it. When I listened to Prince, I danced. When your eyes shone, I understood. When I grew wings, I flew. The whole song is this really beautiful love poem. And then in a later verse, he does the same thing, but instead of Prince, he refers to this musician from Mali named Salif Keita. So I just, you know, I don't know how often, if ever, I've heard Prince referred to in Portuguese lyrics from a Brazilian musician. But it's there and it's beautifully performed. The name of the track was A Primera Vista. It's from duos Giz Branco. And the album is called Pasados Omanaga Chico.

Ana Maria Sayer (7:41)

So speaking of calming the spirit, I'm going to get really emotional up in here. Felix. As you know, I love to do. A friend of mine recently showed me a song called Yamana by the indie artist Recordatorio. I actually didn't know him at all. Felix. Super, super small, not a big project, not super well known. But this song, oh, my God, it hits me straight in the corazon. Felix. It is truly soul medicine for me. I need you to hear a little bit of Yamanana.

Felix Contreras (8:28)

Love. It's got an Elado Negro feel to it.

Ana Maria Sayer (9:22)

Absolutely. I think it's because it's a little ethereal. It's always a little sad. This is off of his 2022 album, Tomas Verdes. This is the second album he ever released. Has not released one since. But this song, to me, Felix, has a real staying power. I mean, I've been listening to it over and over since I first heard it, and I could probably listen to it over and over a million more times because it has that essential, powerful energy of truth to me. His artist name, Recor Rattorio, literally translates to reminder. And never has an artist been more aptly named to me. Okay, this is the part where I get a little emotional. So, Felix, you know, I went through a pretty big breakup a couple years ago now, which is crazy. Everyone listening. If you've been listening since I joined Felix on the mic, whether you know it or not, you've been going through it with me and been listening to music through it with me. And I remember at some point during my process thinking to myself, for all these years, I lived based on these things of like, okay, there's two truths in this life. The sun always rises and you love this person. And the second, I realized that I had to re establish my new truths. What's my new anchor? This song, it reminds me of what I had to realize, which is that the sun always rises and also it always sets. You need that other piece. And this is something that you start to hope for, right? Like this desperation that he describes where he says, I need a break from who I am. Here, here, let it be tomorrow already. That's a desperation for the sun to set, for tomorrow to come. And I think everyone kind of knows that feeling. And when you first feel that feeling, you kind of like it's kind of a sadder thing. And then it becomes actually a little more hopeful and a little more joyful. And I think in the end, it becomes a gratitude for tomorrow. And gratitude, I think, is itself understanding the fullness of something, the pain, the joy, appreciating all of what something truly is. It's kind of like what you talk about with Buddhism, Felix, where it's like you have to have both sides to really appreciate something. And this song 100% reminds me of that.

Felix Contreras (11:36)

Wow. So much passion to a guy with a guitar, man.

Ana Maria Sayer (11:42)

That's what I heard.

Felix Contreras (11:48)

I heard a nice little tune with the guitar.

Ana Maria Sayer (11:54)

I heard the Answers to life. That was Ya Manana by Recordatorio.

Felix Contreras (12:31)

Okay, we're gonna move to Spain because one of the things I found, and I was moving, I have a couple vinyl albums, as you know.

Ana Maria Sayer (12:39)

Really? Another thing about Felix's vinyls, Felix says he's trying to pare down. He's like, I'm trying to get rid of things. I'm like, join me in my mid minimalist lifestyle. He's like, that's what I'm trying to do. And he's like, no, not my vinyls. You can't touch my vinyls.

Felix Contreras (12:57)

They're kind of a sacred thing. But anyway, so one of the things that happened was I found a bunch of stuff, like I said, I never listened to. And there was this record that was staring out at me, a guy named Raul Cantisano. He's from Spain, he's from Sevilla. The album's called Zona Acordona and it's from 2021. You know, saying that Raul Cantisano is a guitarist only scratches the surface. Because what he does is he explores, he mines, he digs deep, and he stretches the limits of the guitar, the flamenco guitar. And honestly, I didn't know him until I found the vinyl that had Somehow made its way into my stack. So I was listening while I was packing and my mind was blown. I'm gonna play two tracks. One to show his mastery of traditional flamenco. And then I'm gonna play a little bit of the second track to show how his musical mind works as a musical explorer. Okay. The first thing is called Tarante Sing Fing. And the second one is called La Suerte de Resorte. We're gonna hear Tarante Sing fin first. Check this. It's. Okay, so straight ahead. Flamenco, right? Very, very talented. He's one of the leading guitarists out there in Spain doing this stuff. And check this out. Check out what happens when he opens up the idea of what a guitar is and how to play it and where it fits in the flamenco tradition. Okay. That's all I'm gonna play because the album sort of alternates tracks from a traditional sounding flamenco and then all the other stuff that he does. And he does this thing where he. He has these prepared guitars. He has this one guitar where he has these like three or four or five string like springs sticking out of the bottom of the face of the guitar where you play and he plays it and it sounds like a marimba. And then.

Ana Maria Sayer (16:27)

Oh, I was gonna say very horror movie.

Felix Contreras (16:29)

It depends on where you're coming from. Right. How you hear it. And the album also has this booklet where he shows how he works his prepared guitars. And it's something that he does. He does this multimedia presentation with film with all this visual stuff in the background and music and these other musicians, ambient musicians, other flamenco musicians. He does his whole thing. I was playing this thing while I was packing. I ended up stopping and sitting down and listening to it because it was just. It was overwhelming. It was just so different. And so I thought just innovative and mind expanding.

Ana Maria Sayer (17:06)

I was just in a conversation. I told you, Felix. Right before I got on here with our colleague Tom Huizenga, who covers a lot of classical music. And we were talking about the dynamics of classical music and how you really can't put it on in the background because you just have to listen to it. It's. It's so captivating and specific. And I think that something about this too, the way that sound is so unique, it's very demanding of the attention.

Felix Contreras (17:33)

No doubt. Yeah. I mean that. I think people who don't understand classical music, not that I'm an expert, but of course, Tom has shown me a lot, just from me, the conversation or the work he does here at npr, really show me a lot about ways to get into classical music, where to dip my toes into that magic, magic ocean that is classical music or symphonic music. So yeah, I totally get it. There's a lot to pay attention to and this album falls into that category again. The album's called Zona Acordonada and the musician is Raul Cantisano. Okay, how are you gonna follow that?

Ana Maria Sayer (18:09)

Well, Felix, luckily I don't have to because we're about to take a break. We'll be right back.

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Ana Maria Sayer (20:20)

I'm up and this is a song I've been listening to a lot. Guatemalan singer. He's kind of offsides. Pop artist Jesse Baez released an album last November called Henry. I didn't actually have a chance to listen to it till recently, and this song in particular really struck me. It's called Persona Favorita.

Felix Contreras (21:38)

That did not go where I thought it was gonna go.

Ana Maria Sayer (21:41)

What did you think it was gonna go?

Felix Contreras (21:43)

Well, it would sound as kind of like twangy guitar, Western, something.

Ana Maria Sayer (21:49)

Oh, that's funny. Before the Dembo comes out.

Felix Contreras (21:51)

Yeah, man.

Ana Maria Sayer (21:52)

Yeah, well. And the. The guitar is always there, right? And that's what kind of creates this interesting texture to it. I have a friend who calls that varietal of Dembo reggaeton ro, which in reality, I think it's reggaeton triste. Like, every time I hear kind of like a dropped down Dembo like that, even if it's a love song, which this one is, this is a pure love song. It's like, wow, I can't believe that I found this love Da da da da and yet why am I sad? And I think that there's something really magnetic about being able to pair that beat along with kind of like this. Like what you're describing, this kind of like twangy little electric guitar that keeps coming in and out. And then with that bass, like, it creates this kind of emotional confusion that I love a sad love song. It's so perfect to me. And of course, he brought the sad love song experts on to do this track with him. Latin Mafia. I've talked about them before. Felix Young, group of brothers from Mexico. They did a collaboration with him earlier in 2023 called SE Fuel a Luz, and it's been one of my actual favorite songs from them for a long time. So I don't know. There's something about that energy that I think he works really well with. He does great as a collaborator. I think that's him at his best. And to me, this song just worked really, really well.

Felix Contreras (23:18)

It was definitely not what I expected, like I said. And. And one of the things that I really liked about it is that the casual approach to the vocal, everything about it. But so reggaeton triste is what you're saying, right?

Ana Maria Sayer (23:31)

Reggaeton triste. That's it. That's the rebrand for me.

Felix Contreras (23:35)

All right, you heard it here first.

Ana Maria Sayer (23:38)

It's. Again, it's the casual vocal, too, with such an intense messaging and a sad beat. It's like, oh, I don't care. But like, you're the love of my life. It's like, okay. It always takes me back to Leonard Cohen in the Chelsea Hotel. Like, oh, but, you know, whatever. You got away But I don't care I don't even think of you but you were the love of my life. That's the Reference point always. All roads lead back to Leonard Cohen.

Felix Contreras (24:06)

Wow, look at that right here in All Latino. Great, great Latin artist that he is.

Ana Maria Sayer (24:13)

Leonardo Cohen.

Felix Contreras (24:18)

All roads back. All roads lead back to Leonard Cohen. Says all Latino. Speaking of sad songs, one of the things I discovered on this stack of CDs, man, this goes back to 2013. Let me just paint the scene real quick. I was at the LAMC Latin Alternative Music conference in New York. So we had just started all latino. So that's 20. We started in 2010. This was 2013. So all these musicians, and they're in this hotel, and there's all these things going on. And I walked through the lobby, and they had this little stage set up where this sound company, some pa, you know, speakers or whatever, set up a little stage so that you can play music and the musicians can come play their songs. And I heard this voice, and I literally stopped in my tracks, like, oh, my God, who is this? What is this voice? Where is it coming from? Her name is Irene Diaz. She's from Southern California. And again, it's one of those magic moments that I'll never forget. And I found her CD in my stack of stuff that I was moving around. And I want to play a track from that record because it's really one of my favorite records, and she's one of my favorite singers. The track is called Crazy Love. This is Irene Diaz. Check it out.

Irene Diaz (25:52)

See, I'll follow you through the blue wisdom days. And I'll come for you every which way. Cause I'm crazy enough I'm so crazy in love I can't get enough. No, I'll never get enough of you, my love.

Felix Contreras (26:49)

So I gotta share another personal moment on this one. That year, 2013, was the year that Barbara and Du Bois came up to join me, and then we all drove back to Maryland afterwards. So 2013, Alessandro was 13 and Joaquin was 10. And we're all in the car. We're driving back, and I put this CD in the car because, of course, I have a CD player in the car. And for the whole length of the I love you Madly ep, nobody said a word. And we just listened. We were all entranced by this voice and the writing and the songwriting and everything about it. And a lot of it is just her. And Ukulele was played by her partner, Carolyn Cardoza. That's what I heard when I heard this CD again the other day while I was packing.

Ana Maria Sayer (27:34)

Wow, that really makes me want to ask you about the emotions of packing up your house, Felix. But we can Save that for later. You can't beat my breakup statement, so.

Felix Contreras (27:47)

No, no, I can't.

Ana Maria Sayer (27:48)

I can't, no. She really, really has a gorgeous, gorgeous voice. I mean, it's rare that I hear a song that I just. I immediately want to sing it. Like, I immediately want to embody it. It's just that there's something really striking about it.

Felix Contreras (28:02)

She has two eps out. She has one full length album she released in 2022. She has a whole bunch of singles out over the years, and the latest one was just released in December of 2024 just a few months ago. I do want to remind you that she did a tiny desk concert in 2014 with again with her partner Carolyn Cardoza. An ukulele. It was a blast from the past. It took me to another spot, another time and place, and just so appreciative of that opportunity to revisit that, but also to revisit that voice again. Irene Diaz.

Irene Diaz (28:54)

Crazy in love I'm so crazy.

Ana Maria Sayer (29:02)

Okay, my turn. So you have to be careful with a theme like this, Felix, of just music we're listening to because it gives me open and full opportunity to bring on my artists that I'm absolutely obsessed with. So going to have to put a timer on this one because I could talk for 20 years about how much I love Spanish singer Guitari de la Fuente. I have been waiting patiently, Felix, since 2022 when he released his debut album. And now in May, he'll be releasing a second album. You will be hearing more about this in May, but for now, he released a single. It's called Full Time Papi. I'm going to let you play a little before I talk about it.

Felix Contreras (30:20)

I've become a fan of him since you introduced me to his music.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:23)

Man, he's so good. He's one of those that literally came up on YouTube. It is one of those instances where it's like, oh, wow, real talent was able to be put directly in front of the right audience and they got it. And I'm so, so glad that he was able to find that avenue to rise because he really has a gift. That first album, it's. It's electronic, but it's so string heavy. He plays with strings a lot. He plays with live instrumentation in, like, just the right ways and just the right moments to really ground a more, like, ethereal, twinkly synthetic sound. It. I can't describe it to you, but this man, the grip he has on me, this music, it's really beautiful. And I'm not the only One. I mean, Rosalia literally posted this as the song that's. I don't know what you would call it. Soundtracking her Instagram post the other day. Pedro Pascal literally had it in an Apple commercial he did the other day. I mean, he is definitely beginning to be discovered. And get those flowers. And I'm so excited to see what this next album becomes for him. I have had the absolute luck of hearing the whole thing already, and I absolutely obsessed with it, but this track really still sticks out to me as something special. I think it's really a great encapsulation of, like, all of the best that he does as an artist.

Felix Contreras (31:46)

I can't wait to hear the record, man. Yeah, okay. Okay.

Ana Maria Sayer (31:51)

It's good. That was full time Papi. Not in the way that Felix was thinking of it. By Guitari de la Fuende I just love the idea of you, Felix, being like, oh, full time Papi. That's me. I was at every single fencing tournament.

Felix Contreras (32:42)

When I saw the song title, I'm like, oh, he's older than I thought. He has kids. He's talking about.

Ana Maria Sayer (32:50)

Stop.

Felix Contreras (32:52)

Oh, man. It's a matter of perspective, man.

Ana Maria Sayer (32:56)

It can be whatever you want it to be, Felix. That's art.

Felix Contreras (33:00)

And while I have you on the line and I have our dear friend Zahra Mohamed here across from me, I want to thank you both publicly for helping me move.

Ana Maria Sayer (33:08)

Wow, look at that.

Felix Contreras (33:10)

It was a big deal, man. You guys really came through, man.

Ana Maria Sayer (33:14)

No, honestly, you know what I'll never forget is walking through your house and being like, no, everything's organized and it has a place. And you'd be like, this is my pile of stuff that's trash. And then you'd be like, okay, great. So everything here, including this, is trash. And you'd be like, no, that's my most prized possession ever. You can't get rid of that. There is no logic here. Why does every room have 10 piles?

Felix Contreras (33:36)

Thank you both. Thank you. I really appreciate that. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music.

Ana Maria Sayer (33:43)

The woman who keeps us on track is Grace Chung.

Felix Contreras (33:46)

Sarayya Muhammad is executive producer of NPR Music and does a very good job of manning the booth when we're doing an indoor yard sale. Our head FAA in chief is Keith Jenkins. He didn't show up to help at all. He's the vpr.

Ana Maria Sayer (34:01)

Surprise.

Felix Contreras (34:02)

Invite him. I didn't invite him.

Ana Maria Sayer (34:04)

To be clear, we already knew what the response would be. An invite was not necessary.

Felix Contreras (34:10)

I'm Felix Contreras.

Ana Maria Sayer (34:12)

And I'm Ana Maria. Sayer and I'm Saraya Muhammad.

Felix Contreras (34:15)

Yay. Thank you for listening.

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Laganitas Brewing Co. Challenging the status quo and crafting stories along the way. Featuring a wide range of innovative craft brews and non alcoholic options. It's good to have friends. Learn more@laganitas.com this message comes from Warby Parker what makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your pair@warbyparker.com or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country.

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