Alt.Latino

Guadalajara loves metal?

I like to think I’m the one who keeps things fresh on the show — or at least that’s what I tell everyone. But this week Felix once again proved that false, bringing in a

Cypress Hill en español

Latin identity has been at the core of Cypress Hill's music from the very beginning -- their 1991 track "Latin Lingo" gave voice to the Latin roots of hip hop with its fu

Electrónica rising in Mexico

Mexico isn't the first place you think of as the cutting edge of experimental electronic music. But two new projects show that might be changing. LATIN MAFIA recently tea

Ana's thoughts after seeing Harry Styles in Mexico

Harry Styles just finished a 5-night run in Mexico City. You know who else had a 5-night run in Mexico City? Michael Jackson in 1993. Mainstream artists have a long hist

Ana's summer playlist

To celebrate Ana's world premiere as a DJ -- a gig playing for 5,000 people in Central Park, which she definitely, absolutely prepared for -- this week we present her sum

Is Bill Evans techno?

Bill Evans might not be techno. But in this week's episode, the slow-building angst and tension of electronic producer Debit's new music reminded Ana of the beloved jazz

Spain wins (at music, too)

We'll take any excuse to talk about the insane quality of music coming out of Spain these days. This week, we got one: Spain defeated Argentina on Sunday to win the 2026

Country twang, Brazilian flow

With last week's best-of show behind us, we've got a clean slate to dive into our favorite new music kicking off the second half of the year. Felix brings a batch of coun

The best Latin music of 2026 (so far)

It’s that time of the year again: a mix between Christmas and Halloween for me and Felix. We gift you our best album picks of the year so far — and there’s nothing spooki

Mon Laferte's captivating coda

On this week’s Alt.Latino, Anamaria and I both gush about 'Femme Fatale Vol. 2,' the new album from Chilean-Mexican singer Mon Laferte, who is on one of the more amazing

They opened for Miles Davis and Sly Stone, then disappeared

This week's episode is a musical time machine. In the late 1960s, the band Zapata sprang out of a street gang in northwest Washington, D.C., with a sound that combined a

The sounds of Cuban resilience

We're living in a moment when the geopolitical intersects with the personal in a profound way. The relationship between the United States and Cuba is once again in the ne

A Tejano masterclass with El Gato Negro, Ruben Ramos

Ruben Ramos' life story mirrors the history of what we now know as Tejano music. His family's musical roots in Texas go back to 1918, and as a boy he was brought into the

The Vaqueros of Hawaii

We don’t often get to discuss the ways that Latin American music made its way west across the Pacific Ocean. But this week we have two incredible projects that celebrate

Gipsy Kings are back, Julieta Venegas' norteña roots and more

Two different pioneers - from two different continents - are at the heart of this episode of new music. Since the late 1980s, Gipsy Kings have been infusing Catalan rumba

Our favorite Latin Tiny Desk Contest entries

Since 2014, we've been hitting bands up to send in their videos for the opportunity to win the Tiny Desk Contest. And almost from the beginning, Alt.Latino has been pulli

El futuro es Milo J

I've been dying to interview Argentine artist Milo J ever since he came to NPR earlier this year to perform at the Tiny Desk. The 19-year-old started his career as a trap

Flamenco meets Música Mexicana

Fusion is at the heart of so much of the music we cover - especially on this week's episode. Flamenco producers descend on Hermosillo to experiment with regional Mexican

Argentine indie, Venezuelan reggaeton and punk from San Antonio

This week's new music show spans the breadth of Latin America. Argentine indie artist Paula Prieto goes experimental. Venezuelan reggaeton pioneers Chino y Nacho return t

Jorge Drexler returns home

Jorge Drexler is one of the most decorated singer-songwriters in Latin America. His albums are always high profile events, and his latest record merits the attention. It'