Every week, La Alternativa delivers the very best from the Latin alternative scene by curating a blend of emerging and established artists within the Latin diaspora, while providing a platform to champion our growing local music scene. Listen on demand here and on 88Nine from 10-11 p.m. every Wednesday.
Latin America's music scene is characterized by the convergence of diverse and emerging genres, creating a vibrant and evolving cultural landscape. Bursting with fresh sounds, this episode explores what’s new to us and to the scene of Latin alternative music.
Natalia Lafourcade is a powerhouse, primarily producing pop and folk music. She recently received nine Latin Grammy nominations for her Cacionera album, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year, and followed it up by releasing “La Cometierra,” the title track from the Amazon Prime series inspired by Dolores Reyes’ novel.
Presented in spoken-word rap (quite different from what we are used to from Lafourcade), the track tells the story of a young girl attuned to the echoes of the disappeared. It’s a social manifesto rooted in land, ancestry and resilience. Lafourcade strives for this to be the bridge to the realities lived and witnessed today — a reminder to care for communities and respect for life in the face of violence.
We also got into “Rica y To,” the single from up-and-coming artist Wampi’s recently released El Rey de la Habana, which gave us the chance to talk about the Reparto genre. It’s a contemporary sound coming from Cuba (“Reparto” is slang for the working-class neighborhoods on the outskirts of Havana) that wraps raw and explicit lyrics in the combination of reggaeton and Afro-Cuban rumba clave. It’s also music perfect for dancing and just generally having fun, so feel free to do exactly that while you enjoy the episode.
Episode playlist
- Gia Fu, “Canton Mambo”
- Adrian Quesada, “No Juego” ft. Angélica Garcia
- Lara Project & Easykid, “Me Quieren Matar”
- MULA, “Grandes Escobas” ft. Jessy Bulbo
- Natalia Lafourcade, “La Cometierra”
- Baltazar Lora, “Ese Vestido”
- Juliana & LAGOS, “Manhattan”
- Jaze & Elsa y Elmar, “un mensaje de voz”
- Colectivo Da Silva, “Salta”
- Pahua, “Vaquera Galactica”
- Wampi, “Rica y To’”
- Karol G, “Tropiqueta”
- Buscabulla, “Te Fuiste”
- MAGNA & ARIA VEGA, “UN CUARTICO”
- Alex Ponce & Zulia, “Tú Me Quieres”
- Sofia Valdes & Cuco, “How’s That Working Out”
- Yung Pleit, “By Your Side / A Tú Lado”
