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.
In this episode, we explore new music by emerging Chilean artist Idea Blanco, and a soundtrack that marked a new chapter for Latin America cinema and how it could alter the alternative music landscape.
Blanco’s experimental pop pushes boundaries — sonically and visually. Her latest single, “Violeta tu estrella en la frente,” serves as both a tribute to legendary folk singer Violeta Parra and a personal meditation on heartbreak and creative legacy.
The accompanying music video, shot with the grainy intimacy of a handheld camcorder, leans into early-2000s nostalgia. Rotoscope animation overlays archival images of Parra, delicately redrawn as if reanimating her memory frame by frame. Styled like a video diary, the piece highlights Blanco’s reverence for the late Chilean icon, who died in 1967 but remains a towering influence in Latin American music and art. Through this project, Blanco bridges past and present, honoring Parra’s spirit while forging her own distinctive voice.
When Amores Perros premiered in 2000, it shattered expectations and ushered in a new era for Mexican cinema globally. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu in his brilliant feature debut, the film became the first Mexican entry in 25 years to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, marking a significant moment of international recognition for the country’s film industry.
But Amores Perros didn’t just make noise in awards circles; it redefined how a soundtrack could shape the emotional texture of a film. Embracing the raw energy of Latin American alternative music, Iñárritu enlisted acts such as Café Tacvba, Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas, and Control Machete to contribute original compositions that captured the film’s gritty, urban pulse.
The score, masterfully composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, served as the backbone of the film’s fractured, frenetic narrative. Together, Santaolalla’s haunting melodies and the soundtrack’s edgy tracks created a sonic landscape that echoed the violence, heartbreak and desperation coursing through the story’s interwoven lives. The result was a film that not only challenged cinematic conventions, but also elevated the role of music in storytelling.
Episode playlist
- Control Machete, “Si Señor”
- Meme del Real, “Tumbos”
- Buscabulla, “Miraverahi”
- iLe, “Amor de la calle”
- Andry Kiddos, “asimilando”
- Niña Lobo, “Flores celestes”
- Little Jesus, “El Show Debe Continuar (feat. Conociendo Rusia)”
- Cantamarta & Marina Sena, “AMPARO”
- Soda Stereo, “Nada Personal”
- Cuco & Jean Carter, “My 45”
- 3BallMTY & Conjunto Nuevo Amanecer, “El Nene”
- YENDRY, “KI-KI”
- Leton Pe, “GRANADA”
- Idea Blanco, “Violete, tu estrella en la frente”
- Joaquina, “no llames lo mio nuestro”
