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.
Riding solo for this episode, I get the chance to dive into some classic heavy hitters who inspired both me and the artists behind some of the new music you’ll hear in the playlist. It was all very reminiscent of a time when mullets were everywhere and Luis Miguel graced the walls of our mom’s and tia’s bedrooms.
Junior H is a leader in the corrido tumbado genre, collaborating with artists such as Peso Pluma and Luis R Conriquez. The 24-year-old Mexican artist is often affiliated with requintos, grandeur, gorgeous women and maybe even a bottle of tequila. He’s channeling new energy in his latest single, “Culpable,” which touches on love, loss and jealousy.
These aren’t new themes in Musica Regional, but Junior H’s execution is very different. Listening to “Culpable,” I was thinking “Luis Miguel-esque pop ballad.” Donning a dapper tux in the video, Junior H takes us on a journey of the relationship in question while demonstrating an artistic evolution that’s quite exciting. I can’t wait to see how he plays with genre next.
This episode brought in another group familiar with bending genre, Latin Mafia. They prove it again on their latest single, “Hecho Para Ti,” a collaboration with Omar Apollo that gives us a taste of him singing in Spanish. Apollo is well-known for playing in the pools of alternative R&B and pop but had yet to dive into some good ol’ cumbia. The track synthesizes that classic longing feel of his other tunes with Latin Mafia’s standard experimentation of form in music composition.
Hear it for yourself using the player at the top of the page, and then catch La Alternativa live on 88Nine at 10 p.m. every Wednesday.
