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.
This episode included some beautiful collaborations from Julieta Venegas and Bronco, Carla Morrison and Beéle, and Silvana Estrada and pablopablo. But what really stuck out was a solo effort from Sparklmami.
Born in Texas and now based in Chicago, Sparklmami is building the kind of sonic world that feels deeply needed right now. Brazilian jazz, boleros, funk, soul and alternative textures all meld together in a way that refuses to sit inside one particular genre. It feels intimate without being overly polished, experimental without losing warmth.
Set for release June 5, in this body already feels like it’s going to land as more than just another new album. You can hear the personal emotions in tracks like “quisiera” (which we played in this episode) and the funky energy in other songs they’ve shared from the project, like “no te vayas” and “fajas.” Sparklmami is shaping her own lane and helping define an exciting wave of genre-bending artists coming out of Chicago.
We also spent time with the newest chapter from Julieta Venegas, whose album Norteña finds her reconnecting with the sounds and emotional landscapes of northern Mexico and the borderlands that shaped her upbringing in Tijuana. The record leans into regional Mexican instrumentation, and the collaborations with artists like Bronco, Natalia Lafourcade and Yahritza y Su Esencia make the project feel rooted in the culture.
Hearing Julieta continue to evolve like this while younger artists like Sparklmami push genres into completely new territory made this episode feel really special. Different generations, different sounds, but the same commitment to making music that is very human.
Episode playlist
- Julieta Venegas & Bronco, “Volver A Ti”
- Sofia Thompson, “Encuéntrame en Tokio”
- Planta Industrial, aka the darknight & saso, “Barra Payan”
- Angelica Garcia, “BUTTERFLY”
- Silvana Estrada & pablopablo, “Antes De Tí”
- HUMBE, “CARRUSEL”
- La Vida Bohème, “Entrentenimiento”
- Daniela Andrade, “i see red”
- Beéle & Carla Morrison, “arena”
- Sparklmami, “quisiera”
- iLe, “Amor de la calle”
- Judeline & DELLAFUENTE, “tiempo pasa”
- Guitarricadelafuente, “midsummer pipe dream”
- Ultrasónicas, “Monstruo Verde”
- Café Tacvba, “La Ingrata”
