Bad Bunny residency prep, new guitar tracks and Latin style benders : Alt.Latino : NPR

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY HENDRIX ET AL.’S “DOS MANOS”)

FELIX CONTRERAS, HOST:

From NPR Music, that is ALT.LATINO. I’m Felix Contreras.

ANAMARIA SAYRE, HOST:

And I’m Anamaria Sayre. Let the chisme start.

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY HENDRIX ET AL.’S “DOS MANOS”)

SAYRE: Felix?

CONTRERAS: Yes.

SAYRE: I’m going to Puerto Rico.

CONTRERAS: OK. That’s what I used to be going to say. I’m in Washington. You’re in New York. You’re about to go to Puerto Rico. OK. Tell us. What are you doing?

SAYRE: I believe this deserves a drumroll, Felix, actually.

CONTRERAS: OK.

SAYRE: I’m that stage of excited (laughter).

CONTRERAS: I do know, I do know. OK. Drumroll (imitating drumroll sound).

SAYRE: I’m going to see Bad Bunny as a result of I’ve to. I’m going to see Bad Bunny. He’s enjoying a 30-show residency – 30 reveals, Felix – on the island all summer season lengthy. He simply kicked it off, and I’m going to be at one of many earlier reveals, one of many Puerto Rico-only reveals, which can be very thrilling. And I’ve been seeing plenty of stuff about it. I’ve been really making an attempt to keep away from it slightly bit, Felix, to get my very own – I do not need to spoil it for myself. But I’m very, very excited to see what he is doing.

CONTRERAS: It has became a cultural occasion…

SAYRE: Definitely.

CONTRERAS: …Certainly a history-making occasion for the island.

SAYRE: It’s a cultural occasion, an financial occasion, a political occasion, even. I imply, there’s simply plenty of issues that I’m actually to grasp how they’re working. Is it supporting native economies, supporting native cultural initiatives, disrupting these issues? There’s additionally a very attention-grabbing component of it, Felix, that I used to be serious about final evening as a result of, as we all know, the Puerto Rican authorities could be very a lot concerned in plenty of the reside music that occurs on the island. It’s a really particular and bizarre factor that plenty of reside music on the island is definitely state sponsored, which we have established earlier, after we talked to PJ Sin Suela and at different moments, that that truly implies that they get a say oftentimes in who performs and, extra particularly, in who performs with what agenda.

And so what’s occurring proper now with the residency, Felix, is that as a result of Bad Bunny is bringing in a lot cash – he is bringing in so many individuals; it is an enormous occasion for the complete island – the federal government is, at this second, having to collaborate and work with and work round Bad Bunny when actually he is the kind of artist with an oppositional agenda that they would not essentially usually be making an attempt to advertise and assist.

CONTRERAS: So there are a lot of layers to this. And in reality, right here on the ALT.LATINO podcast, we determined to dig slightly deeper into that after you come again. So quickly after you come again, we will sit down and have another individuals are available and speak about all of the multilayers, plus to speak concerning the music.

SAYRE: I do know you are dying to listen to about it, Felix.

CONTRERAS: I’m, really.

SAYRE: I’ll FaceTime you into the present (laughter).

CONTRERAS: And within the meantime, when you’re nonetheless right here, earlier than you jet off, let’s speak about some new music.

SAYRE: Let’s do it. You begin.

CONTRERAS: OK. I used to be trying via my stuff, and it simply so occurs that I’ve a guitar participant theme this week.

SAYRE: OK.

CONTRERAS: And we’re beginning with los Hermanos Gutiérrez. They have a brand new single out referred to as “Elegantly Wasted,” and it options the vocalist Leon Bridges. So it is a massive step for them to do their guitar factor with a vocalist expressing the feelings that they usually do via their guitars, and so they’re form of filling within the background and with an entire band. They’ve acquired a drummer, and so they’ve acquired percussions, acquired the entire thing. This is a music referred to as “Elegantly Wasted.” Hermanos Gutiérrez that includes Leon Bridges.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ELEGANTLY WASTED”)

LEON BRIDGES: (Singing) You know she acquired them pains, different locations I might go. Sometimes I get delusional. The method you play with my head, all the way in which to my soul. I really feel like I’m a loser’s boy. Oh, present me learn how to style it. Money’s acquired me wasted, elegantly wasted. Oh, effectively, we acquired to tempo it. We do not need to waste it. Elegantly wasted, oh.

SAYRE: I’m exploding.

CONTRERAS: Right?

(LAUGHTER)

SAYRE: So we had slightly aspect dialog about this music as a result of it was like, clearly there is a new Hermanos Gutiérrez music. We’re each going to need to speak about it. I’m really very glad that you just introduced it and never me as a result of I simply heard that for the primary time. That’s a kind of collaborations that it is like, in my head, I’d’ve dreamed it and hoped that it might occur and thought it by no means would, after which it did, and right here it’s. And, like, to have heard them most lately collaborating with Natalia Lafourcade and now they’re doing a Leon Bridges collaboration is, like, so many iterations and variations of what they may very well be that work so completely. It’s like what they informed us with the entire – I’ll always remember this – that the guitar weeps, and that guitar weeps in numerous languages with totally different artists. I adore it. It’s superb.

CONTRERAS: That’s so humorous ‘trigger I used to be pondering the identical factor once I heard this ‘trigger I like the – you understand, the R&B soul method that he has, that Leon Bridges has. But then I used to be pondering, you understand, should you dropped in a soulful singer singing in Portuguese from Brazil, it might work.

SAYRE: Totally.

CONTRERAS: You know, you talked about the Natalia Lafourcade collaboration, any individual singing in Spanish – actually in any language – and even, like, a jazz saxophonist, proper? You know, the universality of their music is simply – it is approachable in so many alternative methods, and it is distinct. It has their stamp on it. It’s their sound. Can’t go flawed.

SAYRE: I – there’s actually nothing left to say as a result of they’re simply good. I might take heed to them eternally.

CONTRERAS: It’s referred to as “Elegantly Wasted,” that includes Leon Bridges. That is my first guitar monitor for at the moment from los Hermanos Gutiérrez.

SAYRE: OK. I do not need to spoil the tip, however I additionally introduced actually nearly a full guitar monitor, and I’m simply – after all.

CONTRERAS: Oh, my God. What are we…

SAYRE: (Laughter).

CONTRERAS: This is getting ridiculous.

SAYRE: But for now – however to start, earlier than that, to arrange myself for Puerto Rico, I’m bringing Puerto Rican artist Bebo Dumont. Now, Bebo’s actually superb. He’s already fairly prolific. He’s been in plenty of totally different locations. He has a Grammy, really, off of the work that he did on the Rawayana album. He works with them a ton. If you take heed to this, you are going to hear plenty of Rawayana throughout it. And I need to play you what’s a preview of a music that truly comes out tomorrow. Very thrilling. This is known as “Hoy.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HOY”)

BEBO DUMONT: (Singing) Baby, hoy. Te quiero llevar pa’ la playa aunque no salga el sol. Baby hoy, te quiero invitar a viajar, que te olvides de to’. Baby. Lo que quieras, por esa boquita, solo pídelo, solo pídelo. Mamita, que pa’ tí yo estoy. Yo estoy. Mamita, que pa’ tí yo estoy. Mamita, que pa’ tí yo estoy. Ta’ nublao pero ta’ rico el día pa’ pasarlo haciendo fresquerías. Tú me gustas porque tú eres sencilla. Sin diamantes, sin oro, tu brillas. You’re my love, you are my solar, you are my water. Te lo juro, tu ausencia me mata. Mi lobita, mi galla, mi gata, loquita sensata. Tú tiene una fortuna entre las patas.

SAYRE: OK. So I needed to carry Bebo for just a few totally different causes. One, I like what he is doing. I like his undertaking. I believe he is an excellent songwriter, producer. And now to have him actually transferring ahead on this path is great. But I’m actually focused on what is occurring, like, this frequently rising, increasing Afrobeats-meets-Latin-music expertise. And I’ve talked to you about this slightly bit, Felix, this concept that, like, as a substitute of getting two actually common genres which are assembly of their recognition, what I believe works greatest whenever you see these two issues collectively is once they really dip deeper into each of the genres, that are each African beats by-product, proper?

Like, whenever you see an artist like Bebo – as a result of we’re seeing, like, Beéle, for instance, who’s actually exploding in Colombia, and plenty of these type of – like, Kapo – type of, these larger artists which are doing extra of a pop sound, and so they’re actually, actually simply, like, reaching all components of Latin America, in addition to past. But to me, an artist like Bebo, who could be very a lot from an Afro Puerto Rican custom – he grew up clearly listening to bomba y plena and plenty of these very, like, deeply rooted African sounds – to then are available and do a sound like this, is much more pure to me. And it is actually cool to listen to, and I like what he is doing, and I like the opposite single that he launched. He’s going to be releasing an album quickly. But simply to me, to return again to these roots and people actually really Caribbean sounds, unbiased of the island, however, like, the unified Caribbean sound, and to then actually pronounce the African rhythm there may be actually cool to me.

CONTRERAS: I’m with you. I like the truth that the expertise permits so many individuals from so many alternative locations to succeed in into no matter nation or tradition they need to get into and take heed to music after which incorporate into their very own sound. And it is particularly significant for me every time the artist has roots in that nation. And all of the stuff that comes out of the Americas has some roots in Africa. And if – it is blended with plenty of various things, however there are roots there. And it is simply fascinating to me the way it’s manifested.

SAYRE: Right. And past the expertise piece of it, Felix, I imply, should you’re on the island and also you go to a bomba evening or a bomba circle or no matter, like, it is existent. It’s alive. It’s there. It’s by no means left – like, in its authentic condensed, unfiltered, uninfluenced type. And so, clearly, like, to develop up round that, expertise that after which to have the ability to hear what is occurring in Nigeria and in London and take these sounds and meld it collectively, I imply, that is actually particular.

CONTRERAS: Yeah. The method individuals lean into Puerto Rican folklore nowadays is, like, sure, I’m there for it. How do you do it? You snap your finger up and down, no matter, proper?

SAYRE: Like this?

CONTRERAS: You’re doing it. Yeah, like that. Like, it is – as a result of it wasn’t at all times the case. It was a, like – individuals from my era, it was, like, a sidebar factor. It was, like, one thing your grandparents did or your uncles, and perhaps you realized slightly little bit of it. But it is so firmly embraced now by the younger of us there that it is simply – it is having ramifications now – musical ramifications – down the road. It’s simply blowing my thoughts each time I hear one thing like that.

SAYRE: That was the brand new single “Hoy” by Bebo Dumont, which comes out tomorrow. Felix, your flip.

CONTRERAS: OK. I’m going to play a monitor from an artist that I’ve been an enormous fan of for a very long time. And, in reality, I had her on the present years in the past. Her title is Eljuri. She is a vocalist and a guitarist – lead guitarist. She’s been making music for fairly some time. I’m an enormous fan, like I mentioned. She has a single out proper now referred to as “Karma.” She has an album popping out in August. Let’s hear the one. This is “Karma” from Eljuri.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KARMA”)

ELJURI: (Singing) Ah. Oh. Ba, ba, ba. Oh, oh, oh. Ah. Oh. Ba, ba, ba. Oh, oh, oh. Ba, ba, ba. Nadie va a perdonar. Esta línea no se debe cruzar. El tiempo te va a enseñar. Sin alma, vas a pagar. El alma no se vende. El alma no se vende. El karma te alcanzará. Karma te alcanzará. Okay-A-R-M-A.

CONTRERAS: Her title is Cecilia Villar Eljuri. She has roots in Ecuador. Her heritage is Spanish and Lebanese. So she’s acquired this very eclectic combine, and it is at all times been mirrored in her music, plenty of various things. She’s additionally an activist. She’s very, very socially energetic in making an attempt to battle social wrongs and, after all, she’s fairly busy proper now. This specific music, the refrain is the soul shouldn’t be on the market. So it is coping with these people who find themselves, like, perhaps giving up slightly little bit of their soul for a selected goal or motive. That’s simply a part of who she is.

You know, I’ve had her on the present, like I mentioned, I believe it was 2016, the place she was on the present, and we talked at size. We talked about guitar gamers, after all, as a result of she’s – along with – like, you hear the good interaction of rhythmic guitar components on this monitor – she’s additionally an incredible lead guitarist. And she mentioned one thing attention-grabbing to me again then that resonated with one other band that I had on years in the past, the punk band Girl in a Coma. Like, they each had these situations the place they present as much as a gig or a venue or one thing, and whoever the sound guys are within the room – and so they’re nearly at all times the blokes – they suppose that she’s an assistant or, you understand, no matter.

SAYRE: The girlfriend, she mentioned. I bear in mind. I used to be going to inform this story. She informed us that she’s been on the present a number of occasions as a result of she informed us that we have been particularly exploring the challenges of being a lady…

CONTRERAS: Right.

SAYRE: …An instrumentalist on this business. And she particularly talked about her experiences with displaying up and nobody taking her as legit. Absolutely. So she undoubtedly has that spirit to her.

CONTRERAS: And none of that anger, animosity, frustration, no matter is ever mirrored in her music ‘trigger it is at all times so energetic and so filled with positivity. And I believe that that is an attention-grabbing method that a few of these musicians, they channel that. And then, like, you understand what? Even among the tales that I bear in mind listening to about jazz musicians who grew up within the south within the ’30s and the ’40s, they put that stuff into place after which they create this stunning artwork rather than that. So I at all times consider Eljuri as being a kind of people who simply makes nice music, nice guitarist. And I’m at all times excited to listen to when she has new music out. It’s popping out August 22. The album’s going to be referred to as “Asi Es El Mundo.” That’s the way in which the world is, proper? The monitor is known as “Karma.” And we will work on our personal karma, breathe deeply, as we take a break.

And we’re again after engaged on our karma. Let me simply say for the document, for the individuals on the market listening, you understand, we use this doc, this shared doc, Google Doc to, like, put our songs and stuff. And this week, neither one among us put any notes in. So this – we’re flying blind. We do not know what this seems like.

SAYRE: Oh, however I acquired notes, Felix.

CONTRERAS: But you did not – OK. All proper.

SAYRE: I simply did not share them with you.

CONTRERAS: OK. Carry on.

SAYRE: I’m so enthusiastic about this. OK. This is an artist that I do not even know the way I discovered him. He’s Peruvian. He actually would not have a lot of a following, and I swear he is, like, a genius. So his title is Yamil Quiere Ser Artista.

CONTRERAS: Translate that.

SAYRE: (Laughter) Yamil desires to be an artist. I’m simply going to play the start of this primary music. It’s referred to as “Bandido.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BANDIDO”)

YAMIL QUIERE SER ARTISTA AND OLIVER BERG: (Singing) Solo quiero estar contigo. Dale child no te olvido. Y si tú me llamas el fin de semana, me retiro de bandido. Me retiro de bandido. Me retiro de bandido. Sabes que estoy para ti, no me llames así. La B en mi apellido no es de Bandido, es de baila conmigo, please. Es de baila conmigo, please. Sé que tú piensas mal de mí. ¿Cómo hago pa cambiar tu chip? Solo quiero estar contigo.

CONTRERAS: OK. You acquired my consideration on this one, man.

SAYRE: OK. This is, like – I do not even know what to say about this as a result of you must take heed to the entire album. The album is large. It’s, like – I do not know. It needs to be a minimum of 15 or 20 tracks. And each single music has, like, 5 totally different loopy, like, beat change-ups. And style – I do not even know what you’d name this. Like, he – actually, this man doesn’t imagine in style and even staying constant on a rhythm or a singular beat or no matter. I’ve to play you one other music. It’s referred to as “Gatito Miau Miau Miau.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “GATITO MIAU MIAU MIAU”)

YAMIL QUIERE SER ARTISTA: (Singing) Soy un gatito y te quiero chapar. Con mis garritas te voy a aruñar. Con mi colita te voy a menear. Qué rico. Soy un gatito y te quiero chapar. Con mis garritas te voy a aruñar. Con mi colita te voy a menear. Qué rico. Déjame ser tu gatito miau miau miau. Déjame ser tu gatito miau miau miau. Déjame ser tu gatito miau miau miau. Déjame ser tu gatito miau miau miau.

(LAUGHTER)

CONTRERAS: Can I simply say, I do not know the man. I’ve simply heard him, simply met him via his music. There’s acquired to be the best social gathering ever happening in his head, you understand (laughter)?

SAYRE: A thousand p.c. A thousand – I would like you to listen to the tip of this music, like, the final 15, 10 seconds.

CONTRERAS: I like all of this. Go forward.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “GATITO MIAU MIAU MIAU”)

YAMIL QUIERE SER ARTISTA: Hola mis papus, acá yamilshake agradeciéndolos por poner este tema en los primeros puestos de absolutamente todo el mundo. Así que nada me invitaron a analizar esta canción que cube: Déjame ser tu gatito miau miau miau. ¿Qué quise decir con esto? Bueno, considero que soy un gato.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)

CONTRERAS: (Laughter).

SAYRE: (Laughter). OK. So on the finish of the music, it goes, hello, my mates. This is Yamil Shay (ph). Thank you for placing this music on the prime of the charts all around the world. So I used to be invited to research this music that claims, let me be your kitty, meow, meow, meow. What do I imply by that? Well, I contemplate myself to be a cat.

CONTRERAS: Meow.

SAYRE: (Laughter) Meow. OK. But actually, like, musically, he is so spectacular. There is a music that I needed to play that I actually – it is too sultry. I can not play. And it is like, there’s nothing explicitly so loopy, attractive about it. Like, however one way or the other, it is extra sensual than your dirtiest perreo as a result of he manipulates his voice. And then he mixes the percussion so low, it is tripping me out. Like, it is the least Latin factor ever to, like, combine your percussion that small, nevertheless it’s nearly like percussion ASMR. And then that paired along with his vocals, it creates this vibe. I can not clarify it. And I – actually, I can not play it. I really feel prefer it’s an excessive amount of. But he’s simply, like, this unbelievable, bizarre – he manipulates his voice to be all these various things, and he performs with 5,000 totally different sounds. I’m so obsessive about this man, Felix. Like, I swear he is the following I do not know what.

CONTRERAS: OK. Say the title once more.

SAYRE: (Laughter) The title is Yamil Quiere Ser Artista. And the music that I will not play is “Tanwapa.”

CONTRERAS: I’m so there for that.

SAYRE: But “Tanwapa” – one phrase – T-A-N-W-A-P-A.

CONTRERAS: Oh, my God. And that is, like, proper up my alley. You know, when – generally once I take heed to stuff like that, I get envious. It’s like, why did not I consider that? ‘Cause it is so artistic, and it is so avant garde. It’s so everywhere. It’s rooted in one thing. I can not wait to listen to the remainder of this document.

SAYRE: Felix, this dude has 2,000 month-to-month listeners on Spotify, like, nada.

CONTRERAS: Oh, he deserves to be heard. What a artistic thoughts. I need to be in that social gathering in his head, man. That was a swinging social gathering.

SAYRE: That was a few songs from the album, “Bandido, El Tiempo Se Acaba” by the artist Yamil Quiere Ser Artista.

CONTRERAS: OK. Part of my guitar development this week, I acquired a brand new monitor from one among my faves, Yasser Tejeda from the Dominican Republic. He has a monitor referred to as “Una Cascada De Miel.”

SAYRE: Ho, ho, ho.

CONTRERAS: You know, let’s simply hear and simply dig the goodness and yumminess of this monitor and of this artist.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “UNA CASCADA DE MIEL”)

YASSER TEJEDA: (Singing) Eres la luz que ilumina mis caminos. Eres azúcar que endulza mi café. Eres la flor que alivia mi destino. Canción que armoniza mi ser. Cada vez que yo beso tu piel. (Tu piel, tu piel, tu piel). Se me llena el corazón de querer. Eres mi vida, cascada de miel, dulce sonrisa que alumbra mi ser. Eres mañana, tierno renacer, mi amor, mi bien.

SAYRE: That is one among my favourite Yasser songs I’ve ever heard.

CONTRERAS: Yeah.

SAYRE: Yeah.

CONTRERAS: It’s simply getting higher and higher. And, you understand, the – what I needed to say about this monitor – simply ‘trigger I simply needed to let it play in so everyone can soak up the totally different stylistic modifications – it is like, generally when musicians play a style that they are not recognized for – proper? – it may be insincere. It’s like, oh, effectively, let’s do that. Let’s do that. Let’s do that. This is a kind of situations the place this specific musician, Yasser Tejeda – he grew up with all these things, so it is a part of his vocabulary – reggae, bachata, bolero, all of it. He would not have to go to it. It’s a part of his essence. It’s who he’s.

And there are such a lot of musicians like that. We do that each week. They cross style. They combine issues up. It’s due to who they’re. And it is not like they’re dipping or visiting or, you understand, appropriating. This monitor says the whole lot about who he’s. I do not know if he even realized that when he did it, when he put it out, however that is my interpretation, ‘trigger I take heed to his music lots. You know that. And it is like, you understand what? This is without doubt one of the purest explanations, examples of who he’s, culturally, musically, intellectually, the whole lot.

SAYRE: This is weirdly reminding me of the dialog we had across the Karol G document. Super distinct. But, like, what I mentioned with that document is neglect the idea, like, OK, no matter. There’s the questions of appropriation, y no sé qué. Forget that. It’s about authenticity and repair to the artwork, proper? And it is like, is that this music that comes – that lives inside my physique proper now, that if I made a decision on this second, even when I’ve by no means made it earlier than, that I might sacar that sound, and it might sound genuine and pure and mix in the way in which that it must mix with my story and my lyrics and my no matter – like, that is the query. And that – that is, to me, that good instance of like, this isn’t what Yasser does. But it is what he’s, you understand?

CONTRERAS: Yeah, completely.

SAYRE: I adore it. That was – I – so many layers of lovely to that one. I beloved that.

CONTRERAS: I can not wait to listen to extra. The monitor is known as “Una Cascada De Miel.” Yasser Tejeda. Keep bringing it, bro. You’re killing it. You’re killing it.

SAYRE: OK, right here comes my guitar. OK. Yerai Cortés. He is a Spanish flamenco guitarist. If you discuss to anybody about Spanish flamenco, I can’t let you know how many individuals have referred me again to him. They’re like, if you wish to know Spanish flamenco, Yerai is your man. Whatever. This is the particular person you have to be speaking to. He launched an album on the finish of 2024 that I one way or the other missed. Luckily, I used to be with him in Guadalajara on the Guadalajara Film Fest ‘trigger he was there debuting his documentary. He was the topic of C. Tangana’s documentary about flamenco. And it was centered round his life and his experiences and plenty of his story and because it pertains to his, you understand, Roma origins, his life within the south, how he got here to this music. All to say, he launched a brand new single that I’m completely obsessive about. But I needed to play you a music off of that album first to provide you a way of what he seems like. So this music is known as “Sonar Por Bulerías.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SONAR POR BULERÍAS”)

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL GROUP #1: (Singing) El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. Si algún día me veis perdío, amarrádme a mi guitarra. El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. El que en la vida se pierde a cadenilla le amarran. Si algún día me veis perdío, amarrádme a mi guitarra.

CONTRERAS: You know, we lately did a present on the accordion. We’ve performed one thing on cumbia. I believe sometime we’ve to do one thing on flamenco.

SAYRE: Sí o sí. Sí o sí.

CONTRERAS: Because there’s a lot to absorb. And I believe, like, we hear it, and we’re nearly overwhelmed with the rhythms, the singing, the – you understand, the clapping, the dancing, the superb guitar work. But I believe we have to, like, sluggish it down, blow it up as a result of there’s a lot there. And this – man, I’m so impressed by this one.

SAYRE: I can not even put into phrases the way in which that flamenco makes me really feel. It feels similar to me to be sitting in a circle with individuals who’re enjoying, like, a 12-string guitar in a really, like, conventional corrido sort of method. Like, I used to be sitting there backstage on the movie fest. Yerai is simply strumming his guitar. C. Tangana’s singing, and his girlfriend, la Tania, is singing. The three of them, they’re simply, like, jamming collectively, riffing, no matter. To be within the presence of particularly that guitar and the way in which that man performs and the – like, I can’t – it is related. It’s like – it is heartbeat. It’s the heartbeat music, proper? Like, whenever you speak about, like, oh, you understand, you study music and sound, and that is how we hook up with individuals. You study it from a mom’s heartbeat. Like, that to me, like, Flamenco or corridos – like, these very deeply – simply, like, the stylings of all of it. It’s heartbeat music. It’s superb.

CONTRERAS: And it is so outdated.

SAYRE: I did not even get to my music.

CONTRERAS: OK. Oh, that is simply to inform us – give us an concept of who he’s. OK.

SAYRE: That was simply to provide you an concept.

CONTRERAS: All proper.

SAYRE: You ought to take heed to this complete album, although, that he launched in December 2024. This new music is a single that he launched with Judeline. It’s referred to as “Un Puente Por La Bahía, La Cruz Del Campo.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “UN PUENTE POR LA BAHÍA, LA CRUZ DEL CAMPO”)

JUDELINE: (Singing) Por el campo paseaba. Cuelga en mi pecho una cruz que por el campo paseaba. Y pidiendo, primo, verte, yo la cruz la acariciaba. Siempre la llevo colga’ por añoro y por quererte. Que siempre la llevo colga’. Y de golpe en el pecho la cruz la llevo marca’.

CONTRERAS: The magnificence’s within the class and the simplicity, man.

SAYRE: I believe with the actually – like, the softer flamenco, simply, like, quite simple guitar stylings, stunning, stunning voice – it is at all times an attractive voice – it is, like, these – it is these minor chords. It’s, like, the way in which that they hit the emotionality.

And I’ll always remember, Felix, after we talked – I believe I introduced this up lately once more – however after we talked to that professor in Spain. And she informed us, like, flamenco is by-product of this, like, completely happy, joyful pastoral music that then they infused it with unhappiness, and it grew to become flamenco. And that, like – that is – you possibly can’t have flamenco with out saudade, with out melancholy, with out no matter. And this vocalist particularly, that is Judeline, who’s, like – talking about your playlist, your mixture of Spanish singers final week, she is a kind of like María José Llergo. Like, she’s doing the actually cool, experimental factor. Her album was very, like, cool, enjoyable, experimental, however her origins are southern Spain. She talks lots about having Arabic influences, flamenco influences, and he or she has that. She has the soul of it. So it is actually cool to listen to her decelerate and be smooth like this.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “UN PUENTE POR LA BAHÍA, LA CRUZ DEL CAMPO”)

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL GROUP #2: (Singing) Fresca, fresca, fresca, fresca, fresca, fresca. Que toma, toma, toma, toma, toma, toma.

SAYRE: Those have been some songs from flamenco guitarist Yerai Cortés.

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY HENDRIX ET AL.’S “DOS MANOS”)

CONTRERAS: You have been listening to ALT.LATINO from NPR Music. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell.

SAYRE: The government producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.

CONTRERAS: I’m Felix Contreras.

SAYRE: And I’m Anamaria Sayre.

CONTRERAS: Thank you for listening.

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY HENDRIX ET AL.’S “DOS MANOS”)

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