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Felix Contreras Felix Contreras is co-creator and co-host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.
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Felix Contreras

Wednesday

Super-producer Edgar Barrera on turning old-school genres into pop hits
Natalia Aguilera

Alt.Latino

Super-producer Edgar Barrera on turning old-school genres into pop hits

Even if you don't know Edgar Barrera's name, you know his work. The multiple Grammy-winning writer and producer has worked with dozens of the biggest names in Latin music — Bad Bunny, Maluma, Karol G, Camilo — the list goes on. But he's also one of the main forces pushing regional Mexican into the mainstream over the past few years, and turning Pan-Latin sounds into pop perfection.

Super-producer Edgar Barrera on turning old-school genres into pop hits

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Saturday

Obituaries

Tejano music legend Johnny Canales dies at 77

Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras speaks with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow about the TV host who helped Tex-Mex music transcend borders.

Tejano music legend Johnny Canales dies at 77

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Wednesday

Alt.Latino's favorite music of 2024 (so far)

Nathy Peluso is a featured artist in this week's episode of Alt.Latino. Kito Muñoz hide caption

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Kito Muñoz

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's favorite music of 2024 (so far)

To mark the halfway point of 2024, Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR Culture Desk producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run down their favorite releases of the year so far, from a career-defining release from Nathy Peluso, a leveling up from Argentine rapper Trueno, introspective jazz from Melissa Aldana and so much more.

Alt.Latino's favorite music of 2024 (so far)

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Wednesday

The National Recording Registry's best Spanish language songs (and what it's missing)

Carlos Santana is featured on this week's episode of Alt.Latino. Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images hide caption

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Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Alt.Latino

The National Recording Registry's best Spanish language songs (and what it's missing)

The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry is more than just a collection of music and sound — it's a reflection of who we are as a country. In April, two new Spanish language songs were added to the registry: Juan Gabriel's "Amor Eterno" and Héctor Lavoe's "El Cantante."

The National Recording Registry's best Spanish language songs (and what it's missing)

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Wednesday

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Wyatt Flores, Danny Ocean and Grupo Frontera

Wyatt Flores is featured on this week's episode of Alt.Latino. McKenzie Whitman hide caption

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McKenzie Whitman

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Wyatt Flores, Danny Ocean and Grupo Frontera

Ana and Felix collect their favorite recent releases from the past few months, including new material from the breakout regional band Grupo Frontera, a country/Latin cross-over in the music of Wyatt Flores, a new song from groundbreaking rapper Mala Rodriguez and more.

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Wyatt Flores, Danny Ocean and Grupo Frontera

Listen · 32:49
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Friday

Wednesday

Wednesday

Alt.Latino's favorite Tiny Desk Contest entries

Tiny Desk Contest entrant Cathia is featured in this week's episode of Alt.Latino. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's favorite Tiny Desk Contest entries

It's the 10th annual Tiny Desk contest and there's been a strong showing of Latin artists behind desks across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Alt.Latino's favorite Tiny Desk Contest entries

Listen · 37:05
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Wednesday

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Angélica Garcia, Young Miko and The Mavericks

Angelica Garcia is featured on this week's Alt.Latino. Shervin Lainez hide caption

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Shervin Lainez

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Angélica Garcia, Young Miko and The Mavericks

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite new music, from Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko's boundary-pushing new music, to Alejandro Escovedo's genre-bending rock and Angelica Garcia's electro-cumbia.

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Angélica Garcia, Young Miko and The Mavericks

Listen · 40:01
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Tuesday

The Contenders, Vol. 7: The songs we can't stop playing this week

The shoegaze artist known as Wisp Chandler Kennedy/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Chandler Kennedy/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The Contenders, Vol. 7: The songs we can't stop playing this week

This week's update to our list of the year's best songs includes thunderous shoegaze from Wisp, a classic Cuban piano piece from Dánae Olano, a deeply moving story from Pedro The Lion and more.

The Contenders, Vol. 7: The songs we can't stop playing this week

Listen · 47:52
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Friday

Thursday

Tracing the history of Latino artists making country music

On this week's Alt.Latino, a discussion of Latin artists in country music. Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images hide caption

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Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images

Alt.Latino

Tracing the history of Latino artists making country music

The release of Beyoncés Cowboy Carter has sparked a national conversation about who gets to sing country music and the complex roots of the genre. Which got Alt.Latino thinking — what about the Latinos in country?

Tracing the history of Latino artists making country music

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Wednesday

Saturday

What do we really want from Shakira?

On this week's Alt.Latino, an assessment of Shakira's current career after Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images hide caption

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Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Alt.Latino

What do we really want from Shakira?

Shakira just released her first album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, and most listeners and critics have high praise. But this episode of Alt.Latino puts the record to the test.

What do we really want from Shakira?

Listen · 23:04
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Thursday

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Elsa y Elmar, Julieta Eugenio, Esteman and more

Elsa y Elmar is a featured artist on this week's Alt.Latino. Pablo Resoalbe hide caption

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Pablo Resoalbe

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Elsa y Elmar, Julieta Eugenio, Esteman and more

The weather's heating up and so are the music releases. The hosts of Alt.Latino share their most quintessentially them picks, with Latin jazz across the board from Felix and indie pop-rock bops from Ana.

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Elsa y Elmar, Julieta Eugenio, Esteman and more

Listen · 26:46
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