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Ruben Blades

Ruben Blades

The biggest moments from the Latin Grammys

Rubén Blades accepts the Best Salsa Album award on stage during the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena Thursday in Las Vegas. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy

Alt.Latino

The biggest moments from the Latin Grammys

At the Latin Grammys, audiences were treated to elaborate performances that relied on unique collaborations between artists across genres.

You Just Can't Peg Pedrito Martinez And Rubén Blades

Pedrito Martinez and Rubén Blades continue to defy expectations with the release of their two new albums. Renee Klahr/NPR Illustration hide caption

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Renee Klahr/NPR Illustration

Alt.Latino

You Just Can't Peg Pedrito Martinez And Rubén Blades

We talk cultura, new tunes and what it means to step out of comfort zones with Pedrito Martinez and Rubén Blades.

You Just Can't Peg Pedrito Martinez And Rubén Blades

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Alt.Latino's Best Music Of 2019 (So Far)

Angélique Kidjo's Celia is one of the best albums of the year so far. Laurent Seroussi/Courtesy of the Artist hide caption

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Laurent Seroussi/Courtesy of the Artist

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's Best Music Of 2019 (So Far)

Six months into 2019, we highlight dream pop, electronic fantasies, West African Cuban music and Latin rock from a salsa icon.

Alt.Latino's Best Music Of 2019 (So Far)

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Stream The 'Revelación': Our Favorite Latin Songs This Week

Three generations of urbano hitmakers — Lanay, Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny — join together for the "Soltera (Remix)." YouTube hide caption

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YouTube

Alt.Latino

Stream The 'Revelación': Our Favorite Latin Songs This Week

The pop music charts feel like one endless dance club session while Latin legend Rubén Blades stretches his vision. Plus, a Clash classic gets a Latina makeover.

Stream The 'Revelación': Our Favorite Latin Songs This Week

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Making Movies And Rubén Blades Trace Stories Of Immigrant Injustice With 'Ameri'kana'

Making Movies (pictured) enlist Latin legend Ruben Blades for its upcoming album Ameri'kana. Luis Cantillo/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Luis Cantillo/Courtesy of the artists

Music Interviews

Making Movies And Rubén Blades Trace Stories Of Immigrant Injustice With 'Ameri'kana'

Latino star Rubén Blades teams up with Making Movies to addresses themes of injustices in the collaborative album Ameri'kana.

Making Movies And Rubén Blades Trace Stories Of Immigrant Injustice With 'Ameri'kana'

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Alt.Latino's Primavera Extravaganza

Making Movies (top left), Jenny and the Mexicats (right) and Miguel with Mireya Ramos (bottom left) are featured on this week's show. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

Alt.Latino

Alt.Latino's Primavera Extravaganza

Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras empties the mail bag that was overflowing with new music. Mexico and Spain are represented as are Joni Mitchell and Amy Winehouse.

Alt.Latino's Primavera Extravaganza

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The 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Reward Hip-Shaking, Deep Thinking

Jorge Drexler accepts Song of the Year for 'Telefonia' during the 19th annual Latin Grammy Awards. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for LARAS hide caption

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images for LARAS

Music News

The 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Reward Hip-Shaking, Deep Thinking

Pop superstar J Balvin started the night with the most nominations. But two of the biggest prizes — for Song and Record of the Year — went to "Telefonia," by venerated troubadour Jorge Drexler.

Fruta Extraña: The Story Of Fruit In Latin America, Told Through Music

As "The Lady In The Tutti-Frutti Hat" from The Gang's All Here, Carmen Miranda embodied the sexual, social and political complexities of fruit in Latin America. Twentieth Century Fox/Wikimedia hide caption

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Twentieth Century Fox/Wikimedia

Alt.Latino

Fruta Extraña: The Story Of Fruit In Latin America, Told Through Music

From the Chiquita Banana Girl to the Banana Republic, Alt.Latino takes a knife to the rich, fruit-themed songs that pervade Latin music.

Fruta Extraña: The Story Of Fruit In Latin America, Told Through Music

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Latin Roots: The Protest Music Of South America

Calle 13. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Latin Roots: The Protest Music Of South America

XPN

Producer and singer-songwriter Rachel Faro describes one artist as the Bob Dylan of Latin music.

Latin Roots: The Protest Music Of South America

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Tango Lessons: Rubén Blades Sings His Way Into Discovery

Rubén Blades made his Jazz at Lincoln Center debut in New York this week. Over his right shoulder is trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Tango Lessons: Rubén Blades Sings His Way Into Discovery

On his new album, the salsa singer, actor and one time presidential contender in Panama rearranged some of his salsa songs as tangos. In doing so, he found new things in his lyrics and himself.

Tango Lessons: Rubén Blades Sings His Way Into Discovery

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On Fania Records And The Music That Made It Matter

The Fania All-Stars in 1980. Judy Morales/Fania Records hide caption

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Judy Morales/Fania Records

Music News

On Fania Records And The Music That Made It Matter

Fifty years ago, a New York musician and his lawyer friend started a small record label that would become a global brand, taking salsa music from New York clubs to the rest of the world.

On Fania Records And The Music That Made It Matter

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Argentine Digital Folk, Mexican Cumbia And A Panamanian Classic Reborn

On this week's episode, Argentina's Tremor leaves us in awe with a new single called "Huellas." Maxime Bessieres/©Maxime Bessieres/studiophoto14 hide caption

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Maxime Bessieres/©Maxime Bessieres/studiophoto14

Alt.Latino

Argentine Digital Folk, Mexican Cumbia And A Panamanian Classic Reborn

This week on Alt.Latino: a stunning musical lineup that spans the hemisphere, from Argentina to Chile to Panama to Mexico to... Ohio? Yes, we're going everywhere.

Argentine Digital Folk, Mexican Cumbia And A Panamanian Classic Reborn

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Roundtable: Immigration, Beer And 'Devious Maids'

Coors beer faces controversy for its use of the Puerto Rican flag on its Puerto Rican Day Parade beer cans. Allison Joyce/Getty Images hide caption

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Allison Joyce/Getty Images

Alt.Latino

Roundtable: Immigration, Beer And 'Devious Maids'

This week, Alt.Latino invites writers from the Latin blog world to share the stories they've been following over the last month. We also listen to classic music from Cafe Tacvba, Ruben Blades, Los Tigres del Norte and more.

Roundtable: Immigration, Beer And 'Devious Maids'

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Lin-Manuel Miranda On Learning From Ruben Blades

Lin-Manuel Miranda performs in his Tony-winning musical, In the Heights, in 2008 in New York City. Steven Henry/Getty Images hide caption

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Steven Henry/Getty Images

Mom And Dad's Record Collection

Lin-Manuel Miranda On Learning From Ruben Blades

The Tony-winning lyricist and composer says "El Padre Antonio y Su Monaguillo Andres," a song by Blades, helped him understand the interplay of music and lyrics. Miranda says he didn't notice how dark Blades' song was at first, but eventually figured out what a powerful trick he'd pulled off.

Lin-Manuel Miranda On Learning From Ruben Blades

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My American Dream Sounds Like Rubén Blades

Blades, shown in 1970. Echoes/Getty Images hide caption

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Echoes/Getty Images

The Record

My American Dream Sounds Like Rubén Blades

For Robin D.G. Kelley, Blades' 1984 song "Buscando America" echoes his mother's experience of coming to this country, and exposes the painful struggle that is the cost of fulfilling the American dream.

My American Dream Sounds Like Rubén Blades

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Guest DJ: Ana Tijoux Talks Hip-Hop, Chilean Politics And Being Married To Jazz

Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

Guest DJ: Ana Tijoux Talks Hip-Hop, Chilean Politics And Being Married To Jazz

Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux stops by to discuss her most recent album, her secret desire to make a jazz record and her musical theories.

Listen to this week's show

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Latin Music On TV Alert: PBS Re-Airs Documentary Series
illustration courtesy of Latin Music USA

Alt.Latino

Latin Music On TV Alert: PBS Re-Airs Documentary Series

Last year, PBS launched Latin Music USA, one of the most comprehensive examinations of Latin music ever aired on any network in the U.S. It recently re-broadcast the entire series and has posted all episodes on its bilingual website.

"Las Ciudades" by Chavela Vargas

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