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.
Felix Contreras.
Stories By

Felix Contreras

Mike Morgan/NPR
Felix Contreras.
Mike Morgan/NPR

Felix Contreras

Host, Alt.Latino

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.

In addition to his post behind the mic, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and appears regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines, All Things Considered and Morning Edition.

A knowledgeable international ambassador for Latino heritage and arts, "Tio Felix" travels extensively in search of new talent and new music, and captures important legacy performers in jazz and Latin genres. Various national and international publications have quoted his expertise on the contemporary influences of Latin culture, music, and media.

He's a recovering TV journalist whose first post at NPR in 2001 was as a Producer/Reporter for the NPR News Arts Desk. He is also NPR's resident Deadhead and performs around the DC area with his Latin music Beatles cover band, Los Day Trippers.

Story Archive

Wednesday

Bad Bunny Closes Out His Residency

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5543526/nx-s1-mx-5720237" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Alt.Latino: Bad Bunny Closes Out His Residency

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5543536/nx-s1-mx-5720251" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Sunday

Wednesday

Wednesday

Alt.Latino: Tim Bernardes, Mabe Fratti, more

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5526034/nx-s1-mx-5699507" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Felix's healing soundtrack and new love songs

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5526043/nx-s1-mx-5699545" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

Books We Love: NPR staff recommends their favorite non-fiction books of 2025

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5481808/nx-s1-9433782" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Flaco Jimenez performs onstage at the 13th annual Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium on September 17, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Flaco Jimenez and Eddie Palmieri: Why Their Music Mattered

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5507190/nx-s1-mx-5679136" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Flaco Jimenez performs onstage at the 13th annual Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium on September 17, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Flaco Jimenez and Eddie Palmieri: Why Their Music Mattered

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5507230/nx-s1-mx-5679374" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday

An appreciation of Eddie Palmieri, a guiding light of Latin music

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5495437/nx-s1-9402111" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Natanael Cano. Alexi Pavlov/Warner Music Latina hide caption

toggle caption
Alexi Pavlov/Warner Music Latina

Wednesday

Bad Bunny performs onstage during Night One of Bad Bunny: "No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui" Residencia En El Choli at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on July 11, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/Getty hide caption

toggle caption
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/Getty

It's a Bad Bunny summer in Puerto Rico: Ana recaps 2 of his Residency shows

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1256429523/1269720682" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Puerto Rican musician Bebo Dumont Musician/Musician hide caption

toggle caption
Musician/Musician

Bad Bunny residency prep, new guitar tracks and Latin genre benders

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1256100357/1269682938" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Alejandro and Victor Hernandez of the group Maestro Espada VERGILIJUBERO/Musician hide caption

toggle caption
VERGILIJUBERO/Musician

Monday

TINY DESK CONTEST 2025 LATIN MUSIC- CONTRERAS

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5461461/nx-s1-5524285-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Cuban vocalist Wampi is featured on the show this week. Alessandrosix/Musician hide caption

toggle caption
Alessandrosix/Musician

Bad Bunny gets political, Brazilian grooves from Brooklyn, Reparto Cubano and more

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1255376158/1269605846" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

The album cover for Óscar Agudello y el Combo Moderno's Pa' mi muñeca. VampiSoul hide caption

toggle caption
VampiSoul

Vintage cumbia, Ecuadorian folk, guitar jamming and Mexican rap

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1255100739/1269554335" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Karol G. Brianna Capozzi/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Brianna Capozzi/Courtesy of the artist

Karol G goes Pan-Latin, Argentine rock reimagined, Mexico now and then

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1254697872/1269524589" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Mexican musician Dámaris Bojor is one of the musical highlights so far this year Musician hide caption

toggle caption
Musician

Best music of the year (so far)

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1254350224/1269494243" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Bruce Springsteen, his new album Inyo has Mexican themes and musicians Danny Clinch/Musician hide caption

toggle caption
Danny Clinch/Musician

New Tracks: Bruce Springsteen (yes, that Bruce Springsteen), pablopablo and more

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1253992710/1269451122" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Celso Piña and his accordion at the Museo Jose Luis Cuevas in Mexico City in 2008. Medios y Media/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Medios y Media/Getty Images

Accordions: From Eastern Europe to Latin America, with love!

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1253616078/1269417386" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

This week the Tiny Desk is the star NPR hide caption

toggle caption
NPR

The Latin bands of the Tiny Desk Contest

Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1253247280/1269387147" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript