alt.Latino

Spanish vocalist C. Tangana was a top pick for Alt.latino's Best Of 2021 panel. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images hide caption

The Paths of Pain, The Caife Label, Quito 1960-68 and Cantoras: Rural Folk Singers of Venezuela 1972-1983 Honest Jon's Records/Odelia Records hide caption

A Day of the Dead altar at a public shrine in the historic city center of Oaxaca, Mexico. Gabriel Perez/Getty Images hide caption

Shakira onstage during her MTV Unplugged performance, recorded in New York in 1999 and released as a live album in early 2000. Ignacio Gurruchaga/Courtesy of Sony Music hide caption

We take a look at a few greats, old and new: Vicente Fernandez, Susana Baca, Cimafunk. Reanna Cruz/NPR Illustration hide caption

Pop-rock star Juanes (left) and Swedish singer-songwriter José González (right.) NPR Illustration hide caption

Musician/activist Natalia Serna (aka La Muna) is featured in one of the stories from the border this week. Noelle Haro-Gomez./palaabra/NAHJ hide caption

Isabel Allende's (right) newest memoir is The Soul of a Woman, and Sandra Cisneros' (left) latest book is a bilingual tale of ex-pat Latinas in Paris, Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo. Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images / NPR Illustration hide caption

From left, producer Sebastian Krys, vocalist Nina Diaz and musician Elvis Costello reimagined a 1970s classic album. Paul Moore/Courtesy of the Artist hide caption

Eblis Alvaraez (Meridian Brothers) and Iván Medellin (Conjunto Media Luna) have one of the albums featured this week. Courtesy of the Artist hide caption

Ana Macho's "Cuerpa" is featured on this week's episode. YouTube hide caption

Gina Chavez, who was a Tiny Desk Contest judge in 2020, was overwhelmed by the Latin entries for 2021. Ismael Quintanilla III/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

We follow Latin Urban's trail from Panama to Puerto Rico to the world stage, including international superstar Bad Bunny. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty hide caption

From Havana to Miami (pictured here), protestors have chanted, "Patria y Vida," or homeland and life, a clever play on the revered, long-held mantra of the Cuban government: patria o muerte. Scott McIntyre/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

Actress Adelina Anthony and actor Mateo Ray Garcia in The Daily War, part of PBS's Latinx film series. Silvia Lara/Courtesy PBS hide caption

Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro's "Todo de Ti" has taken the Latin pop world by storm. Marik Curet/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

A new documentary about Rita Moreno, Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Melvin and his son, Nestor, were one family that was separated under former President Trump's zero-tolerance immigration policy. Nestor says he would have frequent nightmares about the separation. Jessica Pons for NPR hide caption