NPR

So The Punk Says To The Ranchero, 'You Should Listen To Piñata Protest'

May 28, 20151:00 PM ET

Jasmine Garsd

So The Punk Says To The Ranchero, 'You Should Listen To Piñata Protest'

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Piñata Protest. From left to right: Jose Morales, JJ Martinez. Foreground: Alvaro del Norte, Marcus Cazares courtesy of the artist. hide caption

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courtesy of the artist.

Piñata Protest. From left to right: Jose Morales, JJ Martinez. Foreground: Alvaro del Norte, Marcus Cazares

courtesy of the artist.

On Alt.Latino, Felix Contreras and I often discuss how much we love celebrating things that mix the old with the new. As Latinos, we constantly receive marketing messages from Hispanic and non-Hispanic entertainment industries alike, each desperate to tap into our ever-growing population. As a result, there's a lot of information (and misinformation) thrown our way about who we are, where we come from and where we're going. Lost in all that noise is the truth, and it doesn't always come in a shiny package.

That's why we love the band Piñata Protest, which has never been afraid to make noise; to be complicated, unconventional, new and old at the same time. The ranchero punk group has had our heart since the first time we met, and it was a pleasure to sit down with singer Alvaro Del Norte at KUT's studios in Austin, Texas. So tune in and hang tight — this week's show is a whirlwind.