(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OSHÚN")
DAYMÉ AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
FELIX CONTRERAS, HOST:
How's that for a fanfare opening? From NPR Music, this is ALT.LATINO, I'm Felix Contreras. It's been a while, so it's time for another show dedicated to new music, Fall 2019 edition. Of course, I needed help to do this 'cause there's so much stuff. Stefanie Fernández is back with me. We're going to play as much music as we can. Stefanie, welcome back.
STEFANIE FERNÁNDEZ, BYLINE: Thanks for having me, Felix.
CONTRERAS: Stefanie is the ALT.LATINO new music senior director curator.
(LAUGHTER)
CONTRERAS: I just gave you a title.
(LAUGHTER)
FERNÁNDEZ: There we go.
CONTRERAS: When she's not working at AtlanticLIVE. Our inboxes are overflowing with great new releases, and we're going to try to squeeze in as many as we can. And we're starting with something from Daymé Arocena from Cuba, one of my favorite singers. Her new album is called "Sonocardiogram". This is a track dedicated to Oshún.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OSHÚN")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
AROCENA: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language).
CONTRERAS: That track ended as it started, with quite a bit of fanfare. That is Daymé Arocena with her track for "Oshún" and from the album "Sonocardiogram," and she's just getting better and better.
FERNÁNDEZ: Beautiful, beautiful.
CONTRERAS: Right? The record is a mix of some tracks that are dedicated to the Afro-Cuban deities but also some other stuff that she's doing that's a mixture of jazz and R&B. No hip-hop, but strictly - I would just call it Daymé music, right?
FERNÁNDEZ: I think that's right.
CONTRERAS: Yeah. It's a great, great album. It's called "Sonocardiogram". I also need to point out that she's also on the new Maqueque album, and Maqueque is an all-female Cuban band based in Toronto with Jane Bunnett, who co-leads the band, a Canadian saxophone player. Just a ton of great music coming out of Cuba and coming out of all of these young female musicians. Really exciting. OK. Stefanie, your turn. What do you got?
FERNÁNDEZ: The track I've chosen is from Devendra Banhart 10th album, "Ma," loosely centered around the concept of motherhood or the maternal, and it's called "Abre Las Manos".
CONTRERAS: I want to ask you about Devendra 'cause he's an interesting character. We've played his music on this show. Someday we'll have him on the show. But you need to fill us in on his backstory. This is from the new Devendra Banhart.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ABRE LAS MANOS")
DEVENDRA BANHART: (Singing) Abre las alas, el mundo te espera, una sorpresa que Dios te guarda. Abre las manos el cielo te guarda un regalito que es solo pa' ti. El verde de tu pelo, y el azul de tu piel. El amor es un espejo, donde nadie se ve. Cierra los ojos y mira tu alma, una hojita en el árbol de amor. Abre los ojos y mira quien te ama, una rama, rama, rama, rama. Tu Dios es mi Diosa, no puede ser diferente. Mi Diosa es tu Dios, no le pares a la gente. Mira el abasto cubrido (ph) de sangre, te estaba buscando pero no hay nadie. Mira el museo, fue destrozado por gente que nunca había entrado. Mira la fila, 20 mil horas, ahí están mis tías esperando su pan. Qué porcentaje de gente con hambre, es necesario pa' que algo cambie. Ayer mi vecina fue secuestrada, quería contarte pero eso no es nada. Abre las manos, el mundo te espera, un regalito que es solo pa' ti, es solo pa' ti, es solo pa' ti. Solo pa' ti.
CONTRERAS: Here's a little bit of the measure of Devendra Banhart's success here in this country. His new album, which comes out this week, is on Nonesuch Records, which is a label known for its artistic integrity.
FERNÁNDEZ: Absolutely.
CONTRERAS: So tell us a little bit about this guy. What is his backstory?
FERNÁNDEZ: Devendra came about in the kind of freak folk scene, the revival. There's actually a song with Vashti Bunyan, who is - started that genre, on this album. But since that, now 10 albums in, Devendra's gotten much more intimate, much more personal. This song that we just heard is the gentlest ballad about a really dark and violent topic. The ease and the stillness of the song, of course, is mirrored in the first half with the lyrics about the el verde de tu pelo y el azul de tu piel, the kind of - the natural and uninterrupted beauty of Venezuela contrasted in the second half of the song with, you know, the observations of blood and upset in the streets. And yet the tone of the song doesn't shift, and there remains this love for the country that is just overpowering in the music.
CONTRERAS: One - again, one of those things where the style of the music kind of hides the real meaning of the music, but that makes it so much more nuanced and subtle.
FERNÁNDEZ: Absolutely.
CONTRERAS: Yeah.
FERNÁNDEZ: On the theme of motherhood, he said in a press release that this place that has been a mother to you, Venezuela, that you're a mother to as well, is suffering so much. I found that dichotomy interesting of being mothered by and mother to.
CONTRERAS: Can't wait to hear the rest of the record. Good call.
OK, let's see. My turn. OK, here's another singer-songwriter with a fascinating story. This is the new album from Alex Cuba. It's going to come out later this month in September. And this is a track that's out right now, "Hoy Como Ayer," and it's written by Pablo Milanés, and he performs it with a duet with Pablo Milanés. The album's called "Sublime." It'll be out later this month. This is Alex Cuba.
(SOUNDBITE OF ALEX CUBA SONG, "HOY COMO AYER")
CONTRERAS: Are you ready to have your heart broken by beauty?
FERNÁNDEZ: I'm ready.
CONTRERAS: Just check this out. It's amazing.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HOY COMO AYER")
ALEX CUBA: (Singing) Hoy como ayer miro al infinito para descubrir el pacto de mi ser con el universo. Hoy como ayer no ha existido el tiempo...
PABLO MILANÉS: (Singing) Porque sigo siendo el mismo soñador de las estaciones.
PABLO MILANÉS AND ALEX CUBA: (Singing) Y vuelvo amar así, sin esconder quien soy, sin prisa ni temor, sin culpa ni traición. Baila como lo hace la esperanza, alcanza el grito que resuena en mi garganta, ella es el centro de mi sol, la razón por la que hoy me quedan ganas.
MILANÉS: (Singing) Me quedan ganas.
MILANÉS AND CUBA: (Singing) Ella me despierta en la mañana, en su versión más natural y delicada. Ella es el centro de mi sol, corazón por el que hoy me quedan ganas.
MILANÉS: (Singing) Hoy como ayer se nos rinde el miedo, cuando desnudamos la felicidad en cada momento. Hoy como ayer.
MILANÉS AND CUBA: (Singing) Y quizás mañana quedarán palabras para enamorar nuestros sentimientos, y vuelvo a amar así, sin esconder quien soy. Sin prisa ni temor, sin culpa ni traición. Baila como lo hace la esperanza, alcanza el grito que resuena en mi garganta, ella es el centro de mi sol, la razón por la que hoy me quedan ganas.
CUBA: (Singing) Me quedan ganas.
MILANÉS AND CUBA: (Singing) Ella me despierta en la mañana, en su versión más natural y delicada. Ella es el centro de mi sol, corazón por el que hoy me quedan ganas. Hoy como ayer.
CUBA: (Singing) Hoy como ayer.
MILANÉS AND CUBA: (Singing) Hoy como ayer.
CONTRERAS: OK, that was everything I can do not to cry in front of you.
FERNÁNDEZ: I know, me rizo, me rizo in the studio.
CONTRERAS: It's Alex Cuba with Pablo Milanés. And the beauty of Pablito's lyrics just, like, from the very beginning all the way through. Just a great record. I've heard the whole album. It'll be available later on this month on streaming services and places where you can buy the album online. Alex Cuba, again, just keeps getting better and better and just more of a profound artist. Curiously, lives way up on the West Coast, British Columbia in Canada.
FERNÁNDEZ: Oh, wow.
CONTRERAS: Because that's where his wife is from. They met in Cuba. And he lives half the year in snow, man. You know, like, big piles of snow.
FERNÁNDEZ: So do I now, Felix.
CONTRERAS: Yeah, that's true. (Laughter) So I guess the spirit of Cuba can live anywhere, right? That's proof. You're both proof.
FERNÁNDEZ: Begrudgingly, yeah.
CONTRERAS: OK. You're listening to ALT.LATINO. I'm Felix Contreras. We're here with Stefanie Fernández. And we're playing new music because we got a bunch. What do you got next?
FERNÁNDEZ: My next pick is a song by Angélica Garcia called "Jícama." She's a Mexican Salvadoran singer from East LA that is creating just bad - or, sorry.
CONTRERAS: Yeah, you can say it. Go ahead. Let's just do it.
FERNÁNDEZ: I mean, are we going to be on the radio or...
CONTRERAS: This will be on the radio, yeah.
FERNÁNDEZ: OK, no.
CONTRERAS: But I think we can say bad ass.
FERNÁNDEZ: Can we?
CONTRERAS: I think I just did.
FERNÁNDEZ: OK.
CONTRERAS: I think you just did (laughter).
FERNÁNDEZ: Angélica Garcia is a Mexican-Salvadoran singer from East LA that makes just awesome shout-around-your-room music. And this is "Jícama."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "JÍCAMA")
ANGÉLICA GARCIA: (Singing) Cha Cha Palace. I see you, but you don't see me now. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree, yeah. Daddy's in the suns of an ancient seed, yeah. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. Born of the bones from unto East LA. Cultura chicana is alive today. I want some freedom with my pan dulce. I've been wearing my roots and flying this flag. I see you but you don't see me now. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. Dichotomous Guadalupe Angeleno creed, yeah. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. Guava tree. I see you, but you don't see me, nah. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. I been trying to tell you, but you just don't see. Like you, I was born in this country. Growing up to view the world from two sides. The Pan-Americana, a relentless fight. Bold and beautiful all in spite. Remember this place for the rest of your life. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. I stampede. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. Oh, I see you, but you don't see me, nah. Jícama, Jícama. Guava tree. I been trying to tell you, but you just don't see. Like you, I was born in this country. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. Jícama, Jícama. I been trying to tell you, but you just don't see. Like you, I was born in this country.
CONTRERAS: Pretty profound statement about identity.
FERNÁNDEZ: Absolutely. What I love about Angélica is that her music has no - it's very rooted in an identity, but it doesn't have a firm place. Of course, she alludes to East LA a lot, and now she's based in Richmond, Va., actually. I love that what her music does is pinpoints the, like, pieces of the landscape of growing up Latino, and universalize them. They're not tied to being born in a certain place or to any experience. Rather, she paints them as a very American experience...
CONTRERAS: Right.
FERNÁNDEZ: ...Which they are. And in the video, she wears Mexican and American flags, which is, I mean, of course, a clear statement of that. And her music is just so much fun. Her singing hangs on, like, every word, and...
CONTRERAS: Right.
FERNÁNDEZ: ...She does this annunciation thing. And just, like, the way she says guava tree is, like, snarled, but...
CONTRERAS: (Laughter).
FERNÁNDEZ: ...In, like, a kind way...
CONTRERAS: Yeah, right.
FERNÁNDEZ: ...It's, like, a happy way.
CONTRERAS: Yeah.
FERNÁNDEZ: Her other track, "It Don't Hinder Me," is similar in that way. And she said, to knock my family and I down for our Latinx roots is to knock down all of America's history. Like you, I was born in this country, which is one of the lyrics in the song. I was born in this country. I think that's what a lot of the current conversation ignores, that we've been here for a long time, and it's not just about immigration. This song is tied to a campaign that she's starting called Wear Your Roots that will benefit organizations that support migrant families. And she's gearing up to release an album at some point. We don't have a release date, but definitely looking for more of that.
CONTRERAS: Wow. That's awesome. I didn't know her music. I'm glad I do now, and we'll keep an eye out. Especially since she's down the road in Richmond, right?
FERNÁNDEZ: Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
CONTRERAS: OK, good call. Good one. We're listening to the music. I'm Felix. Stefanie, let's see. What do I have? I have - Vanessa Zamora has a new record out. Last year, she put out a record called "Tornaluna," and this record is sort of a revisiting of that album, solo piano versions of the songs, a cappella versions of songs from the previous album. It's an interesting insight into the creative process. She's still in her 20s. She has a very long and bright future in the music business. And this, again, is a really nice insight into how she puts all that together. This is called "Rio."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIO")
VANESSA ZAMORA: (Singing) Se vuelve todo trágico no sé, me dejé de preocupar por el ser, para estar bien. Quité las tablas que tapaban el río y oí que nací para correr, eso siempre suena bien. Uh, perdí la foto, uh, me evaporo, uh, nada es seguro. (Vocalizing).
CONTRERAS: That's called "Rio," a piano version of a song that she did on her previous album - again, a very, very insightful look into her creative process. I'm a big fan of hers, and I'm going to keep watching her because she just keeps - she keeps putting out this music that just always draws me in, in one way or another. So a big fan of Vanessa Zamora. OK, your turn.
FERNÁNDEZ: Our next pick is an artist I know both of us are fans of, Ani Cordero. Ani Cordero's formerly of Os Mutantes and Pistolera and is a longtime writer and interpreter of protest songs, but this one was different during the Ricky Renuncia movement.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PAN PAN (SIN MANTEQUILLA)")
ANI CORDERO: (Singing) Pan, pan. Pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Pan, pan, pan, pan. Esta gente piensa que estamos ciegos, se roban todo del país. Que pantalones ni tratan de esconderlo. Y solo nos dejan pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Solo nos dejan pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan. Esta gente piensa que estamos ciegos, que sorpresa le daremos, a la calle todos a reclamar lo que le pertenece al pueblo, que aquí ya se acabó el pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Ya se acabó el pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Ya se acabó el pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Ya se acabó el pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Miren como se aprovechan piripiri pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla. Todos a la calle a repartir pan, pan. Sin mantequilla, sin mantequilla, pan, pan. Pan, pan. Pan, pan. Pan, pan. Pan, pan. Pan, pan. Pan, pan.
CONTRERAS: Ani Cordero certainly deserves a lot more recognition because she's so talented as an instrumentalist, as a songwriter, as an activist and bringing all those things together, which is hard to do, bringing them all together in a very positive and uplifting and artistic statement.
FERNÁNDEZ: Yep.
CONTRERAS: That's her strong suit, man. Ani's killing it these days.
FERNÁNDEZ: And she takes the simplest metaphor of bread, literally one of the most common in the history of protest music and protest movements, and gives it several layers. She said that the title, "Pan Pan (Sin Mantequilla)," is originally a reference to, like, her abuelo saying, like, about a spanking, like "Te voy a dar pan sin mantequilla."
CONTRERAS: (Laughter).
FERNÁNDEZ: So it's like this act of, like, punishment, but it's also, like, a reference to, like, the actual scarcity of food - right? - and bread...
CONTRERAS: Right.
FERNÁNDEZ: ...And wealth by extension. And so for background, this song came out of the #RickyRenuncia movement in Puerto Rico that called for the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello after the 800-plus-page chat transcript was leaked, illustrating the kind of racism, sexism, homophobia and just outright corruption of the Puerto Rican government. And within weeks, the community succeeded in getting him to resign. And, you know, Ani has a history of this work, as you mentioned. And the title of the album, "El Machete," was, of course, a symbol of fighting back in Latin America...
CONTRERAS: Right.
FERNÁNDEZ: ...But also a reference to the Puerto Rican group Los Macheteros, which advocates for independence for Puerto Rico. So there's a lot in there (laughter).
CONTRERAS: And when you think back, I mean, it almost seems like that was a long time ago 'cause so much has happened. But that was a very profound and powerful...
FERNÁNDEZ: Yeah.
CONTRERAS: ...Moment when he resigned as a result of the people just speaking up.
FERNÁNDEZ: Absolutely.
CONTRERAS: It's really just historic. And music around it - because we did a story on "Afilando Los Cuchillos" that Residente and Bad Bunny and iLe put together. So there's all this music wrapped up in this activism again. It's a powerful, powerful statement.
FERNÁNDEZ: And a show of some of the country's most popular artists putting their money where their mouth is.
CONTRERAS: Absolutely. Good one.
OK, let's see. I have one more. This is from an album called "Just Play Peru." And what it is is a collective of Peruvian women musicians. The whole Just Play series is an interesting project by executive producer and bassist Matt Geraghty, sort of a traveling collaboration machine. So far, they've recorded in New Orleans, Havana and San Juan. They mix all these different musicians together.
And in this one, these are all Afro Peruvian women who really didn't get their due within the male-dominated music industry in that country. This one is called - this track is called "Tinkalamina," and it features a woman named Milagros Guerrero, who is part of the fantastic Afro Peruvian electronic group Novalima. Again, the women warriors of Peruvian music from the album "Just Play Peru."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TINKALAMINA")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Acumbé, acumbá. Acumbé, acumbá. Acumbé, acumbá. Acumbé, acumbá.
MILAGROS GUERRERO: (Singing) Tú me abres la puerta, yo no quiero entrar. Tú me abre la puerta, yo no quiero entrar, tú me das energía, caramba, yo no voy a rozar. Tú me das energía, caramba, yo no voy a rozar. Y a la hora que tú quieras, yo no voy a estar, y a la hora que tú quieras, yo no voy a estar. Ese hombre no se queja de nunca llegar. Ese hombre no se queja de nunca llegar...
CONTRERAS: You know, I'm going to sound like a broken record, but again, the selections here just show the width and breadth of Latino expression all around the world, man. Stefanie Fernández, thank you so much for coming, man.
FERNÁNDEZ: Thank you so much, Felix.
CONTRERAS: Yeah. We want to remind you that you can check out our playlist every week. We do a Spotify and an Apple Music playlist. It's usually around the middle of the week, depending when I can get my stuff together...
(LAUGHTER)
CONTRERAS: ...On the production side. But every week, Stefanie helps put that together and always ear to the ground with the hottest, latest stuff, so be sure to check that out. And if you have something you want us to play, you can always reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter. We are NPR's ALT.LATINO. Thanks again, Stefanie Fernández.
FERNÁNDEZ: Thank you, siempre.
CONTRERAS: I'm Felix Contreras. As always, thank you for listening to ALT.LATINO from NPR Music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TINKALAMINA")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Acumbé, acumbá. Acumbé, acumbá.
GUERRERO: (Singing) Y ahora que tú estás solito, te va a provocar, y ahora que tú estás solito, te va a provocar, ese hombre naufragando por su inmenso mar, ese hombre naufragando por su inmenso mar, y a la hora hora que tú quieras, yo no voy a estar, y a la hora que tú quieras yo no voy a estar, ese hombre no se queja de nunca llegar, ese hombre no se queja de nunca llegar.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Tinkalamina, tinkalaeva, te va a provocar. Tinkalamina, tinkalaeva, te va a provocar. Tinkalamina, tinkalaeva, te va a provocar. Tinkalamina, tinkalaeva, te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar. Te va a provocar.
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