Felix Contreras

The veteran protest singer reflects on a crucial time for the farm-worker movement when he helped organize workers using music.

More than 50 years into his career, the guitar legend once again demonstrates his mastery of tone, while still balancing his trademark sound with powerful lead vocals.

Sometimes it's necessary to get back to basics. In the case of Los Hacheros, that means returning to the deep groove of Afro-Caribbean music that provides the source material for modern salsa.

Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras shares some classic gems and some new tunes that both pay tribute to Puerto Rico's traditional sound and expand the island's musical tradition.

In performance together, the venerated saxophonist and the ubiquitous pianist perform three tunes that draw from their past while still looking to the future.

The California musician, along with his musical partner Patricia Wells, adapt their message of social justice for modern times, while maintaining the same inspirational lyrics and conviction.

Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras teams up with NPR classical music maven Tom Huizenga to talk about composers from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil, delighting host Linda Wertheimer.

Veteran radio host Betto Arcos has just returned from a trip to Colombia, and he comes to Alt.Latino bearing gifts — including a deep dive into the country's best folk and contemporary music.

As Latino populations grow in locations far from large urban centers, local music scenes are thriving. This week, Alt.Latino showcases a few artists from places off the beaten path.

On her new album Lola, Rodriguez's bi-cultural life blossoms into a spectacular collection of stories and songs, several of which she performs in this Tiny Desk concert with guitarist Luke Jacobs.

The lure of the open road was too much to resist this week, so Alt.Latino turns the volume up on a collection that includes Central American heavy metal, Cuban guitar jazz and Brazilian DJs.

Rubinos returns fully formed, with her musical vision still finding ways to meld the unexpected, the familiar and, in songs like "Mexican Chef," the fiercely political.

Two new volumes of work by the legendary music writer Ralph J. Gleason are out this spring. Though he grew up during the Jazz Age, Gleason loved acts like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead too.

Ileana Cabra Joglar came of age onstage, performing with her older brothers in Calle 13. Now, she emerges from their shadow with her solo debut, a collection of classic sounds.

Hear re-imagined pre-Colombian music and arias from the jungles of Brazil and beyond, chosen with the help of Tom Huizenga from NPR Music's Deceptive Cadence.

The veteran jam-rock guitarist's dedication to his instrument is matched only by his imagination. There's joy in hearing Kimock play acoustically, with no filter between his ideas and his fingers.

The Cuban singer's music is fueled by surprisingly mature songwriting (she's only 24), as well as an irrepressible personality that projects warmth, fun and a million-watt smile.

Listening to Adrian Quesada's latest project is like stepping into an alternate reality — an unhurried place with time to contemplate love, loss and longtime friends.

The band's leader and original drummer explain how a group house in 1960s San Francisco produced a groundbreaking union of Afro-Carribean rhythms, rock and jazz.

Alt.Latino offers a view from inside the mixing room, featuring talents you should know.