Felix Contreras

Like most of you, Alt.Latino won't be able to make it to Brasil Summerfest 2015, a 10-day explosion of music held each year in New York City. But the least we can do is bring a bit of the festival to you.

We invited co-curator Beco Dranoff to ...

When mariachi musician Nati Cano died last year the world lost a true cultural warrior. His dedication to the Mexican folk music was a lifelong passion that took place initially in bars and at public events, then eventually on the world's greatest stages.

His singular focus was highlighting ...

Our little corner of the music world seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

Earlier this month, there were three music festivals in one weekend dedicated exclusively to Latin alternative music. They reflected the genre's growth and popularity in very distinct ways. To get to the bottom of this, we ...

The Colombian folkloric vocalist Totó la Momposina is considered a living, cultural treasure in that country. Since the 1970s, she has been singing and dancing to the music of the Colombian Caribbean coast on stages around the world.

Her seminal album was La Candela Vive, which she recorded for

For the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's founding, the band will perform three shows — their last — in Chicago this weekend. According to Billboard magazine, the "Fare Thee Well" concerts will bring in an estimated $50 million. That's pretty impressive, considering that band's lead guitarist died two ...

Had we served pisco in the studio, it would made for a pretty cool party. But even without beverages, we still had a great time with members of the Peruvian band Novalima serving as Alt.Latino guest DJs.

Along the way, we took a deep dive into the magic of Afro-Peruvian ...

The Summer Solstice seems like as good a reason as any to dig into the mail for some new music. Alt.Latino co-host Jasmine Garsd is traveling on assignment, but she did leave behind a few tracks to share on this week's episode, including something new from our favorite artist of ...

My Alt.Latino co-host, Jasmine Garsd, accurately describes this track by the Peruvian band Novalima as a three-layer cake of time. Consider the ingredients: It's based on an iPhone recording of a 1950s-era vocalist; it's propelled by an Afro-Peruvian cajon, a percussion instrument that dates back to the slave trade in ...

It's easy to look back on early-'70s jazz-rock hybrids with a snicker. For those of us who were there, that snicker might accompany a note of regret; some of us thought that stuff was amazing. But listening to a new collection of Yes' previously unreleased early-'70s live recordings — titled ...

Although they share the same last name, it's hard to imagine a less likely pairing than Luz Elena Mendoza and Sergio Mendoza.

While both have roots in Mexico, Luz Elena makes her home in the Pacific Northwest and has fronted a band called Y La Bamba. That group sets ...

One of the most musical countries on the planet, Brazil is awash in folk-music traditions, as well as a rich history in jazz and bossa nova. It seems as if Brazilian musicians can make beautiful sounds with everything and anything they touch.

The band Apanhador Só demonstrates that point, and ...

Uruguay belongs high up any list of locations for musical discovery. Nestled between Argentina and Brazil way down on the southern tip of the Americas, it spends way too much time in the shadows of its better-known neighbors.

But a closer listen reveals something for just about everyone: rockeros, sure, ...

Every now and then, if we are extremely lucky, we are witness to a musical game changer. That is the rare musician who single-handedly alters the direction of a genre though the power of musical vision and artistry.

Diego El Cigala is one of those game changers.

While he comes ...

This crazy, clever cover medley spans an entire musical universe, as it superimposes one of Duke Ellington's sacred works (1968's "Heaven") over Led Zeppelin's 1971 rock classic "Stairway To Heaven." Trombonist Chris Washburne and his mighty See You On The Other Side miniature big band have released an album of ...

Rosa Díaz is nothing if not passionate: Her performance behind Bob Boilen's desk practically burst with the kind of passion that made it feel almost confessional. Her sophisticated lyrics reflect deeply felt emotions in this performance with cellist Daniel de Jesus.

This is the kind of performance best experienced for ...

People don't attend Austin, Texas' annual SXSW Music Festival so much as survive it. More bands than you'd ever have time to see squeeze into every conceivable space across the Texas city known as the live-music capital of the world.

Latin bands make up an increasingly prominent portion of the ...

Many tributaries follow the story of African migration to this part of the world. Much of that narrative is well-known, but little-known pockets of African culture still produce unique cultural expressions. The story of the Garifuna people is just one example.

A tapestry of cultures and influences can be heard ...

Cuban-born pianist and composer Omar Sosa has carved out a place for himself in the musical landscape that's equal parts musical and spiritual. His playing and his songs are saturated with the beauty and power of West African music dedicated to Yoruba deities, and yet an unmistakable reverence for ...

A member of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras, Terry also enjoyed a long freelance career which included jazz education and a featured slot in NBC's Tonight Show band. He was 94.

Santería ceremonies are for calling out to the spiritual world, and that spiritual connection is made through music. Felix Contreras explores how some sacred beats made a secular crossover.