All Songs Considered

Alt.Latino: Salsa, bossa nova, and Argentina's next big thing

October 29, 2025

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  • Argentine artist Milo J, despite being a stadium-selling rapper, released the stunning album *La Vida Era Mas Corta*, which deeply incorporates traditional instrumentation and themes related to his indigenous ancestry and Argentina's dictatorship history. 
  • The episode highlights the diverse and evolving nature of music labeled 'Latin music,' featuring artists like Fabuloso & Los Skeepers blending bossa nova from Guatemala and Peru, and Mon Laferte showcasing reinvention with her concept album *Femme Fetal*, which incorporates jazz and themes of female empowerment. 
  • Spanish jazz pianist Chano Domínguez continues to innovate by blending flamenco influences with jazz, exemplified by his track 'March Of The Siguiriyas' from *The Blues Around Us*, demonstrating jazz's expansive, genre-defying nature. 

Segments

Introduction and Meteor Discussion
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode opens with hosts Felix Contreras and Ana Maria Sayer, briefly interrupted by sponsor messages, before discussing a large, ancient meteor originating from outside the solar system.
  • Summary: The podcast begins with housekeeping, including an explicit language warning, and the hosts introduce themselves. A brief, unrelated discussion about a massive meteor hurtling through space from deep space occurs before transitioning to the music segment. The hosts confirm the meteor poses no threat to Earth.
Milo J’s New Album Focus
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(00:01:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Argentine artist Milo J’s new album, La Vida Era Mas Corta, is a stunning departure from his typical rap/hip-hop style, heavily featuring traditional instruments from Santiago del Estero and collaborations with legends like Mercedes Sosa and Silvio Rodriguez.
  • Summary: Milo J, a 19-year-old Argentine artist who already sells out stadiums, is featured for his new album which blends his style with traditional folk instrumentation from his ancestral region. The album’s concept, ‘Bajo la Piel’ (Tattoos Under the Skin), addresses memories his ancestry missed due to Argentina’s dictatorship years. The track ‘Jangadero’ features posthumous vocals from the legendary Mercedes Sosa.
Fabuloso & Los Skeepers Bossa Nova
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(00:09:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Fabuloso (Peruvian producer in Mexico City) and Los Skeepers (Guatemalan boy band) collaborated on ‘Si Te Gusta,’ offering a creative take on bossa nova that sounds influenced by Spanish production styles rather than typical Guatemalan music.
  • Summary: The hosts highlight the track ‘Si Te Gusta’ as an example of creative output from Guatemala, noting that the bossa nova sound is heavily influenced by producers in Mexico City and Spain. The collaboration was chosen because it represents current, creative happenings in a region (Guatemala) often underrepresented in the music discussed on the show.
Mon Laferte’s Reinvention
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(00:12:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Chilean vocalist Mon Laferte continues to reinvent herself on her album Femme Fetal, demonstrating a brilliant vocal range that incorporates styles from empowered sensuality to straight-ahead jazz reminiscent of 1950s beat poetry pairings.
  • Summary: Mon Laferte is praised for her ability to continually reinvent her artistic concept, moving beyond her initial success as a vocalist. The track ‘(1:30)’ showcases a distinct jazz influence, which the hosts compare to the beat poetry movement mixing sparse instrumentation with Spanish vocals. The unifying theme across the album’s varied styles is sexually empowered exploration.
Chano Domínguez Jazz Flamenco Fusion
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(00:21:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Pianist Chano Domínguez (Spain) and guitarist Emaginario (US) collaborate on ‘March of the Siguiriyas,’ continuing the long tradition of mixing jazz with flamenco, a genre whose syncopation aligns well with jazz structures.
  • Summary: Chano Domínguez is recognized as a key figure in the movement mixing jazz and flamenco, tracing back to artists like Paco de Lucia. The track features a rhythm section including Obed Calver (drums) and Carlos Henriquez (bass) from the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Flamenco is described as a deconstructible genre that plays well with many other styles.
Nathy Peluso’s Salsa EP
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(00:25:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Nathy Peluso released a straight-ahead salsa EP, Mal Portada, which contrasts sharply with her earlier electronic/hip-hop sound, though the hosts debate whether its ‘cleaned up’ production lacks the raw, ‘punky’ edge of classic 1970s salsa.
  • Summary: Argentine artist Nathy Peluso, raised in Spain, is committed to performing old-school salsa despite it not being central to her lineage. The hosts contrast this pure salsa approach with artists like Bad Bunny who incorporate salsa elements into broader genres. The discussion touches on the historical critique of ‘Salsa Romantica’ for being too polished compared to the street-built, rougher sound of early salsa.
Andrés Miguel Cervantes Americana
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(00:32:17)
  • Key Takeaway: California-based Andrés Miguel Cervantes performs Americana/country music with a deep, resonant voice reminiscent of Raul Malo, using the genre to narrate his reality, including his father’s crossing from Mexico to the US.
  • Summary: Cervantes’ voice is noted as possessing the necessary storytelling quality for country music, despite him originating from California rather than traditional country hubs like Texas or Oklahoma. He utilizes the Americana genre to express his personal reality and heritage. His album is Songs for the Seance, and the featured track is ‘Dreams of Jacumba’.