Alt.Latino

Over the weekend, we lost a musician who shaped the lives of countless people: the late, great Bob Weir. He was a founding member of the Grateful Dead who played guitar, wrote and sang in the band for 30 years. After Jerry Garcia died and the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir kept the spirit of the music alive for three more decades, creating new Deadheads for generations to come — he brought John Mayer, Billy Strings and even the National Symphony Orchestra into the Grateful Dead universe. The Deadhead slogan proved to be true: Weir everywhere.At Alt.Latino, we’re big fans of Bob Weir and his immensely cosmic musical legacy. Over the years, we’ve learned that many Latin musicians are also, metaphorically speaking, on the bus. Today on the show, we celebrate Bob Weir’s life by hearing some of his past interviews on NPR, exploring the Grateful Dead’s influence on artists like Devendra Banhart, and of course, revisiting his magnetic Tiny Desk concert from 2019. We’re incredibly grateful that Bobby came down to this world for a little while to tell us his stories – we hope to see him in the next one. (00:00) Intro(01:38) Bob Weir's early life and Grateful Dead career(08:05) Grateful Dead at the National Symphony Orchestra(14:30) Felix and Isa reflect on 'American Beauty'(20:35) Grateful Dead's impact on Latin musicians(26:33) Bob Weir at the Tiny DeskThis podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Venezuela has a deep tradition of reflecting political change through music. This week, as the country reels from the seizure of its president by American forces, we explore the recent history of Venezuelan protest music, and from the Nineties right up until the present. First, we share an excerpt of an episode we made at another moment of political turmoil in Venezuela, in the summer of 2024. Then, we'll walk up to the present and see how some musicians across Latin America are responding to this moment. And a big thanks to NPR Music's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento for being our guide.(00:00) Intro(02:06) A history of Venezuelan protest music(13:39) Social and economic changes under Nicolas Maduro(14:53) Venezuelan protest music in recent years(22:21) How artists across Latin America are respondingThis podcast was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The sheer volume and variety of Spanish-language music released every year is breathtaking. Even those of us with our ears to the ground are bound to miss things. So, in this episode we travel back through the year to resurface some of the remarkable albums that somehow didn't make it on the show. Catch Afro-Caribbean jazz, a history-spanning classical strings project, the return of Juana Molina and much, much more.Artists and albums featured in this episode:- Alex Cuba, 'Índole'- Enyel C, 'Nuevo Caribe'- Berta Rojas, 'La Huella de las Cuerdas'- Cazzu, 'Latinaje'- Conrad Herwig, Eddie Palmieri and Luques Curtis, 'Reflections-Facing South'- Juana Molina, 'DOGA'This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This year was bookended by two major statements in Latin music. In January, Bad Bunny released DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, and followed that up with a 31-show residency in Puerto Rico over the summer. Then, in November, the Spanish vocalist Rosalía released her genre-defying masterpiece LUX, which sent legions of music lovers scrambling to try to grasp the magnitude of an album performed in 13 different languages.But they were only the tip of the iceberg of yet another year of mind-bending creativity in Spanish language music. This week we look back at some of the other artists and recordings that made 2025 another year of adventurous and rewarding listening. These six artists made only a fraction of music that caught our attention. But we only have so much time on these podcasts! Use this as a starting point to explore the year that was on your own. And check out more of NPR Music's coverage of the best music of 2025 here. Enjoy!Artists and albums featured in this episode:- Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS- Rosalía, LUX- Queralt Lahoz, 9:30 PM- Roxana Amed, Todos los Fuegos- Arath Herce, Musas en Mi- Mon Laferte, Femme Fatal- rusowsky, DAISY- Lido Pimienta, La BellezaThis episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some folks think by December all the releases for the year are complete. Not quite. This week we feature a new music show with albums that should be considered along with the year’s best.  We've got pop and alternative from Mexico, funk from Colombia, rock and ambient from New York and a Tejano master celebrated by his fellow Texans. Plus, Felix brings the zen. Artists and songs featured in this episode: - Diles que no me maten, 'Manos de Piedra - Revisitada'- Dianna Lopez, 'Sun Frequencies (Renewal)'- HUMBE, 'fantasmas'- Rene Lopez, 'Any Chance'- Duplat, 'Vete del País'- Ruben Ramos. 'El Año Viejo (ft. Gaby Moreno)'This podcast was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy