While 2022 may have been a year completely dominated by a certain sad summer reggaeton album, 2023 drew its power from a set of familiar sounds that took on new prominence: tubas, accordions and a whole lot of lively, sneakily danceable beats. As we've been talking about on Alt.Latino for some time, Mexican Regional music broke through in a big way this year, and we found it incredible to witness the most boisterous and uncompromising sounds from that long tradition make their way across the world and to the top of the charts. 

A strong feeling of authenticity to place and experience was palpable across the spectrum of Latin albums released in 2023, from the most popular to those deserving of more attention. To review all there was to love about Spanish-language music this year, hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Syare sat down with producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to discuss the ways musicians danced fearlessly across genre lines while showing up as their complete selves more than ever before.

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Alt.Latino's favorite music of 2023

The global Latinx community is evolving and growing fast. Alt.Latino is here to celebrate it and all of its nuances through music. Each episode, NPR Music's Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with a different living legend or rising star to discuss Latinx culture, heritage, and the shared borders of our experiences. Let the chisme begin!

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Music

It's the 10th annual Tiny Desk contest and there's been a strong showing of Latin artists behind desks across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Felix and Ana sifted through all the entries and pulled their favorites from artists with roots all across the Americas. And if one of them ends up winning, you can thank us for the introduction.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Cathia, "Taza de Café"
•Manu Manzo, "Celos"
•Mireya Ramos and the Poor Choices, "Quiero Volver"
•Flaco el Jandro, "Lluvia Pesada"
•Los Quinceañeros, "Guero"
•La Doña, "Loser Girl"
•Alejandro Aranda, "Pieces"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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Alt.Latino's favorite Tiny Desk Contest entries

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite new music, from Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko's boundary-pushing new music, to Alejandro Escovedo's genre-bending rock and Angelica Garcia's electro-cumbia.

Songs featured in this episode:
• Young Miko, "Tamagotchi"
• The Mavericks, "Moon & Stars (with Sierra Ferrell)"
• Angélica Garcia, "Juanita"
• Alejandro Escovedo, "Castañuelas"
• Nella, Yendry, "Veinte Años"
• Sheila E., "Bemba Colorá (ft. Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar)"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Angélica Garcia, Young Miko and The Mavericks

The release of Beyoncés Cowboy Carter has sparked a national conversation about who gets to sing country music and the complex roots of the genre. Which got Alt.Latino thinking — what about the Latinos in country?

This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras travel to Austin, Texas to speak with AmeriChicana musician Carrie Rodriguez about the difference between violin and fiddle, strings and "strangs," and who gets to play country music.

Songs featured:
•Carin Leon, Leon Bridges: "It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tu)"
•Cuco Sanchez: "La Cama de Piedra"
•Merle Haggard: "Big City"
•Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: "San Antonio Rose"
•Robert Earl Keen: "Feelin' Good Again"
•Chip Taylor, Carrie Rodriguez: "Dirty Little Texas Story"
•Eva Garza: "Quiero Verte Una Vez Mas"
•Rick Trevino: "Doctor Time"
•Ruben Ramos: "Crying Time"
•Sammy Arriaga: "Tennessee Whiskey - Spanglish"
•The Mavericks: "There Goes My Heart"
•Louie TheSinger: "Come and Take It"
•Carrie Rodriguez: "I Dreamed I Was Lola Beltran"
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Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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Tracing the history of Latino artists making country music

Shakira just released her first album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, and most listeners and critics have high praise. But this episode of Alt.Latino puts the record to the test.

Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento talk about what makes a Shakira record a Shakira record, how pop artists reinvent themselves and loving your favorite artists even if you don't always love their music.

Songs featured in this episode:
•Shakira: "Puntería"
•Shakira: "La Fuerte"
•Shakira: "Obtener un Si"
•Shakira: "El Jefe"
•Paul Simon: "You Can Call Me Al"
•Shakira: "Cómo Dónde y Cuándo"
•Santana: "Smooth"
•Shakira: "Cohete"
•Karol G, Shakira: "TQG"
•Miles Davis: "Bitches Brew"
•Shakira: "Monotonía"
•Shakira: "Escondite Ingles"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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What do we really want from Shakira?

The weather's heating up and so are the music releases. The hosts of Alt.Latino share their most quintessentially them picks, with Latin jazz across the board from Felix and indie pop-rock bops from Ana. 

The two sit down to ping-pong favorite picks back and forth from different parts of the country — plus, Felix puts Ana's picks to an impromptu test.

Featured tracks:

Lara Project, "Extraños"
Julieta Eugenio, "Breath I"
Esteman, Villano Antillano, "Noches de Verano"
Rodrigo Recabarren, Pablo Menares, Yago Vazquez, "Santiago"
Elsa y Elmar, "entre las piernas"
Hurray for the Riff Raff, "Hawkmoon"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Alt.Latino's favorite music of 2023

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