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Algo Nuevo: 8 Releases Alt.Latino Is Looking Forward To In 2012

Y La Bamba
Courtesy of the artist
Y La Bamba

English / Spanish

There's so much amazing new music to look forward to this year, and this week we're giving you a sneak peek at what we're most looking forward to — from artists you might already know and love, such as Mexican crooner Carla Morrison and Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux, to artists you might not have heard of yet, but should definitely check out, like Argentina's Mati Zundel and Mexican-American DJ Ernest Gonzales.

I also have some predictions to make. There's a lot of political movement taking place in Latin America and among Latinos in the United States. Judging by artists like Tijoux, whose highly politicized new album La Bala comes out in the U.S. this month, we'll be seeing socially conscious music surge this year.

Tijoux is also an example of great Spanish-language rap, a genre experiencing a refreshing surge of creativity with artists like Panama's Los Rakas (and both Raka Rich and Raka Dun are releasing solo debuts this year). We're told Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13 is working on new material, including songs in English.

We are also thrilled about some of our favorite songstresses coming out with new music in 2012. Last year, Gaby Moreno won our hearts with her soulful, versatile voice and storytelling abilities. And Carla Morrison made us swoon with her doo-wop-meets-Mexican-folk stylings. These Latina crooners are rapidly becoming underground princesses, but they're both due for their fair share of mainstream success this year.

As always, this is not a definitive list. We look forward to your suggestions. What new music are you looking forward to this year?

I also have some predictions to make about this year in music. There's a lot of political movement taking place in Latin America and among Latinos in the United States, and judging by artists like Ana Tijoux, whose new album La Bala comes out in the US this month and is highly politicized, we'll be seeing socially conscious music surge this year.

Ana Tijoux is also an example of great Spanish language rap, a genre that is experiencing a refreshing surge of creativity with artists like Panama's Los Rakas (both Raka Rich and Raka Dun are releasing solo debuts this year). Also from what we're told, Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13 is working on brand new material, including songs in English.

We also are thrilled about some of our favorite songstresses coming out with new music in 2012. Last year, Gaby Moreno won our hearts with her soulful, versatile style, and story telling abilities. And Carla Morrison made us swoon with her doo-wop-meets-Mexican-folk stylings. These latina crooners are rapidly becoming underground princesses, but they're both due to get their fair share of mainstream success this year.

As always, this is not a definitive list. We look forward to your suggestions. What new music are you looking forward to this year?

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English / Spanish

Algo Nuevo: 8 Estrenos Musicales Para Escuchar En El 2012

Este año estamos aguardando con ansias varios estrenos musicales, y esta semana te estamos dando algunos adelantos-- artistas que ya conoces como la cantante romántica mexicana Carla Morrison y la rapera chilena Ana Tijoux, y también artistas que tal vez aun no conoces, pero que en definitiva deberías oír, como el músico argentino Mati Zundel y el DJ mexicano-americano Ernest Gonzales.

También en el show de hoy comparto algunas de mis predicciones musicales para el 2012. En este momento estamos presenciando fascinantes movimientos políticos en America Latina y Estados Unidos. Creo que este será un año de música de protesta, llena de mensajes sociales, así como el nuevo álbum de Ana Tijoux: La Bala sale en los Estados Unidos este mes, y mientras que el previo álbum de Tijoux (1977) fue sumamente introspectivo, este trabajo es un comentario acerca de la sociedad y la política que se vive hoy en día en Chile.

Tijoux también es un ejemplo de la gran calidad que es posible en el rap latino, un genero que ha sufrido bastante mediocridad pero que en estos últimos tiempos también ha tenido una ola de creatividad, con artistas como Los Rakas de Panama (ambos Raka Rich y Raka Dun están a punto de lanzar discos solistas esta año). Y también se comenta que Calle 13 esta creando nuevo material, incluyendo alguna que otra canción en inglés.

Por otro lado estamos contentos de ver que algunas de nuestras cantantes favoritas estrenarán nuevos trabajos en el 2012. El año pasado, Gaby Moreno nos conquisto con su voz versátil y llena de emoción, ademas de su talento para narrar historias en forma de canción. Y Carla Morrison nos sedujó con su único estilo doo-wop mezclado con folclore mexicano. Ambas cantautoras se han convertido en figuras respetadas en el mundo de la música indie latina, pero creo que este también sera el año en que conocen el éxito a nivel comercial.
Claro que como siempre, esta no es una lista definitiva. Aguardamos tus sugerencias.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jasmine Garsd is an Argentine-American journalist living in New York. She is currently NPR's Criminal Justice correspondent and the host of The Last Cup. She started her career as the co-host of Alt.Latino, an NPR show about Latin music. Throughout her reporting career she's focused extensively on women's issues and immigrant communities in America. She's currently writing a book of stories about women she's met throughout her travels.