Felix Contreras

A Kind Of Magic: New Latin Music, Sprinkled With Discovery Dust

Felix Contreras — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:34:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww6GFzYQwoc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImhVuHSs_g

Omar Sosa & Paolo Fresu: Tiny Desk Concert

Felix Contreras — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:25:00 +0000

You don't really listen to an Omar Sosa concert so much as experience it. The Cuban-born pianist's overall demeanor exudes a sense of calm and deep reflection, while a spiritual connection to music and his ancestors comes through in his piano playing.

You can hear Sosa draw on more than 100 years of Cuban piano in the recognizable rhythms of his country's music.

Tito Puente: 90 Years Of Getting People To Dance

Felix Contreras — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:55:00 +0000

The percussionist and bandleader Tito Puente would have celebrated his 90th birthday this weekend on April 20. And the recently released box set Quatro: The Definitive Collection is a great place to start celebrating the once and forever King of Latin Music. It captures the driving sound of big band mambo and cha-cha-cha that launched people onto dance floors for decades.

When he died in 2000 at age 73, the New York City native had more than 100 recordings to his name.

Guest DJ With California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera

Felix Contreras — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:37:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr7z-ikOSR4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vofbnkQcW_Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHS-Tk7UuC0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD3G6eM3tPI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyV-sZMo8yQ

5 Stories About Immigration, In Song Form

Felix Contreras — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:53:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFwOmxP56-g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FEMkUGNuxQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNJviuYUEQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k85vp4xrKNs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwX1amquIQU

Bajofondo, Live In Concert: SXSW 2013

Felix Contreras — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:04:00 +0000

With eight accomplished musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, and a sound rooted in tango traditions, Bajofondo lays out a visual and aural feast. Led by Oscar and Grammy winner Gustavo Santaolalla, the group mashes up traditional candombe sounds and other forms with electronica to produce a mix that's hypnotic and danceable.

With bandoneon and violin joining keyboards, guitars and drums, Bajofondo crafts deep grooves that feel laid-back on its four albums, yet radiate infectious energy on stage.

Molotov, Live In Concert: SXSW 2013

Felix Contreras — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Politics and rock en Español go hand in hand, and Mexico City's Molotov is a flag-waver for that combination. The band formed in 1995 during an era in which seismic political changes transformed Mexican society; from the start, Molotov's music pointed fingers at economic and political institutions — and even aging rock stars.

Molotov's performance in front of about 10,000 fans at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas, during the 2013 South by Southwest music festival featured a potent mix of high-energy rock, rap and ska.

Mad Musical Scientists: Latin Musicians Who Dare To Experiment

Felix Contreras — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:23:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW4lDSx1GbQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T68xxMjj38A

This Week On Alt.Latino: Guest DJ Sandra Cisneros

Felix Contreras — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:45:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE73giFnLBs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5nQW8M3nU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ7uXX9K7Sk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ApaYLUmTs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXZRaTrOmgg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8YzhTggIow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUHlDNmkads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXzeEfH6PTk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTPec8z5vdY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXbbWM1bKlE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBxHfVvsNbs

Staff Picks: Our Favorite Music Books Of 2012

and — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:03:00 +0000

In 2012, writers who tackled musical topics dove deep, got weird, burrowed into a niche; we joyfully followed them to depths we never would have expected when the year began. We devoured works of criticism, history, biography and the Zen of John Cage and Tony Bennett.