Play It Again: Latin Bands Reinterpret The Classics

By Jasmine Garsd

Published August 16, 2013 at 1:52 PM EDT

Las Cafeteras' members embrace Son Jarocho — the traditional music of Veracruz, Mexico — and use it to create political protest songs.

This week on Alt.Latino, we've got some unexpected reinterpretations, led by the Colombian band Ondatropica as it pays homage to Nigerian legend Fela Kuti.

Later in the show, Las Cafeteras will play us a beautiful love ballad; the group is part of Southern California's growing Chicano movement, which is embracing Son Jarocho — the traditional music of Veracruz, Mexico — and using it to create political protest songs. We also play a new, much-anticipated track from Argentina's Juana Molina.

Join us as we discover — and rediscover — genres and styles from across the Americas and the world.

Music

Jasmine Garsd

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.

See stories by Jasmine Garsd