Download: Mixtape: Highlights in Bay Area Latin Music (Podcast #428)

This episode first ran on KQED.org.

The Bay Area has a rich history of acclaimed musicians drawing from the many musical styles developed in Latin America. That legacy continues on today, with an array of Latinx artists incorporating cumbia, salsa, rumba, reggaeton, and Latin rock sounds into their work.

This mixtape showcases eleven songs from local bands and artists drawing from Latin music. What’s perhaps most immediately notable on first listen is the diversity of sounds included here. Even though half of the artists in this mix are inspired in part by cumbia, each folds the genre into its approach in different ways, from La Misa Negra‘s heavy Afro-Colombian work to the proggy psych of Mala Greña. Psychedelia also informs the experimental compositions of Almas Fronterizas and the soul- and jazz-inspired Loco Tranquilo, while hip-hop and electronic music influence the music of Los Rakas, Soltron, Gina Madrid, and Bang Data.

Listen to the mixtape to learn more about all eleven bands and artists spotlighted in this mix.

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Track Listing

La Misa Negra – “Sancocho”

Bang Data – “Ya No Más”

Soltron – “Arroz Con Gandules”

LoCura – “Dos Lobos”

Gina Madrid – “Sangre (feat. Nikila)”

La Gente – “Morena”

Almas Fronterizas – “Rosa Tropical”

Loco Tranquilo – “Iris”

Los Rakas – “Me Enamoro”

Mala Greña – “Movimientos De La Serpiente (Live)”

Soul y Agua – “Mi Reflejo (Demo)”