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NPR Music

Alt.Latino: The Vaqueros of Hawaii

NPR Music

NPR

Music

4.33.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We don’t often get to discuss the ways that Latin American music made its way west across the Pacific Ocean. But this week we have two incredible projects that celebrate that journey. First, a Japanese band that fuses traditional minyo folk sounds with cumbia and other Latin rhythms. Then, a project that unearths a forgotten history of the 19th century Mexican cowboys who went to Hawaii to help manage livestock.

Plus, a tribute to Afro-Colombian folk legend Totó La Momposina, who passed away this month at 85; an underrated Puerto Rican reggaetonero shines again; and, of course, Ana continues her Brazilian obsession with new tracks from up-and-comer Bebé.

Artists and albums featured in this episode:

(00:55) Bebé - 'Dissolução'
(05:45) Minya Crusaders - 'From Japan With Love'
(10:06) Álvaro Díaz - 'OMAKASE'
(17:35) Los Cenzontles - 'Adios Ke Aloha: Waves of the Same Sea'
(23:05) Orestes Gomez - 'No me fui porque quise'
(28:04) Totó La Momposina - Various

This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Okay, Anna, before we start the show, we're going to do another new music show because there's so much stuff, but also because you and I are both kind of busy for the rest of the summer.

0:10.2

I know. It's going to be one of those summers. You're going to be up in the gym, Felix, as per usual.

0:14.9

I'm going to be in Spain as per usual.

0:17.9

I'm working on a couple of different stories, doing a couple of different interviews with some legends that we're going to have later on in the summer and just doing a bunch of stuff.

0:26.4

So, yeah, this is, we got to pack in.

0:28.2

Let's get some new music in.

0:29.2

Let's get it in right now.

0:30.7

A lot of really cool stuff.

0:32.4

Cross-border stuff this week.

0:34.7

Here we go.

0:39.3

From NPR music, this is all Latino. I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Anna Maria Ser. Let the

0:44.3

Chisemet begin. I guess the Chisemet has to be new music this week and you get to go first. What do you got, man?

0:54.6

I can't wait.

0:55.3

Oh, you're going to like this.

0:56.4

Can I just not even say anything and just make you hear it right away?

0:59.1

Let's just do that.

0:59.7

Yeah, let's my d'o'nui. Bordenta, embarrayed, the racioscini. I've got everything I've seen. People who am I, saps who engul-ed, saposke in gullie. I don't know how I let's my best being so so inaps that I've I'm I'm

1:28.3

I'm

1:29.3

My best

1:30.3

My

1:31.3

Emolns

1:32.3

With a

...

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