From NPR music and all songs considered, I'm Robin Hilton. Natalia Lafracotta is one of the most

beloved singer-songwriters in Latin America. She's got this gorgeous, timeless voice,

and she seamlessly connects modern pop with classic sounds of the past. Back in 2015,

she practically swept the Latin Grammys. She got song of the year, record of the year,

best alternative album in song. She did a tiny desk, which you can still watch online.

And then she took some time. Now Natalia Lafracotta is back with her first new album in seven years.

It's called Destotus Flores. And she says it's a kind of diary that covers the time since those

Grammy wins and everything she's been through. She sat down to talk about it with NPR's Felix

Contreras and Annamarie Sayer, hosts of NPR's Alt Latino. Okay, Anna, I'm going to do a word

association. What do you think of when I say Natalia Lafracotta?

Uh, Reina, uh, uh, uh, effervescent, uh, inspiration, beautiful ray of sunshine.

We've been a fan of hers here at Alt Latino for years as so many other people. And we're talking to

her this week because she has her new album with her first blast of original material in seven years.

It's called Destotus Flores.

For anyone who is like, un- indoctrinated into the Natalia legacy, like you have to understand,

that she is truly like a presence, a beloved, not just artist, but I think it's fair to say

individual as well, I think in Mexico and in across Latin America. And she's had this really

incredible broad history of like starting in the pop world and then totally pivoting and going

to the old stuff. I mean, I can't think of many other artists that have done this like her.

One of the things that she did during the last seven years is that she reached back into Mexican

music history to record two records of music that gave tribute to the great Rantetta singer,

Chabella Vargas. She even recorded those albums with some members of the band and went on tour,

...