Tag Archives: Alt Latino

Maluma Performs NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Confirms He’ll Soon Be a Dad

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Maluma is celebrating a tiny moment…

The 29-year-old Colombian singer is the latest artist to visit the NPR Tiny Desk for a concert full of his hits and even a tease of his girlfriend’s recent pregnancy announcement.

MalumaMaluma performed songs ranging from “Hawái” and “COCO LOCO” to “Felices los 4” and “Según Quién.” Before singing “ADMV,” Maluma shared that he wrote the song for a cryptic “someone,” and immediately began tearing up.

Maluma revealed that he and his girlfriend, Susana Gomez, are expecting their first child together via a new music video on Friday, October 20.

Titled “Procura,” the song’s clip documents the couple’s relationship with never-before-seen clips, the heartfelt moment they found out they were going to be parents and the lavish sex reveal, when they found out they will be having a girl. The couple also revealed she will be named Paris.

“Music is the only way I can talk to my fans and I wanted to let them know that I’m having a baby,” he said in an interview with NPR Music‘s Alt.Latino. “It’s perfect timing with all of the things that I’m living. I’m looking for more personal experiences too […] I also want to grow as a human being, not only as an artist. This makes me feel so human, but at the same time, the more human I feel, the more artist I get.”

J Balvin Kicks Off NPR’s “El Tiny” Home Concert Series in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

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Size doesn’t matter for J Balvin…

The 36-year-old Colombian singer has kicked off NPR‘s “El Tiny” series in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

J Balvin

Balvin’s performance on September 16 was the first of 10 “El Tiny” concerts that will feature Latin artists like Camila Cabello, Prince Royce, Sech, Nicki Nicole and Silvana Estrada. The series will run through October 15, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Backed by the Brooklyn Bridge in the middle of the East River, the chart-topping artist kicks off his 15-minute mini concert, singing new tracks off his latest and most personal album yet, Jose. He kicks off the set with “Vestido” and goes on to perform “Que Locura,” “OTRO FILI,” “F40” and closes with fan favorite “In Da Getto.”

“Even though we have some of the biggest names in Latin music scheduled, our ‘El Tiny’ takeover of the Tiny Desk (home) concerts is more than just entertainment,” Felix Contreras, host of NPR Music‘s Alt.Latino, said in a statement. “I firmly believe that music has always been an accurate barometer of what’s going on in the Latin communities here in this country. Reggaetón hip-hop, soul, Afro Latino, jazz — it’s all reflected in our lineup and shows how diverse our listening habits, and our community, is.”

 

The nine-time finalist at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards recently spoke to Billboard about his 24-track set released on September 10. “The album was made thinking about myself and what I like to do,” Balvin said. “When I realized I didn’t have to box myself into a concept, like I did with Colores, I said, ‘The concept is me.'”

Carlos Vives Launching “El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana” Documentary in Partnership with Grammy Museum

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Carlos Vives is celebrating Colombia’s indigenous roots in music in a special way…

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is launching a special documentary, El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, this Friday, August 21 on the Grammy Museum’s digital museum.

Carlos Vives

In May, Vives released his 14th studio album, Cumbiana, which married Colombia’s past with the future. The album shed light on the indigenous roots of Colombian music in a 10-set production that includes collaborations with Jessie Reyez, Alejandro Sanz, Ruben Blades and others.

Vives decided to bring his extensive research and musical exploration to the masses via the documentary, which is directed by Carlos Felipe Montoya and produced by Isabel Cristina Vasquez from Mestiza Films.

Vives spotlights the history of the amphibian universe to better understand the origins of cumbia and vallenato music, the ancestral spirits that inspired his latest production, and the environmental challenges the Magdalena River ecosystem is facing.

“I discovered a lost world. That’s the truth,” Vives previously told Billboard.

“We’ve always spoken about our African heritage in music. We’ve always thought that the most uplifting elements of our music came from Africa or from European rhythms like polka. But it turns out it comes from Andean or indigenous music. This album highlights the joy of the fusion of African, European, and indigenous music.”

El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, which also elaborates on the creative process of Cumbiana, will be available at 1:00 pm PT on Friday, August 21 at the Grammy Museum website for 72 hours only.

Following the screening, Vives will attend an exclusive conversation with NPR Alt Latino’s Felix Contreras to further discuss the documentary.