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The New Faces And Voices Of Latin Alternative Music

Tired of living a life without adventure, last week Felix Contreras and I packed our bags and stole away on a midnight train to New York City in search of fame and fortune. We found neither, but we did stumble across the 2010 Latin Alternative Music Conference, which brings together industry players and Latin Alternative acts from around the Spanish-speaking world.

The variety of bands was a testament to the kaleidoscope that is Latin identity and rock in Spanish. From a group of shy Mexican boys who went crazy on the banjo to a Cuban rapper who fuses metal and salsa with hip-hop, the conference served as a sort of musical Noah's Ark.

For several days, we hopped in and out of taxis, ran from one end of the city to another, attended concert after concert and stayed up till daybreak eating fancy food with bands that wear way more eye makeup than I do -- all so you wouldn't have to. You can thank us later.

In today's episode of Alt.Latino, we share our picks for our favorite bands that played at the conference: groups you maybe never heard of but should check out, as well as established artists who are doing something new and unheard of. And, as always, we want you to pitch in. So far in 2010, what band have you seen live that simply blows you away?

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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.