Felix Contreras
Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.
In addition to his post behind the mic, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and hosts a weekly Instagram Live interview with a wide-ranging roster of guests.
A knowledgeable international ambassador for Latino heritage and arts, "Tio Felix '' travels extensively in search of new talent and new music and captures important legacy performers in jazz and Latin genres. Various national and international publications have quoted his expertise on the contemporary influences of Latin culture, music, and media.
His a recovering TV journalist whose first post at NPR in 2001 was as a Producer/Reporter for the NPR News Arts Desk. He is also NPR's resident Deadhead and performs around the DC area with his Latin music Beatles cover band, Los Day Trippers.
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Two new volumes of work by the legendary music writer Ralph J. Gleason are out this spring. Though he grew up during the Jazz Age, Gleason loved acts like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead too.
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Hear re-imagined pre-Colombian music and arias from the jungles of Brazil and beyond, chosen with the help of Tom Huizenga from NPR Music's Deceptive Cadence. -
The Cuban singer's music is fueled by surprisingly mature songwriting (she's only 24), as well as an irrepressible personality that projects warmth, fun and a million-watt smile.
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In an era of segregation and base stereotypes, Richard Durham brought a different tone to broadcast radio. On Sunday mornings in the '40s, he told nuanced stories of history's great black Americans. -
Famous for its live jams, the band also benefited from spontaneity in its business dealings — especially once it realized fan loyalty could be used to create new fans. -
It's hard to imagine a musical career that included musicians as varied as Charlie Parker and Carlos Santana. But such was the resumé of Armando Peraza after almost 70 years of making music.
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The Texas trio performs loud Latin alt-rock in both English and Spanish — though its members are only fluent in one of the two. -
Vargas was born in Costa Rica, but has a voice tailor-made for singing Mexican rancheras, boleros and corridos. For many Mexicans, her versions of these songs are definitive. Even at 91, Vargas still possesses a voice that reflects struggle, defiance and ultimately triumph. -
Music journalist Joel Selvin has witnessed just about every significant musical moment in San Francisco in the past 35 years. Smart Ass: The Music Journalism of Joel Selvin compiles his best work into a tribute to the Bay Area's eclectic sound. -
Her mother was Navajo, her father African-American. Now, she sings traditional songs in the language of her Native American ancestors -- with more than one twist. Cody lends her soulful, bluesy voice to speak out against domestic abuse.
