Here’s a selection by El Buga and Sounds And Colours covering different elements of Brazil’s funky and tropical music: Brazilian classics sampled by international artists; originals by producers working in their local electronic music scenes; remixes by international DJs reworking the country’s traditional music. Names like Gilberto Gil, Grupo Batuque and Paula Lima have been retouched by artists from Mexico, England and the United States, where there has been a long-term fascination with the sounds from “down south”. The sounds of bossa nova have stamped the work of North American producers ..read more

British-Colombian ensemble Mestizo have released “Goldmine”, the second single from their forthcoming debut album Mestizo, bridging the worlds of Colombian traditional music, London jazz and hip-hop.  Mestizo is the result of the musical exchange between British-Caribbean saxophonist and Steam Down founder Ahnansé and Colombian multi-instrumentalist and Mambo Negro Records label head Daniel Michel. Since they met for a collaborative performance in Bogotá four years ago, the pair have been trading ideas remotely until the opportunity arose for Ahnansé to take a small ensemble of British p ..read more

LGBTQ+ stars use platform to promote tolerance and unity at the festival’s eleventh edition in Chile Shielding his face from the relentless sunlight of Santiago’s afternoon sun, Álex Anwandter dedicated his most recent single, ‘Maricoteca’, to “diversidades, como yo”; an ode to LGBTQ+ nightlife that erupted applause from his largely queer audience. Anwandter’s Sunday slot at Lollapalooza Chile was one of the last of a three-day event where Anwandter and queer peers from across Latin America stood out with electrifying sets that deliciously combined ingredients of polish, politics and raunchin ..read more

I never imagined I would be thrashing around in a mosh pit to the sounds of cumbia being played on a marimba, but that’s exactly what happened when Mexican cumbia punks Son Rompe Pera came to London last year. Knocks were taken as sweat-drenched limbs collided, but nobody seemed to care, swept up in the riotous energy of the band on stage.  With the release of their new album Chimborazo, Son Rompe Pera go some way in capturing that feeling on record. It is a clear statement of intent, moving away from the more folkloric, traditional covers that comprised their 2020 debut Batuco in favour ..read more

Here at Sounds and Colours, we’ve always known that Latin women in music are a force to be reckoned with, so it’s nice to see the rest of the world catching on. Earlier this month, Colombian pop star Karol G became the first woman to top the Billboard chart’s No. 1 spot with an all-Spanish-language album. Meanwhile, Shakira’s post-break-up song (Music Sessions #53) with Argentine producer Bizarrap is breaking Guinness World Records.  So, as it’s Women’s History Month in the United States, what better way to pay homage to Latin women than by sharing five wildly different tracks we love at ..read more

Last year’s Estéreo Picnic saw Discos Pacifico’s contribution in the form of Bejuco, the Tumaco group fusing Afrobeats with South Pacific styles. 2023’s version of the festival welcomes a much more traditional focus on the region in the form of Semblanzas Del Rio Guapi. Out of all the bands to see at this year’s Estéreo Picnic, Semblanzas should be top of your list.  We recently caught up with one of the main cantadoras of the group, Libia Sinisterra, who walked us through the long history of Semblanzas, their contribution to local society in the Pacific through their alternative educati ..read more

With a wide arrange of analogue electronic gear and the addition of traditional instruments, Mapaná Music mixes the energy of club music with the spirit of Colombia and South American folklore. Covered with masks, the duo performs a kind of shamanic ritual, connecting with the sound of nature and the native ancestors. The duo is a concept created by Colombian local Juan Henao, aka Juan Nativo, and Mauricio Araya, aka Mr. Toé, music producer from Chile now based in Colombia, who has worked with the likes of Palmeras de Urabá, Magín Díaz and Palo E’ Mango ..read more

Bassy strings, heart-twanging guitars, emotional Spanish-language lyrics tinged with English and the young, yet weathered voice of Yahritza make this Mexican-American trio at once familiar and exciting. TikTok has launched them to stardom, but their roots are firmly set in family and ranchera tradition. Led by 15-year-old Yahritza Martínez, this Mexican-American family trio have gone from strength to strength on the US music scene. Their debut album, Obsessed (Deluxe) tells dramatic love stories through simple, sensitive lyrics, warm ranchero guitars and Yahritza’s singular voice – young, bol ..read more

And we’re back into the new year with a bang presenting a selection of warm delicious ambient, indie dance from the interior, mutant chamber music, pagode from hell, and a whole lot more. Dig in! Tetine – Music for Breathing (Slam Dunk Music) This duo of Brazilians based in East London have always been hard to pin down. Formed from the ashes of the São Paulo and Belo Horizonte arty post-punk scenes, they work in between the hazily defined spaces of music making, academia, gender politics and performance art. Their releases have included everything from bizarre off-kilter baile funk, mutant po ..read more

Our Spotify playlist of the Best New Music coming out of Latin America and its diaspora has been refreshed with some of our favourite music from the first couple of months of 2023, as well as our New Sounds of Peru playlist showcasing the best of Peru as chosen by our resident expert Ana Claudia Bendezú. Best New Music Amongst the 40 new tracks are singles from Mitú, YEИDRY and Pahua, a moody cumbia from London-based band Malphino and the first single off the debut album from Karen y los Remedios, newly signed to ZZK Records. There’s also Brazilian jazz from newcomer Tunico, deep electronic e ..read more