Over the past decade, the Pacific Northwest has steadily blossomed into a stateside haven for fresh, alternative sounds from Latin America. In Portland, parties such as Gran Ritmos and Tropidahl transformed nightlife by celebrating diasporic hybrids of cumbia, dembow, and bhangra. Meanwhile, in Seattle, the psych and punk bedlam of Freakout Fest rejuvenated its avant curation with continent-spanning talent ranging from rising acts like Margaritas Podridas and Los Esplifs to bonafide legends including Os Mutantes and Los Dugs Dugs.
One of the driving forces behind the scene’s curatorial terraforming is radio institution KEXP, and particularly their Monday-night staple El Sonido, which in 2011 began carving a new space for Latin American sounds outside the tent poles of reggaeton and música Mexicana. El Sonido was started by William Myers a.k.a. DJ Chilly, who built the show’s cult status in tandem with blockbuster live sessions from alternative stars like Café Tacvba and Bomba Estéreo.
In 2020, the team added Argentine radio personality Albina Cabrera as a co-host of El Sonido, a position that quickly evolved into the station’s Latin American Content Producer. In a few short years, Cabrera has spearheaded major initiatives to engage and expand KEXP’s Spanish-speaking audience with sprawling on-site sessions in Mexico City and Buenos Aires, launching the original podcast El Sonido: Cancioneros back in May, and now heading into their own festival El Sonido Live at the Seattle Center’s Music Heals Stage on July 21st.
“For more than a decade, El Sonido and the Live On KEXP sessions have showcased the many expressions ‘Latin music’ can embody, at the same time giving an international platform to alternative and independent artists bringing sounds outside the mainstream,” Cabrera tells Rolling Stone. “El Sonido Live is a celebration of three things: the first season of our podcast El Sonido: Cancioneros, the crucial alliances built with international partners such as BIME, LAMC, Chilemúsica, and the Mexican Consulate in Seattle, and of course an opportunity to bring Latinx and non-Latinx fans together under this excellent time in Spanish-language music.”
Pahua and Rubio
Courtesy of KEXP, 2
The festival’s line-up includes Chilean indie pop priestess Rubio, known for percussive cult hits like “IR” and “Hasta El Fondo,” as well as moody Argentine rockers Usted Señalemelo, who are slated to perform at Lollapalooza Chicago in August. The bill is rounded out by propulsive Spanish indie rock band Carolina Durante, and ethereal Mexican chanteuse Pahua – formerly of Mexico City cumbia duo Sotomayor – whose new album Habita melds Pan-American roots rhythms, avant pop, and electronic dance music. Several of the artists, along with Spanish band Cariño and Chilean dreamer Chini, will also be part of live sessions.
“I think what’s been happening in Seattle these past five or six years is historic in terms of events and visibility for the local Latinx community,” adds Cabrera. “Latin music is number one in the world and we owe that in large part to the Caribbean, first because of historical and musical justice, but at the same time because [artists of the region] have opened the floodgates for other genres performed in Spanish to be appreciated, consumed, and demanded on a greater level.”
For the artists, the festival and the live sessions represents a chance to show off their music to new audiences. “This reflects the constant work I’ve delivered with my soul and energy,” Pahua tells Rolling Stone. “We’re all extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to showcase the music and rhythms that honor our Latin heritage.”
“This is a dream come true, to tell you the truth. We’ve been listening to KEXP sessions for a long time and we’re always discovering new artists, and it’s always a surprise to see what happens there. We hope it’ll be the same for us,” says Lucca Beguerie Petrich of Usted Señalemelo. He adds the festival will be the first time that the band will play in Seattle, following a live showcase at LAMC this month.
Expectations are riding high for El Sonido Live, and the Cancioneros podcast boasting a tremendous cast of guest talent including Mon Laferte, Villano Antillano, Buscabulla, Trueno, and Lido Pimienta: “KEXP has just started down this road with many more cities to visit,” Cabrera says, highlighting the responsibility to uplift stories that connect with the KEXP’s vast community of listeners and donors in Latin America and Spain.”
Cabrera shares that this is just the beginning: The team is working on the second season of the El Sonido podcast, and also planning to extend its network across the globe. They’re also planning new places to take KEXP Live sessions. “We can’t announce that yet,” Cabrera teases. “But folks in attendance at El Sonido Live might be the first to find out.”