I say this every year, but it does become more true: The width and breadth of what we loosely call Latin music is astounding. In fact, this may be the year that I finally stop using that term altogether. Consider the stylistic gaps in these top 10 lists: Mexican American country/Americana, jazz, Puerto Rican folk music, Barcelona-based experimental acoustic music, an ethereal film soundtrack from a Brazilian classical cellist and a couple of Afro Caribbean-based burners — it truly defies any categorization.
And because my listening diet crosses genres, I also included a couple of genre-defying artists who do not have Latin American roots. But what ties them all together, when I line them up and select shuffle, is a deeply sincere drive to exist both inside and outside of genres, to test the outer and inner limits of creativity — that always feeds my search for the sound I didn't know I needed in my life.
My top 10 albums of 2024
- Wyatt Flores, Welcome to the Plains
- Carin León, Palabra de To's
- Amaia Miranda, Mientras viva brilla
- Dom La Nena, LA VIE DE MA MÈRE
- Gaby Moreno, Dusk
- Rodrigo Recabarren, Pablo Menares & Yago Vazquez, Familia
- Fabiola Méndez, Flora Campesina
- Lucia Fumero, Folklore I
- Shabaka, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
- Arooj Aftab, Night Reign
My top 10 songs of 2024
- Damaris Bojor, "No es normal"
- Sheila E. (feat. Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar), "Bemba Colorá"
- Andres Levin (feat. Los Van Van, Alain Pérez, Perdito Martinez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yissy Garcia, Yerba Buena, "Manteca 2.0 (An homage to Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie & Cayo Hueso)"
- Residente (feat. Sílvia Pérez Cruz & Penelope Cruz), "313"
- The Mavericks (feat. Sierra Ferrell), "Moon & Stars"
- Ana Tijoux, "Millonaria"
- Lisa Morales, "Hermana"
- Reyna Tropical, "Aquí Te Cuido"
- Luis Muñoz, "Lords of War"
- Juana Luna (feat. ELENI), "La Paloma"
Copyright 2024 NPR
