KEXP is teaming up with Vive Latino, Mexico City's Ibero-American festival of music and culture, to announce the full line-up of nine exclusive Live on KEXP sessions. We will have artists from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, the USA, and Peru. This newly-announced collaboration will build on KEXP's long-term commitment to international partnership and community-building, which includes a previous trip to Mexico City in 2019, as well as recent trips to Argentina, France, the Netherlands, Senegal, Denmark, Iceland , England, and more.
Live on KEXP sessions are curated in collaboration with Vive Latino, and will be hosted by KEXP's Albina Cabrera and DJ Chilly. Sessions will take place at El Desierto Casa Estudio in Desierto de Los Leones. The Vive Latino festival will take place March 18th and 19th, with sessions being recorded in the week leading up to festival weekend, and coverage of festival events provided on KEXP's social channels.
After an exciting and exhaustive process of listening to artists based in Mexico and the ones who will play at Vive Latino, KEXP and its team of musical curators have announced the selection of nine musical projects who we will record sessions with. Check out the line-up below, and learn more about the artists.
Inspired by Juan Rulfo's 1951 novel of the same name, Diles que no me maten arrives with an experimental post-punk that was well reflected in their most recent album, La Vida de Alguien Más, released in 2021.
Inspirada en la ficción homónima de Juan Rulfo de 1951, Diles que no me maten, llegan con una propuesta post punk experimental que quedó bien plasmada en su más reciente álbum, La Vida de Alguien Más publicado en 2021.
Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti rocked the international scene with her exquisite album Se Ve Desde Aquí, one of the Top 10 Albums of 2022, according to KEXP DJ Albina Cabrera. Her sound explores dark and colorful places, transcends borders, taking her to the front line of the freshest artists of the present and future.
La cellista guatemalteca Mabe Fratti, sacudió la escena internacional con su exquisito álbum Se Ve Desde Aquí, uno de los Top 10 albums del 2022 segun la DJ de KEXP Albina Cabrera. Su sonido que explora luces y lugares tenebrosos, trascendió fronteras llevandola a la primera línea de las artistas más frescas del presente y futuro.
The news of the return to the stage of the legendary instrumental post-rock band, Austin TV, revolutionized Mexico and Latin America. So who are this group of five mysterious cult artists that hide behind their masks? They would say "your face doesn't matter, you matter." That's why they will be part of the 2023 edition of Vive Latino and our Live on KEXP sessions.
La noticia del regreso a los escenarios de la legendaria banda post rock instrumental, Austin TV, revolucionó México y América Latina. ¿Quiénes son ese grupo de 5 artistas misteriosos y de culto que se esconden detrás de sus máscaras? Ellos dirían “tu cara no importa, importas tu”, por eso serán parte de la edición 2023 de Vive Latino y también de nuestras Live on KEXP sessions.
They say they play experimental Mexican rock. Born in Ciudad Neza, the five brothers fuse their indigenous roots and tradition with rock. They released Hijos del Sol in 2020, and in their words, "we fight for the empowerment of an identity that has remained invisible in Mexico for the last 500 years."
Ellos dicen que hacen rock mexica experimental. Nacieron en Ciudad Neza, son cinco hermanos y, juntos, fusionan su orígen y tradición indígena con el rock. Lanzaron Hijos del Sol en 2020 y en sus palabras “luchamos por el empoderamiento de una identidad que se ha mantenido invisible en México los últimos 500 años”.
Sgt. Papers are not new to the Pacific Northwest, as they were part of the 2022 edition of the Freakout Festival. They released an album, SGTP, in 2021, and a few more singles. Iván and Felipe García are from Hermosillo, Sonora, and are ready to revitalize punk rock across Latin America and beyond.
No son nuevos para el Noroeste del Pacifico pues fueron parte de la edición 2022 del Freakout Festival. Lanzaron un álbum, SGTP en 2021 y algunos sencillos más. Iván y Felipe García son de Hermosillo, Sonora, y están listos para revitalizar el punk rock de la región.
Like Sgt. Papers, Vondré aren't new to Seattle either. The project of the producer, singer, and businesswoman Ana Espinosa is perfect for lovers of grunge in a modern key. She was also part of the Freakout Festival in 2022 with an unforgettable performance. This time, she and her band will join KEXP and Vive Latino for her first Live on KEXP session.
Tampoco son nuevos para Seattle. El proyecto de la productora, cantante y business woman, Ana Espinosa, es perfecto para los amantes del grunge en clave moderna. También fue parte del cartel de Freakout en 2022 con una performance inolvidable para todos los que estuvimos presentes. Esta vez, se unirá a KEXP y Vive Latino para su primera Live on KEXP session.
La Santa Cecilia, named after the patron saint of musicians, came together in the multi-cultural landscape of L.A. over a shared love of traditional Latin sounds, rock, soul and the other flavors and fusions they have grown up with and were experiencing in the city at the time.
Twin sisters Juanita and Valentina Áñez Rothmann were born in Bogotá, Colombia, and today they are part of the new experimental Latin American new folk scene. The duo experiments with pedals and loops that provide the framework for their excellent vocal arrangements. After their 2020 album Reflexión and several singles, Las Áñez will arrive on the biggest stage of Ibero-American music, Vive Latino, and also at our Live on KEXP sessions.
Las hermanas gemelas, Juanita y Valentina Áñez Rothmann, nacieron en Bogotá, Colombia y soy hoy parte de la nueva escena new folk experimental latinoamericana. El duo experimenta con pedales y loopeos que le dan el marco a sus excelentes arreglos vocales. Después de su álbum Reflexión de 2020 y varios sencillos, Las Áñez llegarán al escenario más grande la música Iberoamericana, Vive Latino, y también a nuestras Live on KEXP sessions.
What to say about Los Mirlos that has not been written before? The words "pioneers," "founders," and "legends" are not enough to describe their vast musical work that put the sound of "La cumbia amazónica" on the world map. Their music is the point of contact between Caribbean influences, the Afro heritage of slavery brought by colonization, and the natives of Panama and Colombia. If someone says "Los Mirlos," more than cumbia, we will say "chicha."
Qué decir de Los Mirlos que no se haya escrito antes? Las palabras pioneros, fundadores y leyendas no bastan para describir su vasta obra musical que puso en el mapa mundial el sonido de “La cumbia amazónica”. Su música es el punto de contacto entre las influencias caribeñas, la herencia afro de la esclavtud que trajo la colonización y los nativos de Panamá y Colombia. Si uno dice Los Mirlos, más que cumbia, uno dice chicha.
