Felix Contreras

The Dominican Republic has the historic distinction of being the landing spot of Christopher Columbus in 1492 after he sailed the ocean blue, but that European invasion set off a series of historical and social events that reverberate to this day.

In April 2018, the iconic Mexican regional band Los Tigres del Norte walked in the footsteps of country music legend Johnny Cash, performing inside of California's Folsom Prison, both as a tribute to Cash's historic 1968 concert and an attempt at raising awareness of its shifting population.

The musical world is full stories of musical progeny who either embrace or struggle to get out from under their famous parents. Cuban vocalist Haydée Milanés walks around with one of the most famous names in all of Latin America.

Stream: Spotify, Apple Music.

This week's playlist is like a geography lesson: we start in the Great White North and gradually make our way down to the Southern Cone with stops in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Get out your maps or load the appropriate app, we're going on a musical road trip this week.

The recent Latin Alternative Music Conference in NYC attracted musicians from around the Spanish-speaking world. Alt.Latino took advantage of the critical mass to grab interviews where and when we could.

The result is this Podcast Extra featuring three different bands from three different countries (and two continents) that represent as wide a span of music that you can imagine.

Politics and social concerns have always been part of Residente's worldview and his music, but this week required a different gravity.

Stream: Spotify, Apple Music.

Music can often be best way to stand up, shout down or even to cry out. That seems to be the theme of the tracks we selected on this week's playlist. Pick a song and be heard.

Stream: Spotify, Apple Music.