Jason McCue - When He Drinks

Berlin-based Peruvian artist Sofia Kourtesis turned towards her home on her latest EP, Fresia Magdalena. "Fresia" is her mother’s name, and "Magdalena" is the district of Lima, Peru, where her family currently resides. "Her whole life she’s fought hard for the people of Magdalena, Peru," Kourtesis says in a press release. "This is my tribute to her and the other activists around the world working hard to better the lives of others. We as musicians have a responsibility to help our communities to have their voices heard, changes are needed." Today's Song of the Day is a tribute to Kourtesis's father. "‘La Perla’ is about staring at the sea, It's the first thing I’ll do when I return to Peru," she continues. "My dad used to say staring at the sea is like meditation, it clears your head. This song is for him. It's hard for me to listen to La Perla as it wrote it during a time I lost my dad to leukaemia. This song is for him, descansa en paz papa." – Janice HeadleySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Syys 20215min

Cuban vocalist, flautist, and percussionist Yaité Ramos Rodriguez pays tribute to a folkloric legend with her musical moniker La Dame Blanche, or "the white lady" in French. "She doesn’t have a very good reputation but I wanted to pay tribute to her," she explained to French news and current affairs public radio station RFI. "I represent her as black, a mother, with a daily routine just like many other women in the world. People smile when I say I’m the white lady. It’s quite ironic." The daughter of Jesús 'Aguaje' Ramos, trombonist and bandleader of the Buena Vista Social Club orchestra, La Dame Blanche grew up around music, establishing herself as a classically-trained flautist. With her own music, she combines hip hop, cumbia, reggae, and more to her mastery of the flute. Today's Song of the Day was inspired by lockdown. She writes on her Bandcamp page, "'Veneno' is one of the many songs I wrote during the pandemic, declaring my despair and the value of a caress, a kiss, a friend." – Janice HeadleySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Syys 20212min

Today's Song of the Day is a promise kept: before the 2021 Copa América international men's football championship (or as Americans call it, "soccer"), Argentinean DJ/producer Gonzalo Julián Conde (better known as Bizarrap) proposed that if his country beat Brazil in the finals, he would record a song with rappers Nicki Nicole and Duki. True to his word, the trio released the track "YaMeFui" following Argentina's first win in 28 years in the Copa América. – Janice HeadleySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Syys 20213min

Mexican-American singer-songwriter Omar Apollo [real name: Omar Apolonio Velasco] has had an inspiring rise to fame: while living in an attic and working two jobs (at Jimmy Johns and Guitar Center), he uploaded one of his songs to Spotify where it got 20,000 streams in a day. Shortly thereafter, his career blew up, culminating in his debut album Apolonio, released last year. On today's Song of the Day, the 24-year-old singer/songwriter worked with producers Carter Lang and Chromeo to craft the lovesick synth-laden track. Omar Apollo is scheduled to perform Sunday, October 17th at The Showbox in Seattle. – Janice HeadleySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Syys 20213min

Chris Carroll - "Rose Colored Glasses," a 2021 single on Raindrop Sound. Seattle-based, Filipino-American artist Chris Carroll has his roots in the local hip-hop scene, as a producer for musicians like Gifted Youngstaz, Ra Scion of Common Market, Entendres, and MADlines. With his solo work, he adds a lo-fi romanticism, layering his crooner-style vocals to the mix, and crafting a track that sounds both contemporary and like a golden oldie. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Syys 20212min

Mystic - "The Life" ​​from the 2021 re-release Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom on Beautiful Soundworks. Twenty years ago, west coast MC Mystic (real name: Mandolyn Wind Ludlum) released her debut full-length Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom, an album that landed her a Grammy Award nomination for the track "W'' and a BET Awards nomination for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Despite the accolades, the album suffered from poor distribution, and after a 2014 LP (titled Beautiful Resistance), Mystic focused her energies as a member of the Hip Hop Caucus, a non-profit organization that promotes "political activism for young U.S. voters using hip-hop music and culture." Now, in 2021, the album sees a resurgence as Mystic is able to re-release it on her own Beautiful Soundworks label. "It is really special to me to have the music become available for the 20th anniversary, and even more beautiful because I own the masters," she shared on her Facebook page. "Imagine how it feels to have walked away from the masters that held my life, my healing, my joy, and everything about me, so that I could just have my freedom back, retain my love of my craft, continue my healing and, and go back to school to be of service to more children." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Syys 20213min

MACK - "Fire Among Us (feat. Akua Naru)," a 2021 single on Deposito Zero Studios. Italian duo MACK combines the talents of Federico Squassabia (keyboards/bass synth/composition) and Marco Frattini (acoustic and electronic drums/live sampling/composition), who craft a genre-defying blend of hip-hop, jazz, kraut-rock, freestyle rap, and more. On their 2019 self-titled debut EP, they invite collaborators to contribute their own creativity, including AVEX, Devon Miles and Rachel Doe on vocals, Federico Pierantoni on trombone, and Enrico Terragnoli on guitar. On today's Song of the Day, MACK allows U.S.-based artist Akua Naru to lace their laid-back electronic groove with her passionate, poetic rap. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Syys 20213min

Gabriel Garzón-Montano - "Agüita (Remix) (feat. Sampa The Great & Amber Mark)" from the 2021 Agüita EP: I on Jagjaguwar/Stones Throw. Last year, New York-based artist Gabriel Garzón-Montano released his sophomore full-length, Agüita, an ambitious "anti-genre" album with everything from reggae to post-punk to funk to folk. This year, he's begun releasing the Agüita EP series, featuring re-workings of songs from that album. Today's Song of the Day is a remix of the title track, featuring new verses from special guests Sampa The Great and Amber Mark. “This 'Agüita' remix is special. Sampa and Amber came with their magic in usual form,” Garzon-Montano said in a press release. “Estoy muy agradecido a estas reinas por este remix. Un aguacero.” (I am very grateful to these queens for this remix. A downpour.) Amber Mark added: “I was speechless in absolute amazement when GGM played me the ‘Agüita’ demo years ago. He literally can tap into any sound he’s feeling and make it sound amazing. ‘Agüita’ is my motivational anthem; I’m so honored and excited that I get to be a part of this one.” Sampa The Great declared: "It’s always amazing to be able to connect across cultures and languages with music! 'Agüita' is one of those dope songs that does that and it was amazing being part of this remix.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Syys 20213min