Latin music as my antidote to stress and as an atmosphere for chilling. — Last week I published an analysis of Bad Bunny’s latest album — I can’t recommend it enough. This week I want to peddle more music onto readers but with less analysis on lyrics and more focus on achieving a state of chill. For me, as an ultra-fan of Latin music…

Who I am as a new Latin culture writer… — Hi, I’m Chris. Welcome to La Melaza. A culture blog written from the lens of an American Hispanic/Latino (terms I use interchangeably). More often than essays and critical reviews, this space will host love letters to all things Latin American — music, food, travel, and whatever’s relevant. In this initial…

Discovering folk music’s updated sound via NPR’s Tiny Desk. — Before watching her Tiny Desk (long after it debuted last November), I’d never heard the name Raye Zaragoza. The only reason I landed on her music was because I scoured NPR Tiny Desk videos for Spanish-speaking artists. Something to inspire a future piece of click-baity Top 5 content. …

In 2006 I watched the greatest single-song performance I’d ever seen in my life — Raul Midón singing State of Mind. — I’m sharing this so everyone can witness true mastery of instrumentalism and voice. It’s an old and low-fidelity clip — legal driving-age old — but the strength of the performance shines through the dust. This performance didn’t happen at the Grammys or any other award show charged with celebrating artists…