I cannot explain it because I don’t speak Spanish, but NPR’s alt.Latino is my favorite music podcast — hands down. I’ve discovered so many fascinating and creative artists through them in genres I normally never listen to. Angélica Garcia is probably my favorite of them all: brash, funny, never satisfied with her already immense talent.
“Juanita” is her latest single, and her first song that is fully in Spanish. Don’t ask me about the lyrics, but the video is universal enough: here, Garcia pushes against traditional gender constraints and searches for her own path forward. Garcia’s trademark hypnotic beats, influenced by cumbia, give “Juanita” an effortless coolness. Garcia’s performance, though, is arresting: driven and haunted and forceful with utter conviction. She’s a powerhouse, and you have to stop and pay attention.