1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: This is Latino USA, the radio journal of News and 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: Culture Latino US. Latin Latino USA. I'm Maria Inojosa. We 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: bring you stories that are underreported but that mattered to you, 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: overlooked by the wrest of the media, and while the 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: country is struggling to deal with these, we listen to 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: the stories of black and Latino Studio United Latino Front, 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: a cultural renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement. 8 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: I'm Maria Inojosa, Cepaso, Latino USA. Listener on show the 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: ros Achivos. 10 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: You know do liquados No, I would do liquado's. You know, 11 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: I'm the best. 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: What would she put in? 13 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 2: You know, bananas, bananas, milk, bananas? 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: You should put an egg in it? 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, she. 16 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 2: Raw egg. 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: From Fudu Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria 18 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: Rosa and today a portrait of Miguel. His name is 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: actually Miguel Pimentel and you know him as a Grammy 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: Award winning artist from la He's the son of an 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: African American mother and an immigrant father. Born in Samora, 22 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: mitrok Gan in Mexico, Miguel rose to prominence as an 23 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: R and B singer, and he's often been compared to 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: Prince for his eclectic sound, which draws from a wide 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: range of musical currents. 26 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 4: Tell how strange, says wee last kid. 27 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: Miguel is getting more and more acclaim and at the 28 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: same time, he's increasingly embracing his Latino roots. Last year, 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: the hit movie Goco featured a version of the song 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: remember Me, which Miguel sang with Mexican pop singer Natalia 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: la Furgade. Miguel performed the song earlier this year at 32 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: the Oscars. This year, he'll be releasing a deluxe version 33 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: of his album War and Leisure, which will include some 34 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: of his songs in Spanish. The project was inspired by 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: a recent trip to samoramitra, Gan, which is the town 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: where Miguel's dad was born, and there for the first time, 37 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: Miguel finally met his family in Mexico. Miguel joins me 38 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: now to talk about his life changing trip to Mexico 39 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: and how his mixed race upbringing influenced his sound. Miguel, 40 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: it's so great to have you on Latinojos. 41 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: It's a pleasure to be here. 42 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: So tell me about growing up. I mean, everybody knows 43 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: Miguel the Artist. I want to try to understand a 44 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: little bit about how you were growing up, and I've 45 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: been thinking a lot about my own experience. So, like, 46 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: you know, my family was fully Mexican growing up in Chicago, 47 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: but my parents' best friends were African America. 48 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 5: Well, I mean, that's like a crazy parallel because I 49 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 5: grew up in a black, a Mexican kind of part 50 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 5: of sam Pedro, which is a smaller part of Los Angeles. 51 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 5: You know, I'm born in the eighties eighty five. I 52 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 5: grew up in the nineties. There was a lot of 53 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 5: racial tension between blacks and Mexicans in Los Angeles in 54 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 5: the nineties. 55 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: Racial conflict like this between blacks and Latinos. It's ripping 56 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: through southern California. 57 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 5: You know, my mother was extremely, extremely devout, So on 58 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 5: the one hand, my mother was very religious. My father 59 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 5: not my mother obviously, being black, my father Latino Mexican. 60 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 5: A lot of contrast growing up. But growing up in 61 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 5: San Pedro, I actually kind of got the past because 62 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 5: most people in the community knew who I was. 63 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: So who are you living with when you're growing up? 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 5: It's mostly my mother, mostly my mother, my father fought 65 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 5: as hard as he possibly could to spend as much 66 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 5: time as he possibly could with my brother and I, 67 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 5: and he drove out from Englewood over the weekends every 68 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 5: other weekend to visit us. He picked us up, dropped 69 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 5: us off. We saw him over the summertime. He's an educator, 70 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 5: he's a teacher. 71 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: Is that why you know Spanish? 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 5: Well, yeah, because in the summertime, I was with my 73 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 5: nana and my data. So are my father's parents, Okay, 74 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 5: and so all of my theos and theos, my uncles 75 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 5: and my aunts, kids, my cousins. We stayed with my 76 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 5: grandparents in the summertime while our parents in Inglewood. 77 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: In Inglewood, so y'all were just like family daycare Mexican summertime. 78 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, there we go. Oh my god, my favorite, what 79 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: did you summertime? 80 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 5: Because my father was a teacher, he also was off 81 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 5: in the summertime, so we spent man summers were the best, 82 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 5: my dad the best. Some of my most fond memories 83 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 5: going to the beach, Venice Beach were there all the time. 84 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: And I love the fact that I see a lot 85 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: of people of color, a lot of mexicandoles out there 86 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: with the whole family. 87 00:04:58,640 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 2: You already know. 88 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 5: Ye, it was beautiful, I mean still is beautiful energy 89 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 5: in Venice. But not only that, because sometimes my father 90 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 5: taught summer school, so a lot of time with my nana, 91 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 5: lots of MTV, lots of puzzles with my Tata, and 92 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 5: board games with my grandfather. My tata what board games, man, 93 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 5: We played Trouble, we played Uno, and he would like, 94 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 5: he would like sometimes we didn't want to play, but 95 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 5: by four he would be like, no, we're gonna play. 96 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 5: Some of my favorite memories man, playing board games and 97 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 5: doing puzzles with my grandfather. 98 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 1: Did you start singing like when you were three? 99 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, no, no, no, I was. I was always singing. 100 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 5: That was kind of the part of it. It was 101 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 5: like I was the kid that everyone knew that I 102 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 5: was gonna do something. I was always singing, dancing, performing 103 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 5: like at three, like early yeah, early on, like yeah, 104 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 5: as soon as I could, as soon as I could dance, 105 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 5: as soon as I could use my legs. It was like, 106 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 5: you know, singing, dancing, all of these things. Yeah, are 107 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:56,679 Speaker 5: you kidding? 108 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: At our family parties type. 109 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 5: Thing, you were just like me, game, yeah, dance. It 110 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 5: was like, come on, meget They called me Mikey when 111 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 5: I was younger. You know, I love Michael Jackson growing up, 112 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 5: so I was, you know, getting my Michael Jackson moves 113 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 5: in and that was the thing, you know, at family parties, 114 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 5: family gatherings, That's what I was doing. Put the music on, 115 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 5: Come on dance, Mikey. 116 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: Do you remember like your first memories of music. 117 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 5: Early memories with music, I mean being in Los Angeles 118 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 5: car drives, car rides and music. 119 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 2: That's where we got it in. I remember my mom 120 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 2: driving me to school early. 121 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 5: For some reason, my vivid memories with music and my 122 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 5: mother come from like fifth grade. 123 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: So what were you listening to when your mom was 124 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: driving you to school? 125 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 5: Those car rides were like soul music, a lot of 126 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 5: classic stuff, you know, a lot of Temptations, and then 127 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 5: all the R and B stuff at the time. 128 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 2: You know Anita Baker. 129 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: You see, and she was singing and you were too. 130 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 5: Absolutely car yeah yeah yeah, or she would go what 131 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 5: what instrument is playing this part? 132 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah? And my brother, which was really cool. 133 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: And then when your dad was driving. 134 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 5: That could be anything. That could be some eighties raps, 135 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 5: It might be the Fujis. I remember my father was 136 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 5: playing at the Fuji's tape at the score. That very 137 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 5: first album to score by the fujis the World They 138 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 5: ca j. 139 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: Do you remember singing along to any of those songs. 140 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 2: And the cover that Lauren did of. 141 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 5: Oh it's early and I and I'm not going. 142 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: To remember song names right now, that's okay. Whoa I 143 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 2: heard he sang a good song. 144 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 6: Oh, I heard he had a. 145 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,119 Speaker 1: Style ROBERTA Flack. 146 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 7: And when I came to see and so I came 147 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 7: to see him in this and for a while, and 148 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 7: there he was young a staying to. 149 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 2: Show me in my pain, killing there we go seeing 150 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 2: in my. 151 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 7: Life with as well, Yeah, killing me softly with his song, 152 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 7: killing me softly. 153 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 8: With his song. 154 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: Coming up on Latin Usa. My conversation with Miguel continues, 155 00:08:25,040 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: stay with us, not with this song. Hey we're back. 156 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: And before the break, the singer Miguel painted a picture 157 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: of his childhood growing up in Los Angeles. And now 158 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about Miguel's first ever visit to Mexico. 159 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: It was part of the Earthwork series for Viceland. How 160 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: does it happen? Like somebody from Vice basically calls you 161 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: up and it's just like, Hey, we're going to like 162 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: invite you and your brother and your dad to take 163 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 1: a trip to Mexico, all expense daid We're going to 164 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: figure and produce the heck out of it, and you 165 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: just need to show up. 166 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 6: Man. 167 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 2: The opportunity was this. 168 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 5: They were picking artists that they thought were interesting and 169 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 5: you know, had a perspective to choose a place in 170 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 5: the world to go. I could have chose anywhere, but 171 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 5: I was like, I want to go to Shamora, I 172 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 5: want to go to Metro Khan and and can I 173 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 5: take my father? And can I go with my brother 174 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,319 Speaker 5: as well? Can I bring them? And they were like, yeah, 175 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 5: even better. Most people think of me solely as a 176 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 5: black artist. But there's a reason why my name is Miguet. 177 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 5: My father's from Mexico and then search for a better life. 178 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 5: He and his family came to the US before I 179 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 5: was born, so until now I haven't been able to 180 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 5: come back. 181 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 2: And so that was the whole thing. 182 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 5: You know, I wanted to be about family, kind of 183 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 5: a family discovery and also to learn about, you know, 184 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 5: where my family's from. 185 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: So what was the thing like when you think back 186 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: on that trip into Meatwa Gun what's the thing that 187 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: you're like that that moment. 188 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: Oh, dinner with family, see it such a good one. 189 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 9: Honestly, having conversations with like my grandparents. 190 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 2: I've never had that. This helps me appreciate all of 191 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: those moments. 192 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: How many family were there. 193 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: I mean it must have been at least twenty twenty five. 194 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: That so I wondered if you were I wondered if 195 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: you were a little dizzy. It was so much huggy 196 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: and food and laughter and the smile on your face. 197 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is a great memory. 198 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 6: No one poke that. 199 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 2: We see. 200 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 10: The feeling is the same if we know each other 201 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 10: are Gon and I only know that because I'm here now. 202 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 11: Ye. 203 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,839 Speaker 5: That definitely was was an immersive experience. 204 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 2: Full body, yes, absolutely, full body. 205 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 5: So this thing everybody hugging on you, yeah, man, And 206 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 5: and that was actually the best part. Is that energy 207 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 5: that you kind of share when it is like you 208 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 5: get to really it's tangible and you get to hug them. 209 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 2: Those hugs are real. 210 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 5: When you get a hug from people that you share 211 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 5: blood with, that's a different kind of energy you're starting 212 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 5: to exchange, you know. That was a big part of 213 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 5: that feeling, Like I was right at home in a 214 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 5: completely foreign place. 215 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: So then you go to the radio station where your 216 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: grandmother used to sing. 217 00:11:50,360 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Miguel DNA. 218 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 5: When she was much younger before she was with my grandfather, 219 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 5: Her and her sister and their friend, I believe, sang on. 220 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:08,839 Speaker 2: They were like a trio on the radio. 221 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: Wait what so you got a chance to sing inside 222 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: the very radio station in Mexico that your grandmother used 223 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: to sing in. Oh my god, I mean that must 224 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: have been incredible. I mean at that moment, did you 225 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: feel like this deep connection to your family? 226 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 2: Yes, my grandmother is the real route. 227 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 5: You start to take a look at the journey and 228 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 5: the sacrifice and all of that, and that just feels 229 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 5: like you are rooted in a much bigger picture and 230 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 5: a bigger story and a bigger thing than yourself. 231 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: I want to take a listen to a Los Banchos 232 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: song that you covered along with your dad and your 233 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 1: brother in a tribute to her. 234 00:12:47,840 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 3: City event side. 235 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,319 Speaker 6: Sea Bloody. 236 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 3: S Chemist. 237 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: You're now about to do a whole album in Spanish. 238 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, Warren Leisure is my latest album. 239 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 5: I've re recorded the majority of the album in Spanish, 240 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 5: and so this will be my very first Spanish release. 241 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,719 Speaker 5: I've included Spanish in my album prior to this one, 242 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 5: which is Wildheart. 243 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 2: This will be my. 244 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 5: Largest effort in being able to tour in Mexico. 245 00:13:46,520 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 6: Essentially Splashes. 246 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 5: That trip made it for me. It turned into a 247 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 5: reason to come back because I was like, Wow, I 248 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 5: have family here, I have roots here. How am I 249 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 5: going to make sure that I'm coming back here to 250 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 5: never forget this, to never forget the full circle and 251 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 5: to always, you know, continue to remain rooted here. 252 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 2: And it was like, Okay, I have. 253 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 5: To record music in Spanish. I have to record more 254 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 5: music in Spanish. And so that's what I did. 255 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 9: Na tell me about your decision to record some of 256 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 9: your songs in Spanish, because that is not easy. 257 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: That's really hard. 258 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: Actually, it's challenging to try to translate lyric and to 259 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: keep it within the theme the song. 260 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 5: The awesome thing was that the songs are better, are 261 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 5: more poetic in Spanish. So the very first single is 262 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 5: a song called Banana Clip. 263 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 6: There's what. 264 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 5: Just and the analogy of the song in English is 265 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 5: essentially saying like you never have to worry, My love 266 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 5: for you will never run out. 267 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 2: I have extended love and protection for you. 268 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 5: That's kind of like the metaphor of the song, but 269 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 5: in Spanish it's more poetic. You know what message is 270 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 5: more poetic. 271 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 2: Singing throw. 272 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 11: Mmmortio, hey yo this battle and look yet no portire 273 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 11: yeah you lisparo. 274 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 4: La baton lettah yeah, slam single. 275 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 2: It's not the fact, it's the same message. Just like 276 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 2: all of this I do for you. 277 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: I gotta say I love. I love watching you and 278 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: hearing you speak Spanish. 279 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 5: It's going to happen more gon tempo practica. But I 280 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 5: have gone Maine, and as I said, that's the goal. Lametta, 281 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 5: Lametta love the. 282 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: Word meta Spanish. 283 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 2: It's such a great wordta. 284 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 7: Too proper for the black kids, too black for the Mexicans, 285 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 7: too square to be a hood. 286 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 6: What's normal anyway to. 287 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: Being Mexican and being black is really a challenge in 288 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: this country. You have a huge platform, right, so what 289 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: you say and how you say it about all of 290 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: this stuff, I hate that. 291 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 6: I know that. 292 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 2: That's so uncool for knowing that, but yeah, that's right. 293 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: But it is a platform that you created, right. It 294 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: is your heart, your life, your work, your vision, your face. 295 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: Do you feel this particular pressure, dude? I am black, 296 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: and I am Mexican in this particular moment, and I'm 297 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: an artist. 298 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 5: I feel an opportunity. By chance, I happen to be 299 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 5: both and I can identify with both. So it's beautiful 300 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 5: and I think that's why I do think it's important 301 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 5: that I do take moments to acknowledge and to hopefully 302 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 5: shed light or even bring my fans with me, to 303 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 5: educate myself on. 304 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 2: What the issues are, the injustices are. 305 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 6: The crowd's life. 306 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 4: So involved in my own life, spend time on my family, 307 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 4: concerned about what I was doing. 308 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 5: My family journey has a lot to do with things 309 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 5: like immigration, you know what I mean, and my grandmother 310 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 5: coming here from Mexico. 311 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 2: I would never be sitting here with you. 312 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 5: I just would have never been able to do any 313 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 5: of this had my grandmother not left Samora, come to 314 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 5: the States, California, Inglewood, raised her family there with my grandfather, 315 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 5: my father meeting my mother in high school in Inglewood, 316 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 5: and here I am. 317 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,400 Speaker 2: It would have never happened without my grandmother being an immigrant. 318 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 12: You know, I never feel like I belong. I want 319 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 12: to feel my God along somewhere. 320 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: And it's been such a pleasure spending. 321 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 2: Some time with you a pleasure's mine. 322 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 5: It's a pleasure to share, you know, a bit of 323 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 5: where I come from and get to talk about the 324 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 5: music that's coming. 325 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 2: You know, I'm excited about it, so thank you. 326 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: I mean, we're very excited. 327 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 12: The crown and that I never feel a gable. I 328 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 12: just want to feel the gable. 329 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: Singer and songwriter Miguel Demente. This episode was produced by 330 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: Janie Jamoca. It was edited by Sophia Palisaka, and it 331 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: was mixed by Stephanie Lebou. The Latino USA team includes 332 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: Andrea Lopez, Brussavo, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Victoria Strada and 333 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: Rinaldo Leanos Junior, with help from RODIMR. Marquez. Our senior 334 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: engineer is Julia Caruso. Our marketing manager is Luis Luna. 335 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,199 Speaker 1: Our theme music was composed by Saner Renos and your 336 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: host and executive producer Maria no Kosa. Join us again 337 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 1: on our next episode. Remember you can always find us 338 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: on social media and. 339 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 3: Chao. 340 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 8: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Annie 341 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 8: Casey Foundation. Creates a brighter future for the nation's children 342 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 8: by strengthening families, building greater economic opportunity and transforming communities. 343 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 8: California Endowment building a strong state by improving the health 344 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 8: of all Californians. And the Heising Simons Foundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity, 345 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 8: and possibilities. More at hsfoundation dot org. 346 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: Mexicans love Michael Jackson. 347 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 2: I mean everyone loved Michael j Everyone loved Michael Jackson.