Remezcla

Iconográfica: A Tribute to Elis Regina, the “Little Pepper” of Brazilian Pop Music

Cristóbal Saez — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 19:29:39 +0000

In the 1960s, the world fell head over heels for the lovechild of jazz and samba: bossa nova. Its buttery smooth sound evoked the beaches of Ipanema in a picturesque image of Brazil. Yet this glamour turned a blind eye of the reality of a looming military dictatorship, as well as the hardships of working-class

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Iconográfica: A Tribute to Jeanette, the Godmother of Sad Girl Ballads

Cristóbal Saez — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:51:50 +0000

During the 1950-60s, yeyé girls dominated the charts in Europe, especially in Spain, France, and Italy. Yeyé girls (coming from the English “yeah, yeah!”) followed the formula of British beat music by re-recording hits into different languages and crossing over to international markets. “It” girls like France Gall recorded singles that sounded naive and innocent,

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Iconográfica: How the World Fell in Love With Astrud Gilberto and “The Girl from Ipanema”

Cristóbal Saez — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 22:45:39 +0000

During the 1960s, the fusion of bossa nova and jazz reached its mainstream peak with the joint album of saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto, aptly named Getz/Gilberto. The record’s primary composer was the prolific songwriter Antônio Carlos Jobim. It is now a must-have record for Latin jazz enthusiasts, but if you haven’t heard it

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Iconográfica: A Tribute to Folk Icon Violeta Parra, the Rebel Heart of Chile

Cristóbal Saez — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 22:29:58 +0000

During the 1950s, mainstream Chilean folk music functioned as a sonic postcard of the country’s valleys, oceans, and deserts. Many popular folk songs, such as “Banderita Tricolor,” boasted about the vastness of the land and the beauty of the copihue (the national flower), while blissfully avoiding social realities. As these tourist-trap-turned-songs thrived, the ancient dance known as cueca and the folklore of the Chilean

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Iconográfica: Pop Princess Daniela Romo, the Guilty Pleasure Who Inspired Javiera Mena

Cristóbal Saez — Thu, 26 May 2016 20:53:21 +0000

When you think of Daniela Romo, the rancheras and cursi romantic ballads your mom listens to might come to mind. But few think of the electropop gems that were part of the release of Romo’s Amor Prohibido and self-titled record. With the help of producer Danilo Vaona, of Raffaella Carrà fame, Romo crafted a batch of pristine, anthemic pop

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Iconográfica: Chavela Vargas, the Queer Matriarch Latin Music Deserves

Cristóbal Saez — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 23:10:57 +0000

There are few genres that exude the passion of Mexican culture more than ranchera. These songs ooze drama, and their interpreters must be able to navigate and emote heartbreak, yearning, and rebirth. No one has done it better than Chavela Vargas, La Chamana of Mexican folklore. Funnily enough, she was born in Costa Rica, but

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Iconográfica: How Selena Went From Pop Star to Patron Saint

Cristóbal Saez — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 15:38:46 +0000

Every few decades, there are women who are so influential, they become mythical, even posthumously: almost a santa. A good example of this is former Argentine First Lady Evita Perón, who won over the hearts of her people and pervaded international popular culture decades after her death. When she passed away at 33 at the height of her

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Iconográfica: An Homage to Yma Sumac, the Peruvian Queen of Exotica

Cristóbal Saez — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 17:51:39 +0000

Iconográfica is a column that celebrates divas that not only bring it artistically on a regular basis but exude grrrl power in the process. It’s a pop culture investigation of the context, sound and style of independent and powerful Latinas, with original illustrations and animated gifs by Cristóbal Saez. Before “world music” became the genre

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Iconográfica: A Tribute to Elza Soares, the Afro-Brazilian Queen of Samba

Cristóbal Saez — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:33:01 +0000

Ronaldo Bôscoli, one of bossa nova’s most influential songwriters, once referred to Elza Soares as “the strongest woman that Brazil ever produced.” Brazilian music critics have called her “The Phoenix” due to her six-decade career, in spite of the fact that she’s survived violence and discrimination in the form of sex scandals and forced political exiles. But

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Iconográfica: An Homage to Pies Descalzos-Era Shakira

Cristóbal Saez — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:20:18 +0000

Iconográfica is a column that celebrates divas that not only bring it artistically on a regular basis but exude grrrl power in the process. It’s a pop culture investigation of the context, sound, and style of independent and powerful Latinas, with original illustrations and animated gifs by Cristóbal Saez. Back in the day when the

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