Alt. Latino

Musician Jerry González has cut a swashbuckling path in his over four decades of playing music. He was a double threat on both trumpet and congas who came of age in The Bronx learning to play in the time-honored tradition of wood shedding with albums of his heroes.

Bring on the tequila for this one.

For Brazilian vocalist Liniker Barros, it's almost impossible to avoid politics. As a trans black woman fronting one of Brazil's most compelling soul bands, Liniker E Os Caramelows, she says her mere presence is a statement.

In at least one way, 2016 was like so many other recent years: There was an abundance of great new work released in the world of Latin-alternative music this year.

The end of the year and the holiday season come with many traditions. If you're like us, one of those traditions is compiling a list of music that made an impression during the previous 12 months.

It seems to me that each passing year brings even more exciting music from both new and familiar names. Musicians in every style of the genre we call Latin alternative music are subtly — or not so subtly — challenging expectations and redefining musical rules.

The 59th Annual Grammy nominees were announced Tuesday morning, and while familiar names appeared among the five Latin music categories, there were also some nice surprises.