Junf, Betto Arcos, and Moni Saldaña join Raul to bring you tunes for your holiday soundtrack. “Tengo Tanto Deseo de Ti” by Emally Villa brings the Señor Discos energy. “La Fiesta de Remedios” by Tepeyac Usto will get you in the cumbia spirit. A

Stellar vocals and moody dance vibes

Dec 13th, 2023 15m 8s

Moni Saldaña is back with Raul and three new tracks! Mexico City’s LATIN MAFIA teams up with Humbe on a huge new hit “Patadas de Ahogado.” Nicole Horts delivers beautiful vocals on “Estrella”. Plus Youyousolo and Canal de Miramontes collab on “

Get to the dancefloor

Dec 6th, 2023 17m 57s

Junf is back with Raul and three new tracks! “No Juice” from Proux brings the Señor Discos energy to the dancefloor. “Erasmo” from Cuarto Seis, a band based in Mexico City, channels indie sounds. And rising artist Typow joins forces with Chusi

Rock neo norteño out of Chihuahua

Nov 29th, 2023 18m 59s

Betto is back with Raul and three new tunes. First up, Los Malagueña put a modern twist on son huasteco in “Flores Negras.” Get swept away by beautiful vocals in “Luna Entre Mis Brazos” by Sabina Miguel. And dance along to rock neo norteño musi

Slick R&B vibes from Mexico City

Nov 15th, 2023 16m 1s

Moni Saldaña is back with three fresh tracks for us: slick R&B vibes kick things off with “Azul” by Noa Sainz. Experience full vibrant color in “Abriendo Los Ojos” by Radio Carretera. And mellow shoegaze in “Más Tiempo” by Policias and Ladrones

Traditional and experimental sounds out of Coyoacán

Nov 8th, 2023 24m 6s

Betto is back from Mexico with 3 tracks all recorded at a legendary studio in Coyoacán, Mexico. The spirit of son cubano and Caribbean music in Mexico intertwine in “Juego” by the late Roberto González and his daughter Julia González Larson. Th

Uplifting dancy tracks and Señor Discos vibes

Nov 1st, 2023 19m 44s

Junf is back with Raul and 3 danceable tracks. Two siblings from Oaxaca bring us Britpop-inspired avant garde sounds in “Bola Ora” by Valgur. A Buñuel-inspired suburban crew from the state of Mexico Unperro Andaluz brings us some relaxing psych

From Tijuana to Monterrey

Oct 25th, 2023 22m 58s

Moni Saldaña is back with two Tijuana-born bands: Vaya Futuro’s heavy rock track “Posesión” channels some angry energy. And Mint Field’s “Nuevo Sol” soothes the soul with dreamy ethereal vibes. Plus Monterrey-based artist Méne weaves his love f

Beautiful rootsy sounds with guest Lila Downs

Oct 18th, 2023 22m 34s

Betto is back with Raul alongside guest curator and legendary singer Lila Downs. From the Costa Chica of Guerrero,we hear a beautiful bolero from sisters Las Hermanas Garcia, “Desesperanza.” Lila introduces us to her collaborators from Michoacá

When you ask for more / I love you so much

Oct 11th, 2023 19m 30s

Junf is back with a crushy track from Baja, “Me Gustas Tanto” by KNYA. Plus two hip-hop influenced songs from Monterrey: genres collide to sultry perfection in “Cuando Me Pides Más'' by Noah Pino Palo. And N4NO (pronounced “nano”) is both a mus

Who’s going to dream of us when we wake up?

Oct 4th, 2023 21m 8s

Moni Saldaña is back with 3 new tracks: a moody electronic ballad “Ahí Estaré” by Urbøi (pronounced “your boy”) is full of teen-style longing and excitement. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete is a longtime Moni favorite –and we hear why – in "Invisib

Road-trip ready beats from Veracruz and Guerrero

Sep 27th, 2023 21m 6s

Betto Arcos is back with tracks from all over Mexico. “Buen Camino” by Laura Murcia celebrates departures, a lost friend, and the Caribbean coastal sounds of Colombia. “Zapatea” from El Monte Adentro is a foot-tapping trip through modern and tr

The perfect soundtrack for escaping reality

Sep 20th, 2023 18m 19s

Junf is back with a ballad, a groove, and Señor Discos vibes for us. Andre Beltrán’s voice and lyrics shine in “Un Adios y Dos Olvidos.” Valeria Jasso brings us a new Yucatan sound in “Noches.” And “Again” from Tyrell and ROMderful is an Englis

Heartbreak, dating woes, and the beaches of Oaxaca

Sep 13th, 2023 19m 9s

Moni Saldaña is back in CDMX with 3 new songs for us: breakup ballad "Atardeció Sin Vos" by El David. Real and raw tales of dating in "Wey" by Luisa Almaguer. And visual artist Macabro.tv’s foray into instrumental music with "Mermejita," callin

A time-unleashing spell

Sep 6th, 2023 24m 58s

Betto Arcos is back with 3 tracks that conjure some epic sounds and feelings: “Darina” by Ricardo Amadeus. “La Vaina” from Mamasonicas. And “Conjuro para desatar el tiempo” by Troker.

Cumbia is the new punk

Aug 30th, 2023 22m 12s

Junf is back with Raul to play 3 new songs for us. Modern cumbia gets an accordion twist in “Fantasma” by Rocko Paez. From the Monterrey scene, Kiddie Gang is not quite a band, not quite a collective. Their dreamy new track is “Vampiro.” And el

Dreamy guitars and flashes of lightning

Aug 23rd, 2023 24m 37s

Betto is back with 3 new tracks for us showcasing traditional folklore sounds in contemporary ways. Ernesto Anaya plays over 30 instruments and brings that flash in “El Relámpago.” Valeria Rojas of the supergroup Los Folkloristas has a new solo

So many shows and future cult artists

Aug 16th, 2023 21m 49s

Moni Saldaña is back with 3 new tracks for Raul: Mexico City psych-rockers Supersilverhaze have a new single “Antropoceno.” Next, Guadalajara-based hip-hop artist Samantha Barrón with “Como Las Aves.” And cult indie producer Sanje goes solo wit

Trailer

Introducing Global Beat Mexico

Aug 16th, 2023 2m 18s

Sit back, recline your seat, and join KCRW’s Raul Campos on a journey through some of the freshest music from México. Three new tracks every week from our curators, Mexico City DJ and music supervisor Junf, director of Festival NRMAL Moni Salda

A family affair and big festival energy

Aug 9th, 2023 24m 18s

This edition is a family affair. Moni Saldaña joins Raul Campos to break down some serious sonic connections featuring Global Beat alumni and KCRW mainstays alike. Grenda’s “Eye For You” is sung in English, fusing downtempo electronics and emo-

New holiday classics for your playlists

Aug 8th, 2023 35m 47s

Betto Arcos gives us the gift of holiday-inspired bangers, straight from Mexico’s emerging alternative scene. Folk and jazz sounds from around the world are reimagined and delivered with passion and punch from artists Amir Moreno, Chalanes del

Mind-melting psychedelia

Aug 7th, 2023 17m 6s

Moni Saldaña is back with Raul Campos, bringing three gems that spotlight the creative flair of women in the Mexican alternative scene. Listen in for chill indie-rock vibes, a fun and funky bedroom pop tune, and some mind-melting psychedelia. A

Gulf Coast action and jazzy luxury

Aug 6th, 2023 22m 20s

NPR’s Betto Arcos returns to the table for another IQ-sharpening session through deep knowledge of Mexico’s regionally specific histories, and the myriad ways music is able to amplify the past and the present… often simultaneously. This episode

Nostalgia rock and sultry sunlit alt

Aug 5th, 2023 19m 20s

Moni Saldaña returns to Global Beat: Mexico with hand-selected tracks that blend the sounds of the past as filtered through the youthful creativity of the future. Dark and sultry tones present themselves only to be immediately contrasted by mom

Daytime disco and a Michoacán migration

Aug 4th, 2023 18m 47s

Junf and Raul (affectionately known as Raulito) are back with a full slate of bangers representing avant-folk, daytime disco, and globe trotting hip-hop collabs. Artists featured include Axel Catalán, Plano (CDMX DJ duo Rodrigo Casarín and Juan