Anamaria Sayre’s favourite albums of the yr : NPR

As we wrap up our protection of the yr in music, we’re publishing lists of the music cherished finest by particular person members of NPR Music’s crew. For extra, try the total crew’s picks for the 124 finest songs and 50 finest albums of 2024.

Yearly I spend days mulling, relistening to data, looking for the throughline of my private finest albums of the yr. I in the end at all times discover little threads that replicate sweeping cultural breakthroughs: america mainstream found dembow and appreciated it, whereas younger Mexican Individuals discovered neighborhood with accordion. However this yr, I am arising clean.

The music we love constantly says essentially the most about the place we’re as a neighborhood. Each 4 years, it appears, folks on this nation understand that each one Latinos do not assume the identical. A buddy lately commented to me that Latinos spend extra time on the lookout for nationalistic credit score for our most beloved pan-Latin cultural touchstones than anything (“Mi Burrito Sabanero” is Venezuelan, I have been schooled and concede.)

The US-perceptible traits in Latin music, the years of pan-Latin pop’s explosion, have not let the remainder of the world in on this by no means ending battle: to seek out neighborhood in Latinidad and preserve particular person cultural satisfaction inside our respective nations. That’s, till this yr. After years as a neighborhood rallying round our largest names, our most marketable, flashy genres, in 2024 it felt like we may actually simply be who we’re. There is not any neat, bow-tied pattern to elucidate this yr in Latin music as a result of possibly, greater than ever earlier than, Latin music was allowed to be simply music, that occurs to be in Spanish.

Throughout Latin America, individuals are returning residence — Mexicans listening to Mexican music. Chileans to Chilean music, and so forth. We’re discovering solace and help in our residence nations with such unapologetic authenticity it is permitting music of every kind (and quirks) from all locations to achieve recognition and air time on this nation too. There is a magic to re-localization, to loving our similarities, and on the identical time, celebrating and uplifting our variations. I’m proud to be Mexican, Latina, and born and raised alongside a mixture of all of those components of me on this nation.

Proudly native music discovered house to be cherished, cherished and uplifted by the individuals who perceive it finest. As all of us return to loving residence, possibly there we are able to discover the highway map to loving the remainder of the world too.

My prime 10 favourite albums

• Álvaro Diaz, SAYONARA
• Nathy Peluso, GRASA
• Sanje, De Repente Otra Vez
• Amaia Miranda, Mientras vivas brilla
• Ed Maverick, LA NUBE EN EL JARDÍN
• Trueno, EL ÚLTIMO BAILE
• Carin León, Boca Chueca, Vol. 1
• RaiNao, CAPICÚ
• Helado Negro, Phasor
• PJ Sin Suela, Todo Época Tiene Su Encanto