“First Stream Latin” is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Banda MS, “Que Maldición” feat. Snoop Dogg (Lizos Music)
Banda MS and Snoop Dogg’s new song “Que Maldición” is the collaboration we’ve been waiting for, ever since the West Coast icon posted a Banda MS song on his Instagram back in 2016. The historical collaboration between these two powerhouses in their respective genres celebrates the union of two cultures. The melancholic song organically fuses banda with hip-hop, an unorthodox combination that works for the pair. The Banda MS/Snoop collaboration was proposed by Sergio Lizárraga, founder of Banda MS, who sent the song to Snoop’s team and “they loved it,” Lizárraga says. “They said, ‘Don’t change anything and we’ll work our magic.’ In less than a month, his team sent the song back with his part recorded, and the end result is excellent.” “Que Maldición” was penned by Pavel Ocampo, Calvin Broadus and Omar Tarazón. — GRISELDA FLORES
Paloma Mami, “Goteo” (Sony Music Entertainment)
Paloma Mami presents her new single “Goteo” with empowering lyrics about a woman’s drip. “Hair and nails on fleek/ Toda natural desde que nací,” the Chilean-American singer expresses in the bilingual bop. Fusing her soulful R&B vocals, urban rhythms and futuristic sounds, “Goteo” was produced by Spanish producer El Guincho, adding a hint of Rosalia influences on the track. “As soon as I heard Guincho play the track with it having a sound that reminded me of water dripping, I knew it was meant to be for the concept of ‘Goteo,’” Paloma said. In the video-game-inspired clip, created by Argentine production company The Movement, Paloma channels her inner-street fighter, beating out a WWE wrestler and martial artists, further proving that women are unstoppable. — JESSICA ROIZ
Fonseca, “Lo Que Ayer Era Normal” (Handy Music LLC/ AWAL Recordings America)
There have been many quarantine song, but Fonseca, a specialist in melancholy, knows how to drive the point home better than most, with a message that’s beautiful but never overbearing. With lines like “I never had this urgent need for you to know how important it is to have you,” set only over a piano accompaniment, he’s able to articulate what so many of us are going through. — LEILA COBO
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra – “(Sukiyaki) Ue O Muite Aruku” feat. Los Auténticos Decadentes, iLe, Ismael Cancel, Emicida & Angelo Moore (Nacional Records)
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra makes a curious foray into American ground in its new collaborative at-home session with the Japanese 60’s classic “Ue O Muite Aruku“ (I Look Up as I Walk). Teeming with an array of instruments, the jazzed-up tune features the alluring samba poetry of Sao Paulo rapper Leandro Roque de Oliveira, known by the stage name Emicida; the musical wit of California’s Angelo Moore, lead singer and saxophonist of Fishbone; the jauntiness and zeal of Buenos Aires ska band Auténticos Decadentes; the soft sounds of Puerto Rican star iLe; and the Caribbean flavor of Ismael Cancel on congas. With an almost measured harmonic vocabulary, the 22 musicians close singing Japanese in unison. — PAMELA BUSTIOS
Lenin Ramírez, En Vivo Desde Mi Ranchito (DEL Records)
Lenin Ramírez’s new album is a compilation of songs that were all recorded live from his rancho in his native Sinaloa, México, where he invited multiple regional Mexican artists to record with him. With no intention of putting out an album, Ramírez started recording the songs in 2019 and would gradually upload videos to YouTube. Given the popularity of the clips — some with more than 70 million views — he decided to release the 12-set banda album that includes corridos to songs about heartbreak. The collection includes collaborations with Grupo Firme, El Komander and Los De La 9. “To be able to record this album live from my ranchito was a beautiful experience because I have the honor of collaborating with well-known artists and up-and-comers that I wanted to give a chance to make it a very well-rounded album,” Ramírez said. — GF
Ricardo Arjona, “Hongos” (Metamorfosis Enterprises, Inc./Sony Music Latin)
After coexisting with London’s artistic scene, Ricardo Arjona returns with “Hongos,” an honest hymn that reflects his truest self and authentic artistry. The song was born out of a “trippy, almost magical experience” and recorded at London’s emblematic Abbey Road Studios with a group of Swedish and British musicians for a live-in-studio vibe. “Hongos” fuses vintage and innovative sounds, bringing to life a nostalgic alternative blues. The black-and-white cinematic music video shows the Guatemalan singer-songwriter walking the streets of London, where he got inspired for his next musical project. “Hongos” is the first single from his upcoming two-part album Blanco y Negro. Blanco is set to be released May 29 and Negro in 2021. — JR
Orishas, Beatriz Luengo & Ara Malikian – “Ámame Como Soy Yo” (Chancleta Records)
Orishas has taken Pablo Milanés’ classic “Amame Como Soy” and turned it into an anthem of tolerance with new, autobiographical lyrics (therefore the “yo,” or “I” at the end of the title) that are highly critical of Cuba’s government. That makes the track intriguing, but what makes us listen is the sheer beauty of the arrangements and the collaboration of violinist Ara Malikian providing lines impregnated with nostalgia and Beatriz Luengo (married to Orishas frontman Yotuel Romero) singing the familiar chorus. — LC
Los Ángeles Azules – “La Cumbia del Infinito” feat. Pablo Lescano (Seitrack Universal Music Group)
Los Ángeles Azules drop a revamped version of “La Cumbia del Infinito,” featuring Argentine singer-songwriter and lead singer of Damas Gratis, Pablo Lescano. A blend of Los Ángeles Azules’ distinctive cumbia sonidera and Lescano’s cumbia villera, the track is part of Los Ángeles Azules’ forthcoming album titled “De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo,” a spin-off of their famous phrase “De Iztapalapa Para El Mundo,” that will feature other iconic Argentine artists like Vicentico, Abel Pintos and Américo. “La Cumbia del Infinito” was originally released in 1994 in the group’s Entrega de Amor album. — GF
