Over the past two decades, Natalia Lafourcade has evolved from alt-pop prodigy to one of the most revered voices in Latin American music. With 15 Latin Grammys and 4 Grammys to her name, she’s known for blending contemporary expression with deep cultural roots. Her latest album, Cancionera, is a bold new statement—a stripped-down, emotionally direct record that draws on her Veracruz heritage, the son jarocho tradition, and a mystical alter ego she calls La Cancionera.

In this conversation, Natalia reflects on the power of presence, the value of silence, and her decision to perform much of her new music solo on tour. She talks about the “theater of the song,” where voice and guitar take center stage, and about her ongoing effort to honor tradition while contributing something new.

She also speaks candidly about recording live with 18 musicians, working again with producer Adan Jodorowsky, and bringing this music to audiences around the world at a time of division and border politics. Without preaching, she offers a quiet but powerful vision of connection, compassion, and cultural memory—through song.

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Terri Lyne Carrington has spent her life behind the drums—and out in front. In this wide-ranging conversation, the Grammy-winning musician, educator, and activist reflects on her remarkable journey from child prodigy to visionary bandleader, and from mentee to mentor. She shares stories from her early gigs with jazz legends like Clark Terry and Buddy Rich, her formative years with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, and her ongoing work shaping the next generation through the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice.

We spoke on the occasion of We Insist 2025!, Carrington’s powerful new reimagining of Max Roach’s classic 1960 protest suite. But the conversation goes far beyond the music—it’s about legacy, leadership, gender equity, and the responsibility of artists to help create a more just and expansive world. As Carrington puts it, “Only an open hand receives.”

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www.wbgo.org/podcast/the-third-story

pablopablo - born Pablo Drexler - is a Madrid-based singer, songwriter, and producer. The son of two acclaimed artists, Jorge Drexler and Ana Laan, here he talks about how he found his own voice, sound, and artistic identity.

His debut full-length album, Canciones en mi, is out now. The title is a bilingual play on words—“in E” (as in the musical key), and “in me”—and it perfectly captures the spirit of the record: introspective, expressive, and sonically bold.

Pablo shares the story of growing up in a small town outside Madrid with a big, multilingual worldview. We discuss his early experiments in music and production, his years studying abroad, and his time touring and collaborating with artists like C. Tangana. He opens up about stepping away from the Drexler name—on the advice of his father—to make space for his music to be heard on its own terms.

We dive deep into questions of identity, language, and legacy: Why does he now write exclusively in Spanish? What does it mean to create a sound that feels personal without being confessional? How do you balance the instinct to innovate with the desire to stay grounded?

Along the way, we talk about the emotional clarity that comes with pressure, the power of building a sonic world, and the beauty of embracing simple ideas and making them feel new.

At just 27, Pablo Pablo is already a Latin Grammy-winning artist, having contributed to major collaborations with Jorge Drexler, C. Tangana, and Nathy Peluso. But Canciones en mi is his proper introduction as a solo artist—and it’s a striking one.

This is a conversation about roots and branches, about staying true while branching out, and about what happens when you finally find the music that sounds like you.

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www.leosidran.substack.com