A selection of recent Latin music releases spans Brazilian MPB, Chilean vocal jazz, experimental pop, and a classic Cuban son reissue.
Brazilian Singer-Songwriter’s Intimate MPB Set
An eight-track album from a Brazilian singer-songwriter based in Niterói was released earlier this year. Recorded over three days at Nas Nuvens Studio in Rio de Janeiro and produced by Dadi Carvalho (known for work with Tribalistas, Caetano Veloso, and Marisa Monte), the project features the duet “Deleite” with Gabi Monteiro, a standout from the 2025 edition of The Voice Brasil. The album’s contemplative songs touch on family, resilience, and mature love, aligning with the Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) tradition.
Haroldo Bontempo Live Album and Concert Film
Haroldo Bontempo has issued a live recording captured at Galeria Resistor Studio in Belo Horizonte. Accompanied by a quartet of bass, drums, woodwinds, and his own guitar, Bontempo performs material from his back catalogue. The release is paired with a full concert film, offering a warm, spontaneous document of the contemporary Brazilian artist’s work.
Claudia Acuña Returns to Chilean Roots on “Viento del Sur”
Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña, a fixture of the New York jazz scene for three decades, explores themes of belonging and displacement on her new album “Viento del Sur” (“Wind from the South”). Singing in both Spanish and English, Acuña is backed by a classic jazz trio of piano, bass, and drums, while traditional indigenous instruments including pandero, charango, trutruca, zampoña, and the Chilean accordion add distinctive color.
Fullerton and Quintero’s Transatlantic Folk Fusion
Catskill Mountains residents Liz Fullerton and Ish Quintero have issued a full album that blends Colombian gaitas, Afro-Colombian drums, and West African ngonis and mbiras. The duo’s rich vocal harmonies and varied instrumentation create a cross-continental sound palette.
Louie El Ser’s Debut Blends Latin Rhythms and Dream Pop
San Francisco-based Mexican-Salvadorian producer and multi-instrumentalist Louie El Ser has released his debut album. Across nine tracks, including the opening “chikiBb,” the project fuses Latin rhythms with experimental electronic production and dreamy pop, evoking a half-remembered dreamscape.
Montoya’s “Caribenya” Channels Caribbean Joy
Grammy-nominated Colombian singer Montoya returns with “Caribenya,” the follow-up to her orchestral debut “La Belleza.” The album title merges “Caribbean” and “Enya,” hinting at its blend of regional rhythms and ethereal pop. Montoya describes the project as “the counterpart where I got to be less cerebral and have more fun,” adding that it carries “a sense of joy and collaboration that is very Caribbean.” The lead track features appearances by her son and daughter.
Afro-Cuban All Stars Classic Reissued on World Circuit
As part of World Circuit‘s 40th anniversary, the label has reissued the Afro-Cuban All Stars‘ landmark 1996 album on special edition vinyl. Recorded at Havana’s EGREM Studios during the same sessions that produced the Buena Vista Social Club, the project was led by Juan de Marcos González and featured pianist Rubén González. Produced by label co-founder Nick Gold, the album celebrates the golden age of Cuban music. “It’s not just a celebration of the past, but a way to keep this music alive for new audiences, in the way it was meant to be experienced, warm, vibrant, and full of history,” González said of the reissue.
