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Staff picks 2024: Best listens of the year

MND Staff
By MND Staff
1
A man listens to headphones in a city, to illustrate the best Mexican msuic and podcasts of 2024
From Latin rock to rap to podcasts, here are Mexico News Daily's top audio recommendations from 2024. (Henry Be/Unsplash)

From underground rock to podcasts exploring Mexican history, our team at Mexico News Daily brings you some of our favorite audio storytelling and musical discoveries of 2024. Whether you’re looking for fresh perspectives on Mexico or hunting for your next favorite band, this eclectic mix has something for every listener. For more recommendations, don’t forget to check out our staff’s favorite books, series and movies of the past year.

Podcasts

The rise of the Aztec empire: Ed Barnhart and Lex Fridman

Ed Barnhart wears a wide-brimmed hat and work shirt with forest and Mexican pyramids in the background
Archaeologist Ed Barnhart is known for leading the 1998-2000 Palenque Mapping Project, at the invitation of the Mexican government. (Ed Barnhart)

Ed Barnhart, an archeologist and explorer specializing in ancient civilizations of the Americas, guest stars on the Lex Fridman Podcast. —Tamanna Bembenek, Mexico News Daily co-owner and product manager

The Sounds of Mexico City

Organ-grinders in Mexico City
The melodies of organ grinders are one of Mexico City’s many distinctive sounds. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

While not exactly a podcast, this audio story delivers you from wherever you are to the bustling, boisterous streets of Mexico City. Very innovative! —Peter Davies, chief staff writer

Radiolab’s Border Trilogy

A dark-skinned young woman pushing a child in a stroller leads a group of migrants down a Mexican street, part of a migrant caravan
The trilogy follows the impact of border policies on not just migrants but also border region residents and families of missing people. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)

Though this series first aired in 2018, Radiolab released an updated version last year. In the aftermath of U.S. President Biden’s crackdown on asylum seekers, it’s more relevant than ever. —Rose Egelhoff, senior news editor

Music

The Warning

A woman plays a set of drums labelled "The Warning," to represent one of the best Mexican music or podcasts that MND staff discovered in 2024.
Sisters Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez make up The Warning, founded in Monterrey in 2013. (The Warning)

I recently discovered The Warning, a rock band formed by three sisters from Monterrey. They started playing Metallica covers together when they were little. Now, they have achieved so much success that they fill the Auditorio Nacional. If you are a rock lover I highly recommend this super girl band! —María Ruiz, assistant editor

Peso Pluma

Peso Pluma "Rubicon" (Video Musical)

Mexican regional musician Peso Pluma’s chart-topping hits have helped bring the genre of corridos tumbados to the ears of listeners around the world. His ties to narco-culture make this artist controversial, especially in his home country — but you’re still likely to hear these earworms playing around town almost anywhere in Mexico. Check out his songs “Rubicon” and “Nueva Vida” for an irresistible introduction to modern-day corridos. —Tamanna Bembenek, Mexico News Daily co-owner and product manager

Kittyponeo by Bellakath

The cover of the music album Kittyponeo by Bellakath, showing a dark-haired woman in a pink bikini and dramatic makeup
Katherinne Huerta, known professionally as Bellakath, hails from the Iztacalco borough of Mexico City. (Bellakath)

Mexico City’s alternative reggaetonera Bellakath first went viral in 2022 with her hit single “Gatita.” Her first studio album, “Kittyponeo,” came out in 2023 and the top song, “Reggaeton Champagne,” continued to chart globally into early 2024. —Felicity Bradstock, news writer

KEVIN PÓRTATE BIEN by Robot95

Kevin Gutiérrez, aka Robot95 (Robot95)

Mexicali rapper Kevin Gutiérrez, aka Robot95, has won fans over with R&B-influenced “smooth, West Coast hip hop,” according to Remezcla. His most recent album, “Kevin pórtate bien” (“Kevin, behave yourself”) came out in 2024. —Bethany Platanella, features writer

Mexico News Daily

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