Summer is over and I’m almost caught up with my podcasts. I just ripped through the entire first season of The Nectar Corridor which, as Susan has also raved, is a tremendous look into mezcal cultures. Host Niki Nakazawa – who is also part owner of NETA mezcal – interviews a variety of the amazing people that make mezcal possible. There are the traditional superstars like Felix Monterrosa and Asis Cortez but also many more of the people who make this such a vibrant culture. The series is doubly fantastic because each episode is delivered in English and the original Spanish so you can pick up on many of the nuances that don’t make it through the language barrier.
A stray mention of Cardenche music in one episode got me looking for tracks and now I’m obsessed with it. It’s an a capella folk tradition from Durango which has a raw presence. There are plenty of tracks on YouTube but there’s also a fantastic album on Spotify by Los Cardencheros de Sapioriz with an interview that illuminates the stories and lived tradition behind the music. Even if you don’t understand Spanish it’s tremendously affecting stuff.
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