21 Days of Musica Latina: Chile

Editor's Note: To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month this year, World Cafe is going on a musical tour of Latin America. Every weekday from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we'll spotlight the music of a different Latin American country with a curated playlist of essential tracks, fresh voices and wild cards.

Traditional Andean instrumentation is the star of today's mix for 21 Days of Musica Latina. The unique sounds of the charango, trutruca, sikú and more are present in the work of these Chilean artists.

There's folklorist and ethnomusicologist Violeta Parra, who pioneered the nueva canción chilena revival in the '60s. In that same vein, there's the hugely influential folk rock band Los Jaivas, who helped Chilean folk music gain an even larger audience.

The mix also includes another turning point in Chilean music with the bands like Los Prisioneros, who helped kickstart the rock en español wave in Latin America in the '80s. Their 1990 single "Tren Al Sur" was such a huge hit that its music video was even nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.

There's also a bevy of contemporary pop musicians that have come out of Chile, like Mon Laferte, Francisca Valenzuela and Dulce y Agraz. Álex Anwandter, who produced Julieta Venegas' latest album, released a sultry, '80s-inspired synth pop project called El diablo en el cuerpo this year.

Enjoy, and make sure you come back tomorrow to find out where World Cafe's headed next.

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