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<v Speaker 1>This is Latino USA, the radio journal of News and

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<v Speaker 1>Culture Latino US. Latin Latino USA. I'm Maria Inojosa. We

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<v Speaker 1>bring you stories that are underreported but that mattered to you,

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<v Speaker 1>overlooked by the wrest of the media, and while the

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<v Speaker 1>country is struggling to deal with these, we listen to

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<v Speaker 1>the stories of black and Latino Studio United Latino Front,

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<v Speaker 1>a cultural renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Maria Inojosa, Cepaso, Latino USA. Listener on show the

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<v Speaker 1>ros Achivos.

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<v Speaker 2>You know do liquados No, I would do liquado's. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm the best.

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<v Speaker 1>What would she put in?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, bananas, bananas, milk, bananas?

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<v Speaker 1>You should put an egg in it?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, she.

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<v Speaker 2>Raw egg.

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<v Speaker 1>From Fudu Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria

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<v Speaker 1>Rosa and today a portrait of Miguel. His name is

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<v Speaker 1>actually Miguel Pimentel and you know him as a Grammy

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<v Speaker 1>Award winning artist from la He's the son of an

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<v Speaker 1>African American mother and an immigrant father. Born in Samora,

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<v Speaker 1>mitrok Gan in Mexico, Miguel rose to prominence as an

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<v Speaker 1>R and B singer, and he's often been compared to

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<v Speaker 1>Prince for his eclectic sound, which draws from a wide

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<v Speaker 1>range of musical currents.

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<v Speaker 4>Tell how strange, says wee last kid.

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<v Speaker 1>Miguel is getting more and more acclaim and at the

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<v Speaker 1>same time, he's increasingly embracing his Latino roots. Last year,

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<v Speaker 1>the hit movie Goco featured a version of the song

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<v Speaker 1>remember Me, which Miguel sang with Mexican pop singer Natalia

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<v Speaker 1>la Furgade. Miguel performed the song earlier this year at

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<v Speaker 1>the Oscars. This year, he'll be releasing a deluxe version

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<v Speaker 1>of his album War and Leisure, which will include some

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<v Speaker 1>of his songs in Spanish. The project was inspired by

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<v Speaker 1>a recent trip to samoramitra, Gan, which is the town

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<v Speaker 1>where Miguel's dad was born, and there for the first time,

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<v Speaker 1>Miguel finally met his family in Mexico. Miguel joins me

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<v Speaker 1>now to talk about his life changing trip to Mexico

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<v Speaker 1>and how his mixed race upbringing influenced his sound. Miguel,

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<v Speaker 1>it's so great to have you on Latinojos.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a pleasure to be here.

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<v Speaker 1>So tell me about growing up. I mean, everybody knows

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<v Speaker 1>Miguel the Artist. I want to try to understand a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit about how you were growing up, and I've

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<v Speaker 1>been thinking a lot about my own experience. So, like,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, my family was fully Mexican growing up in Chicago,

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<v Speaker 1>but my parents' best friends were African America.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, I mean, that's like a crazy parallel because I

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<v Speaker 5>grew up in a black, a Mexican kind of part

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<v Speaker 5>of sam Pedro, which is a smaller part of Los Angeles.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I'm born in the eighties eighty five. I

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<v Speaker 5>grew up in the nineties. There was a lot of

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<v Speaker 5>racial tension between blacks and Mexicans in Los Angeles in

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<v Speaker 5>the nineties.

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<v Speaker 1>Racial conflict like this between blacks and Latinos. It's ripping

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<v Speaker 1>through southern California.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, my mother was extremely, extremely devout, So on

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<v Speaker 5>the one hand, my mother was very religious. My father

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<v Speaker 5>not my mother obviously, being black, my father Latino Mexican.

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<v Speaker 5>A lot of contrast growing up. But growing up in

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<v Speaker 5>San Pedro, I actually kind of got the past because

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<v Speaker 5>most people in the community knew who I was.

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<v Speaker 1>So who are you living with when you're growing up?

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<v Speaker 5>It's mostly my mother, mostly my mother, my father fought

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<v Speaker 5>as hard as he possibly could to spend as much

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<v Speaker 5>time as he possibly could with my brother and I,

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<v Speaker 5>and he drove out from Englewood over the weekends every

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<v Speaker 5>other weekend to visit us. He picked us up, dropped

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<v Speaker 5>us off. We saw him over the summertime. He's an educator,

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<v Speaker 5>he's a teacher.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that why you know Spanish?

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<v Speaker 5>Well, yeah, because in the summertime, I was with my

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<v Speaker 5>nana and my data. So are my father's parents, Okay,

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<v Speaker 5>and so all of my theos and theos, my uncles

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<v Speaker 5>and my aunts, kids, my cousins. We stayed with my

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<v Speaker 5>grandparents in the summertime while our parents in Inglewood.

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<v Speaker 1>In Inglewood, so y'all were just like family daycare Mexican summertime.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there we go. Oh my god, my favorite, what

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<v Speaker 2>did you summertime?

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<v Speaker 5>Because my father was a teacher, he also was off

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<v Speaker 5>in the summertime, so we spent man summers were the best,

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<v Speaker 5>my dad the best. Some of my most fond memories

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<v Speaker 5>going to the beach, Venice Beach were there all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>And I love the fact that I see a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people of color, a lot of mexicandoles out there

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<v Speaker 1>with the whole family.

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<v Speaker 2>You already know.

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<v Speaker 5>Ye, it was beautiful, I mean still is beautiful energy

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<v Speaker 5>in Venice. But not only that, because sometimes my father

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<v Speaker 5>taught summer school, so a lot of time with my nana,

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<v Speaker 5>lots of MTV, lots of puzzles with my Tata, and

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<v Speaker 5>board games with my grandfather. My tata what board games, man,

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<v Speaker 5>We played Trouble, we played Uno, and he would like,

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<v Speaker 5>he would like sometimes we didn't want to play, but

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<v Speaker 5>by four he would be like, no, we're gonna play.

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<v Speaker 5>Some of my favorite memories man, playing board games and

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<v Speaker 5>doing puzzles with my grandfather.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you start singing like when you were three?

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<v Speaker 5>Oh yeah, no, no, no, I was. I was always singing.

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<v Speaker 5>That was kind of the part of it. It was

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<v Speaker 5>like I was the kid that everyone knew that I

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<v Speaker 5>was gonna do something. I was always singing, dancing, performing

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<v Speaker 5>like at three, like early yeah, early on, like yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>as soon as I could, as soon as I could dance,

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<v Speaker 5>as soon as I could use my legs. It was like,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, singing, dancing, all of these things. Yeah, are

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<v Speaker 5>you kidding?

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<v Speaker 2>At our family parties type.

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<v Speaker 5>Thing, you were just like me, game, yeah, dance. It

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<v Speaker 5>was like, come on, meget They called me Mikey when

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<v Speaker 5>I was younger. You know, I love Michael Jackson growing up,

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<v Speaker 5>so I was, you know, getting my Michael Jackson moves

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<v Speaker 5>in and that was the thing, you know, at family parties,

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<v Speaker 5>family gatherings, That's what I was doing. Put the music on,

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<v Speaker 5>Come on dance, Mikey.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you remember like your first memories of music.

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<v Speaker 5>Early memories with music, I mean being in Los Angeles

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<v Speaker 5>car drives, car rides and music.

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<v Speaker 2>That's where we got it in. I remember my mom

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<v Speaker 2>driving me to school early.

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<v Speaker 5>For some reason, my vivid memories with music and my

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<v Speaker 5>mother come from like fifth grade.

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<v Speaker 1>So what were you listening to when your mom was

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<v Speaker 1>driving you to school?

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<v Speaker 5>Those car rides were like soul music, a lot of

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<v Speaker 5>classic stuff, you know, a lot of Temptations, and then

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<v Speaker 5>all the R and B stuff at the time.

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<v Speaker 2>You know Anita Baker.

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<v Speaker 1>You see, and she was singing and you were too.

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<v Speaker 5>Absolutely car yeah yeah yeah, or she would go what

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<v Speaker 5>what instrument is playing this part?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh? Yeah? And my brother, which was really cool.

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<v Speaker 1>And then when your dad was driving.

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<v Speaker 5>That could be anything. That could be some eighties raps,

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<v Speaker 5>It might be the Fujis. I remember my father was

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<v Speaker 5>playing at the Fuji's tape at the score. That very

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<v Speaker 5>first album to score by the fujis the World They

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<v Speaker 5>ca j.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you remember singing along to any of those songs.

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<v Speaker 2>And the cover that Lauren did of.

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<v Speaker 5>Oh it's early and I and I'm not going.

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<v Speaker 2>To remember song names right now, that's okay. Whoa I

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<v Speaker 2>heard he sang a good song.

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<v Speaker 6>Oh, I heard he had a.

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<v Speaker 1>Style ROBERTA Flack.

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<v Speaker 7>And when I came to see and so I came

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<v Speaker 7>to see him in this and for a while, and

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<v Speaker 7>there he was young a staying to.

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<v Speaker 2>Show me in my pain, killing there we go seeing

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<v Speaker 2>in my.

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<v Speaker 7>Life with as well, Yeah, killing me softly with his song,

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<v Speaker 7>killing me softly.

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<v Speaker 8>With his song.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming up on Latin Usa. My conversation with Miguel continues,

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<v Speaker 1>stay with us, not with this song. Hey we're back.

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<v Speaker 1>And before the break, the singer Miguel painted a picture

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<v Speaker 1>of his childhood growing up in Los Angeles. And now

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to talk about Miguel's first ever visit to Mexico.

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<v Speaker 1>It was part of the Earthwork series for Viceland. How

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<v Speaker 1>does it happen? Like somebody from Vice basically calls you

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<v Speaker 1>up and it's just like, Hey, we're going to like

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<v Speaker 1>invite you and your brother and your dad to take

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<v Speaker 1>a trip to Mexico, all expense daid We're going to

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<v Speaker 1>figure and produce the heck out of it, and you

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<v Speaker 1>just need to show up.

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<v Speaker 6>Man.

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<v Speaker 2>The opportunity was this.

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<v Speaker 5>They were picking artists that they thought were interesting and

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<v Speaker 5>you know, had a perspective to choose a place in

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<v Speaker 5>the world to go. I could have chose anywhere, but

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<v Speaker 5>I was like, I want to go to Shamora, I

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<v Speaker 5>want to go to Metro Khan and and can I

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<v Speaker 5>take my father? And can I go with my brother

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<v Speaker 5>as well? Can I bring them? And they were like, yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>even better. Most people think of me solely as a

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<v Speaker 5>black artist. But there's a reason why my name is Miguet.

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<v Speaker 5>My father's from Mexico and then search for a better life.

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<v Speaker 5>He and his family came to the US before I

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<v Speaker 5>was born, so until now I haven't been able to

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<v Speaker 5>come back.

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<v Speaker 2>And so that was the whole thing.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I wanted to be about family, kind of

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<v Speaker 5>a family discovery and also to learn about, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>where my family's from.

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<v Speaker 1>So what was the thing like when you think back

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<v Speaker 1>on that trip into Meatwa Gun what's the thing that

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<v Speaker 1>you're like that that moment.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, dinner with family, see it such a good one.

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<v Speaker 9>Honestly, having conversations with like my grandparents.

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<v Speaker 2>I've never had that. This helps me appreciate all of

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<v Speaker 2>those moments.

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<v Speaker 1>How many family were there.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean it must have been at least twenty twenty five.

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<v Speaker 1>That so I wondered if you were I wondered if

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<v Speaker 1>you were a little dizzy. It was so much huggy

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<v Speaker 1>and food and laughter and the smile on your face.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it is a great memory.

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<v Speaker 6>No one poke that.

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<v Speaker 2>We see.

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<v Speaker 10>The feeling is the same if we know each other

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<v Speaker 10>are Gon and I only know that because I'm here now.

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<v Speaker 11>Ye.

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<v Speaker 5>That definitely was was an immersive experience.

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<v Speaker 2>Full body, yes, absolutely, full body.

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<v Speaker 5>So this thing everybody hugging on you, yeah, man, And

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<v Speaker 5>and that was actually the best part. Is that energy

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<v Speaker 5>that you kind of share when it is like you

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<v Speaker 5>get to really it's tangible and you get to hug them.

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<v Speaker 2>Those hugs are real.

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<v Speaker 5>When you get a hug from people that you share

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<v Speaker 5>blood with, that's a different kind of energy you're starting

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<v Speaker 5>to exchange, you know. That was a big part of

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<v Speaker 5>that feeling, Like I was right at home in a

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<v Speaker 5>completely foreign place.

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<v Speaker 1>So then you go to the radio station where your

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<v Speaker 1>grandmother used to sing.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, Miguel DNA.

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<v Speaker 5>When she was much younger before she was with my grandfather,

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<v Speaker 5>Her and her sister and their friend, I believe, sang on.

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<v Speaker 2>They were like a trio on the radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Wait what so you got a chance to sing inside

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<v Speaker 1>the very radio station in Mexico that your grandmother used

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<v Speaker 1>to sing in. Oh my god, I mean that must

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<v Speaker 1>have been incredible. I mean at that moment, did you

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<v Speaker 1>feel like this deep connection to your family?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, my grandmother is the real route.

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<v Speaker 5>You start to take a look at the journey and

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<v Speaker 5>the sacrifice and all of that, and that just feels

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<v Speaker 5>like you are rooted in a much bigger picture and

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<v Speaker 5>a bigger story and a bigger thing than yourself.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to take a listen to a Los Banchos

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<v Speaker 1>song that you covered along with your dad and your

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<v Speaker 1>brother in a tribute to her.

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<v Speaker 3>City event side.

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<v Speaker 6>Sea Bloody.

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<v Speaker 3>S Chemist.

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<v Speaker 1>You're now about to do a whole album in Spanish.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So, Warren Leisure is my latest album.

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<v Speaker 5>I've re recorded the majority of the album in Spanish,

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<v Speaker 5>and so this will be my very first Spanish release.

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<v Speaker 5>I've included Spanish in my album prior to this one,

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<v Speaker 5>which is Wildheart.

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<v Speaker 2>This will be my.

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<v Speaker 5>Largest effort in being able to tour in Mexico.

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<v Speaker 6>Essentially Splashes.

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<v Speaker 5>That trip made it for me. It turned into a

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<v Speaker 5>reason to come back because I was like, Wow, I

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<v Speaker 5>have family here, I have roots here. How am I

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<v Speaker 5>going to make sure that I'm coming back here to

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<v Speaker 5>never forget this, to never forget the full circle and

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<v Speaker 5>to always, you know, continue to remain rooted here.

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<v Speaker 2>And it was like, Okay, I have.

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<v Speaker 5>To record music in Spanish. I have to record more

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<v Speaker 5>music in Spanish. And so that's what I did.

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<v Speaker 9>Na tell me about your decision to record some of

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<v Speaker 9>your songs in Spanish, because that is not easy.

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<v Speaker 1>That's really hard.

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<v Speaker 2>Actually, it's challenging to try to translate lyric and to

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<v Speaker 2>keep it within the theme the song.

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<v Speaker 5>The awesome thing was that the songs are better, are

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<v Speaker 5>more poetic in Spanish. So the very first single is

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<v Speaker 5>a song called Banana Clip.

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<v Speaker 6>There's what.

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<v Speaker 5>Just and the analogy of the song in English is

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<v Speaker 5>essentially saying like you never have to worry, My love

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<v Speaker 5>for you will never run out.

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<v Speaker 2>I have extended love and protection for you.

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<v Speaker 5>That's kind of like the metaphor of the song, but

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<v Speaker 5>in Spanish it's more poetic. You know what message is

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<v Speaker 5>more poetic.

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<v Speaker 2>Singing throw.

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<v Speaker 11>Mmmortio, hey yo this battle and look yet no portire

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<v Speaker 11>yeah you lisparo.

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<v Speaker 4>La baton lettah yeah, slam single.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not the fact, it's the same message. Just like

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<v Speaker 2>all of this I do for you.

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<v Speaker 1>I gotta say I love. I love watching you and

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<v Speaker 1>hearing you speak Spanish.

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<v Speaker 5>It's going to happen more gon tempo practica. But I

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<v Speaker 5>have gone Maine, and as I said, that's the goal. Lametta,

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<v Speaker 5>Lametta love the.

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<v Speaker 1>Word meta Spanish.

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<v Speaker 2>It's such a great wordta.

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<v Speaker 7>Too proper for the black kids, too black for the Mexicans,

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<v Speaker 7>too square to be a hood.

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<v Speaker 6>What's normal anyway to.

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<v Speaker 1>Being Mexican and being black is really a challenge in

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<v Speaker 1>this country. You have a huge platform, right, so what

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<v Speaker 1>you say and how you say it about all of

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<v Speaker 1>this stuff, I hate that.

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<v Speaker 6>I know that.

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<v Speaker 2>That's so uncool for knowing that, but yeah, that's right.

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<v Speaker 1>But it is a platform that you created, right. It

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<v Speaker 1>is your heart, your life, your work, your vision, your face.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel this particular pressure, dude? I am black,

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<v Speaker 1>and I am Mexican in this particular moment, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>an artist.

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<v Speaker 5>I feel an opportunity. By chance, I happen to be

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<v Speaker 5>both and I can identify with both. So it's beautiful

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<v Speaker 5>and I think that's why I do think it's important

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<v Speaker 5>that I do take moments to acknowledge and to hopefully

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<v Speaker 5>shed light or even bring my fans with me, to

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<v Speaker 5>educate myself on.

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<v Speaker 2>What the issues are, the injustices are.

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<v Speaker 6>The crowd's life.

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<v Speaker 4>So involved in my own life, spend time on my family,

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<v Speaker 4>concerned about what I was doing.

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<v Speaker 5>My family journey has a lot to do with things

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<v Speaker 5>like immigration, you know what I mean, and my grandmother

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<v Speaker 5>coming here from Mexico.

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<v Speaker 2>I would never be sitting here with you.

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<v Speaker 5>I just would have never been able to do any

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<v Speaker 5>of this had my grandmother not left Samora, come to

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<v Speaker 5>the States, California, Inglewood, raised her family there with my grandfather,

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<v Speaker 5>my father meeting my mother in high school in Inglewood,

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<v Speaker 5>and here I am.

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<v Speaker 2>It would have never happened without my grandmother being an immigrant.

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<v Speaker 12>You know, I never feel like I belong. I want

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<v Speaker 12>to feel my God along somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's been such a pleasure spending.

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<v Speaker 2>Some time with you a pleasure's mine.

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<v Speaker 5>It's a pleasure to share, you know, a bit of

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<v Speaker 5>where I come from and get to talk about the

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<v Speaker 5>music that's coming.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'm excited about it, so thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, we're very excited.

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<v Speaker 12>The crown and that I never feel a gable. I

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<v Speaker 12>just want to feel the gable.

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<v Speaker 1>Singer and songwriter Miguel Demente. This episode was produced by

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<v Speaker 1>Janie Jamoca. It was edited by Sophia Palisaka, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was mixed by Stephanie Lebou. The Latino USA team includes

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<v Speaker 1>Andrea Lopez, Brussavo, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Victoria Strada and

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<v Speaker 1>Rinaldo Leanos Junior, with help from RODIMR. Marquez. Our senior

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<v Speaker 1>engineer is Julia Caruso. Our marketing manager is Luis Luna.

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<v Speaker 1>Our theme music was composed by Saner Renos and your

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<v Speaker 1>host and executive producer Maria no Kosa. Join us again

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<v Speaker 1>on our next episode. Remember you can always find us

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<v Speaker 1>on social media and.

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<v Speaker 3>Chao.

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<v Speaker 8>Latino USA is made possible in part by the Annie

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<v Speaker 8>Casey Foundation. Creates a brighter future for the nation's children

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00:20:22.080 --> 00:20:27.159
<v Speaker 8>by strengthening families, building greater economic opportunity and transforming communities.

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<v Speaker 8>California Endowment building a strong state by improving the health

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<v Speaker 8>of all Californians. And the Heising Simons Foundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity,

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<v Speaker 8>and possibilities. More at hsfoundation dot org.

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<v Speaker 1>Mexicans love Michael Jackson.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean everyone loved Michael j Everyone loved Michael Jackson.