Puerto Rican Singer-Songwriter iLe Speaks to Strength and Power

As a solo artist, Grammy-winning Puerto Rican singer-songwriter iLe (Ileana Cabra) has explored the rich history of classic Latin American pop music, and she contributed vocals in the popular hip hop band, Calle13, with her brothers. Her new 2022 album, Nacarile sees her mixing boleros and ballads with reggaeton and synth pop for a collection of politically- and socially-conscious art-rock tinged with some psychedelia, whose intent is to sound more like the present, despite looking to the classic styles. There are also some unusual sounds on Nacarile: the eerie and expressive theremin; the all-female Mariachi band Flor de Toloache, and other collaborators like Natalia Lafourcade and Mon Laferte, as well as background vocal arrangements with textures that are lush and airy.

The material takes on the elections in Puerto Rico as well as in the  U.S., as well as that colonial legacy and its abuse of power. Also, there is a focus on the strength and power in femininity, especially in response to the patriarchy. The pioneering reggaeton star Ivy Queen makes an appearance on a protest song that speaks to the loss of women’s reproductive rights worldwide. In an interview with NPR, iLe says: “Something pretty for me is that we have our own rights, and that we should be treated respectfully and that no one can say anything about what we can or can't do with our own bodies.”

iLe and her band play some of these tunes, in-studio. - Caryn Havlik

Set list: “Donde Nadie Más Respira”, “(Escapándome) De Mí”, “Traguito”