Bay Area duo Los Rakas has been releasing tracks since members and cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun were in their teens. In 2010 they were the darlings of alternative Latin music conference LAMC, and last August they released their “formal” debut, the vibrant EP Chancletas y CamisetasBordada.In this interview for Contraportada, the Panama-raised cousins talked about their musical origins, their endless work flow, and the capacity to move from Plena-infused future bass to romantic R&B.
For more info on Los Rakas and related acts, check the amazing work of Natalia Linares at Conrazón.
José Simián (1975) is a New York-based bilingual writer, producer and reporter. His articles and columns on politics, media and culture have been published by the New York Daily News, Mediaite, The Huffington Post, Sports Illustrated Latino, Billboard en Español, Latina, Qué Pasa, Etiqueta Negra, La Tercera and El Mercurio. He is also the host and producer of Contraportada, a weekly interview segment with Latino artists and intellectuals on 24-hour news cable station NY1 Noticias, and Executive Editor of Manero. Before becoming a writer, José worked as a lawyer (JD Universidad de Chile, 2002; LLM Columbia University, 2005) and taught Jurisprudence and Law and Literature in Chile. He lives in Brooklyn.
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