XOCHI SOLIS

With rest & reverence at its core. With reverence for the ingenuity of musical traditions past & present, I share with you my never-ending amazement at the way melodies, instruments & vocalizations migrate from one part of the world to the other, interlacing into infinite adaptations. Let these unique cultural expressions softly entangle themselves in your mind to create new portals for adventure. As summer approaches, take a pause to listen & indulge in the warmth of the sun—the same sun that warms us all.

An all vinyl mix originally created for Chulita Vinyl Club's Soundcloud June 2021.

These summer nights are too hot and heavy, and goodness knows we have done more than enough sweating. Turn the dial to anti-grind, pour yourself something cold, and enjoy this cool selection of tunes from a special guest adding tracks from his collection. La Moda Juvenil joined me for this all-vinyl mix celebrating Black excellence from both our collections. Together we spin as Agentes Dobles, and we invite you to sit back with the lights down low, gently swaying to the sounds of clinking ice, rocksteady reggae, electro new wave, and those funky disco pops. Remember, soul rebel, rest is resistance.

Agentes Dobles is an all-vinyl cross-cultural DJ project combining the beautiful & strange collections of Mira Mira y La Moda Juvenil.

IMAGE: Eduard Prüssen Illustration. Illustration from a card for a printer. From Graphis Annual 66/67.

Enjoy an excerpt from an all-vinyl live set I recorded at the Austin History Center to celebrate their "Soy Austin, Soy Travis County" exhibition. Hear some of my favorite Tejano artists like Ruben Ramos, Esteban Jordan, Sonny Ace y Los Twisters, Little Joe y La Familia y más. Artists like these could be heard in the dancehalls of Austin or found pressed onto Tejano vinyl labels in heavy rotation on jukeboxes. Put on this mix for a cool breeze of Chicano Soul while enjoying a sweet raspa this summer and take in quintessential Latine excellence.

IMAGE: Angie’s Sno-Cones, owned and operated by Gregoria Astran beside her home on Elkhart and East First St. (present-day East Cesar Chavez St.), 1981. Photograph by David Kennedy, Austin American-Statesman Photographic Morgue (AR.2014.039). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.

Visit https://library.austintexas.gov/ahc or @atxbarrioarchive on IG to learn more about Austin's Latine community.

Enjoy the woozy rhythm of psychedelic sunshine with a fresh mix to celebrate the weird & wonderful gifts of Madre Tierra this new season. These all-vinyl tracks include a kaleidoscopic mix of garage latino, cosmic rock, psych, Chicano soul and a few canciones from the 60s & 70s I scooped up while traveling in Spain. Throw on this mix for a sweet trip and let spring unfold itself to you, amigues.

IMAGE: Cropped illustration from “What the Moon Saw” by Brian Wildsmith

Enjoy a collection of conjuntos y cumbias with the experience of La Frontera from TX to CA at its heart. Stories told through songs about the liminal space between countries and cultures are some of my current favorites. I have had the pleasure of traveling to South California and West Texas and have thought a lot about how hard it must have been for my grandparents to travel here to the US and start over. I have also been in awe of the unique traditions of beauty, humor, and love we created despite the challenges and the sadness of mourning our Homeland. This mix is a celebration of survival and resistance and, of course, the great power of music to transcend hardships and make things better—always better.

IMAGE: A very cool bit of rasquachismo from the RGV, will someone make me some speakers like this?

Enjoy an all-vinyl mix of cumbias, chicha & other tropical rhythms to move you to the dance—whether that be in your kitchen while you get your spring clean on or at an intimate gathering with friends outside under the stars with the scent of mountain laurels in full bloom. This spring has been a beautiful one to watch unfurl and nothing goes better with springtime than a delicious rhythm to keep you looking ahead to sunnier days. Sending all my best wishes to you and yours and hoping you can get outside before the summer heat seizes us all. Be easy, everyone.

IMAGE: "Zoot Suit" cast members dance in the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles. July 30, 1978.

Created especially for Marfa Public Radio's BORDER BEATS & BABES show on MAY 8, 2020

As an invited babe in residence, I put together an hour long a collection of songs that have been my studio soundtrack for an upcoming exhibition at the Galveston Arts Center. The exhibit’s title is ROOTED BY INVISIBLE MEANS and I hope these sounds will ground you—like they have me—in a place of optimistic resiliency.

Thank you to host Gabriela Carballo for inviting me to take over the wheels of steel for an hour of good tunes, good tunes, good tunes.