Latinos have 'brown-eyed soul': this is how they reap success in R&B music

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1. The theme to highlight: The return of Chicano soul

A new generation of Latino artists is reinterpreting old R&B classics and producing new ones as part of a soul music renaissance, which is all the rage on

services , YouTube and in concert.

Why It Matters

: The music has been dubbed " modern

" and "brown-eyed soul."

Its current popularity is also a sign of the deep historical influence of black culture on Latinos.

More details

: Artists like Thee Sacred Souls, Joey Quiñones & Thee Sinseers, Los Yesterdays and Frankie J (ex-Kumbia Kings) have embraced the old sound to the delight of new fans.

• Trish Toledo, with songs like

  Do You Love

  , or Monica Rocha & Cota

  covering

  Smokey Robinson 's

  You Really Got A Hold On Me

  , have attracted millions of views to their videos.

Background

: "Brown-eyed soul" was a term coined for rock and R&B performed mostly by Mexican-American artists in the 1950s and 1960s, according to scholars.

• He was inspired by jazz, blues, rock, Latin jazz, and even ranchera and norteño music.

Trish Toledo during a concert in Los Angeles in December 2021Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Years had gone

by without the genre having such a presence as it does now, when new artists have attracted huge audiences.

• They are having fans who did not follow the type of music before because what they compose and sing feels very authentic, Professor William Nericcio, from San Diego State University, told Axios Latino.

• "People are moved by these sentimental classics by black artists, especially Latinos, because they love love in this age of so much hate," Nericcio said.

• Víctor

  Bad Vic

  Benavides, of Los Yesterdays, believes the pandemic helped the older and younger generations reconnect while sharing music like these old-fashioned tunes.

In His Own Words

: Musician Joey Quiñones says he tries to keep the music feeling vintage and authentic with lyrics that mention writing love letters instead of texting them.

• Malik Malo, 30, says he initially started singing modern R&B and switched to souldies on the advice of a manager.

  "The response was incredible," he says.

2. Uncertainty over the exodus of Cubans

The Joe Biden government attributes the significant drop in the number of Cubans and other Latin American and Caribbean nations that have tried to cross the border to its immigration policy.

• However, experts and even administration officials say the measures may not serve as a long-term strategy, especially in the case of Cubans.

Data: Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP);

Graphic: Axios Visuals

Current Situation

: Driven by the worsening economic crisis, deep food and medicine shortages, and tightening regime restrictions, more Cubans attempted to emigrate to the United States last year than ever before, even more than during the Mariel boatlift. in 1980.

• The Biden government responded by resuming visa services at the embassy in Havana in January and offering Cubans the opportunity for a

  parole

  or humanitarian permit.

• With this program, which was expanded in early January after months of operation for Venezuelans, up to 30,000 people from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti can enter the United States each month if they have a sponsor, pay fees, are screened before arrival and meet other criteria.

• Immigrant advocates say that number falls short.

  While conservative critics say that the figure is too high to be classified as a special

  parole

  .

Border authorities

reported encounters with some 91,000 people from these countries who arrived at the border with Mexico in December, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

• In January, when the new policy went into effect, the government said arrivals were down 97%, according to DHS data.

• A DHS official told Axios Latino that, in the first 20 days of the new

  parole

  , more than 1,700 people from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti entered the US on humanitarian parole.

• The Biden Administration assures that this shows that the new policy is already working.

Is it true that the Supreme Court suspended parole for Venezuelans?

Jan 26, 202301:02

But, but, but

: The

policy alone will not be enough in the long term "to deter the arrival of irregular immigrants," analyst Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC, told Axios Latino.

• He explains that there is a perception that the program could be blocked by the courts, since it is being challenged by 20 states governed by Republicans who claim that it creates a visa program without the approval of Congress.

• "This could trigger the decision of Cuban migrants to resort once again to irregular migration channels, especially since economic instability and episodes of political repression in Cuba do not stop," says Ruiz Soto.

Even if the policy is upheld in the courts

, years of warnings from Washington to Cuban immigrants have done little to stop the exodus and attempts to migrate through irregular routes, says Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. .

• "I don't think that anything more can be done for the moment to stop the flow of undocumented Cubans to the United States. We hope that the

  parole

  mechanism can help reduce that flow and channel it through legal means; that will be seen," he said.

To wit

: The

does not automatically disqualify those trying to enter the United States irregularly by sea, a source tells Axios reporter Stef Knight.

• This loophole has raised concerns among officials who fear it will not adequately deter migration by raft or sea, according to the source.

• The Coast Guard has intercepted more than 5,300 Cubans at sea since October, when the current fiscal year began.

  Dozens have died trying to migrate in recent months, including six people last week when their raft capsized.

3. Ecuador decides on amendments

Ecuadorians will vote this Sunday "yes" or "no" to adopt several measures of constitutional reform, including a reduction of the national legislators.

Details

: Center-right President Guillermo Lasso called the referendum late last year, saying the proposals would create better legislative representation and help combat rising crime and environmental problems.

• The referendum has eight questions, including one to allow the extradition of Ecuadorians to other countries if they are accused of organized crime.

• Another question is whether the country should reduce the number of legislators in the National Assembly to around 100, the size of which ranges from 130 to 150 depending on the population of the provinces.

• The referendum - which according to polls is expected to get a "yes" to all questions - also includes a proposal to create a new water protection system.

Guillermo LassoMandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Between the lines

: Lasso has had run-ins with the National Assembly and generally his overall approval rating doesn't exceed 30%.

• Last summer, as students and indigenous groups staged a mass strike to demand better protections against mining on their lands, the Assembly tried to oust Lasso.

  The process did not prosper.

• Experts say Lasso is using the referendum to score a political victory in that context, thereby increasing support for his 2025 re-election campaign.

To be aware

: Voting is mandatory in Ecuador and the results are expected by Monday at the latest.

Voters can choose answers for each question separately.

• Lasso also raised a question about allowing the armed forces to support local police in some regions, but the constitutional court ruled in November that the National Assembly must vote on it first.

• The UN said last week after a visit to the country that the use of the armed forces for civilian security should only be exceptional.

4. Summary of key news in Latin America and the Caribbean

1. El Salvador opened a

on Tuesday, capable of holding up to 40,000 people, as President Nayib Bukele continues his battle against gangs with a policy of mass incarceration.

• The arrests have been under a state of emergency declaration.

  Human Rights Watch says the government is violating due process and has even detained children on unspecified criminal charges or without much evidence.

They present the "largest prison in America" ​​and that it inaugurates in El Salvador

Feb 1, 202302:41

2. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

applied for a tourist visa to stay in the United States for six more months, his lawyer said this week.

• Bolsonaro, who left power on January 1, had first said he would return from Florida to Brazil, where he is under investigation for allegedly inciting a mob that stormed government buildings on January 8.

• Bolsonaro has tried to distance himself from the fact, saying that he always respected the laws.

Pachanga Thursday

Photo courtesy of Hector Mujica.

Background Illustration by Axios Visuals

Today we celebrate Hector Daniel Mujica, of Venezuelan origins who works in the philanthropic arm of Google overseeing programs for the Americas.

He tells us that he recently appeared on the cover of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

• He says he is driven to help others after his own experience of receiving support from other immigrants when he and his family moved to the United States.

Thanks for reading us!

We return on Tuesday.

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