Elia is the most recent project of Seattle-based singer, musician and producer Ignacio Izquierdo. The name comes from Elia Liut, an Italian aviator, who was the first person to fly over Ecuadorian territory. This reflects both Ignacio's home city of Quito and his life of movement. A son of a diplomat, he found himself living in different countries including the United States and Italy. This sense of never being home, and at the same time always being at home, can be a blessing and a curse and is a common theme heard when talking with immigrant musicians. It's often a muse as well. The first two EPs from Elia were made while Ignacio was living in Ecuador and featured lyrics in English. When he moved to the Pacific Northwest, he continued the project, but this time the lyrics came in Spanish, a connection to home, or at least another home. Make sure and check out the exclusive KEXP live set that features Elia performing tracks from the EP Sentir, and watch the extra interview to learn about the music, Ignacio and his unique experience.
South By Southwest is a music lover’s wonderland with a magnificently overwhelming amount of bands and DJs to check out. You'll have the chance to see some of your current interests, old favorites, and maybe most importantly discover brand new sounds. Austin is a multicultural city and SXSW always …
Musical lore has it that Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the iconic South African mbube group, was founded by Joseph Shabalala after having a series of dreams in which he heard their sounds. It goes unmentioned whether or not Joseph dreamt of 50 years of worldwide success as perhaps the most well-known cu…
“This a coming of age story starting after the death of my mother and clinging on just life by using sex, drugs to cope and falling in love with music again,” says beloved local musician Grace Love of her upcoming one-woman concert and musical, Sex, Drugs, Rock & Soul.
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mid…
Though there weren't divine circumstances by which HÆLOS formed, the London trio nevertheless seems preordained to make a heavenly sound. While each pursuing careers of their own, Arthur Delaney, Dom Goldsmith and Lotti Benardout turned their casual connections to holy writ as they joined forces to…
One of the cornerstones of Wo'Pop, and what has kept it a unique program is its focus on emerging global music and genres. This focus on the new is important, but you have to have context in order to make sense. Traditional music can be quickly overwhelmed by new ideas and the essence of its origin…
This week in El Sonido, we’ll be talking about Vive Latino, a great music festival that happens every year in Mexico. It’s a wonderful way to see a wide variety of genres from Latin America mixed with artists from all over the world. Plus, it’s an outstanding excuse to visit the historical center a…
