
NPR Music Alt.Latino: Venezuelan producer Ella Bric spins songs with a 'teardrop of optimism'
Jan 28, 2026
Ella Bric, Venezuelan trumpet player and Latin Grammy–winning producer based in New York. She spins socially and politically charged Venezuelan songs. Short takes on barrio life, Afro-Venezuelan traditions, neo-joropo revivals, protest anthems, satire and economic crisis. Threads of resilience, humor and a teardrop of optimism run through the selections.
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Rock That Carries Barrio Realities
- Venezuelan rock can blend Afro-Venezuelan rhythms and futuristic sounds to reflect barrio life vividly.
- Ella Bric says La Vida Bohéme's "Hornos de Cal" balances social critique with a teardrop of optimism.
Optimism Woven Into Protest Music
- Venezuelan cultural optimism persists even amid political crisis and informs many protest songs.
- Ella says a "teardrop of optimism" threads social music, reflecting Venezuelan social humor and resilience.
Afro-Venezuelan Roots As Protest
- Betsaida Machado and La Parranda del Clavo foreground Afro-Venezuelan traditions and lived protest in their music.
- Ella describes working with Betsaida and how their song "Sentimiento" confronts violence and insecurity directly.
