Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to Today's Top Tune

Today's Top Tune

Y La Bamba: Libre

One way to expand a musical palette is for artists to explore their own identity. In the case of Y La Bamba, frontwoman Luz Elena Mendoza explores her Mexican identity by looking back on echoes of childhood summers playing with her cousins in the orchards of the San Joaquin Valley.

  • rss
  • Share
By Ariana Morgenstern • Sep 8, 2016 • 1 min read

One way to expand a musical palette is for artists to explore their own identity. In the case of Y La Bamba, frontwoman Luz Elena Mendoza explores her Mexican identity by looking back on echoes of childhood summers spent playing with her cousins in the orchards around the San Joaquin Valley as they soaked up melodies and stories told through traditional folk songs. "Libre" is a happy song sung both in Spanish and English.

Photo: Christal Angélique

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Ariana Morgenstern

    Executive Producer, Music Department & Today's Top Tune

    Hand-Picked Music Best New Music
Back to Today's Top Tune