We share an interview conducted by Cristina Baccin with Grammy nominee, Magos Herrera, and composer Paola Prestini about their just released album “Con Alma” An operatic tableau on  isolation (National Sawdust Tracks) which explores isolation and connection during this global confinement.

Singer-songwriter, producer and educator, Magos Herrera is well known for her vocal improvisation and her singular style, which embraces contemporary jazz with Latin American rhythms. She sings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, in a style that surpasses language boundaries. She is noted for defending women’s causes and gender equality. Born in Mexico City and currently based out of New York City, Magos Herrera is an advisor for the Mexican Government Cultural Diplomatic Counsel. 

Paola Prestini is a composer of classical music. In 2011, she was named one of the Top 100 young Composers in the World by National Public Radio. Her compositions have been commissioned and performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music,  Cannes Film Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Opera, among others. She is also an  activist: the co-founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn based arts institution and incubator, National Sawdust, and as part of her commitment to the next generation and equity, she started the Hildegard Competition for emerging female, trans, and non-binary composers and the Blueprint Fellowship for emerging composers with The Juilliard School. 

Songs featured during the show Sol Rojo, Fratres, Creación de las Aves

Originally aired on KUNM (January 16, 2021)