An oral history of Nacional Records, the indie label that has shaped Latin alternative for 20 years

"When Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Tomas Cookman founded Nacional Records 20 years ago, the label immediately established itself as the defining voice of Latin alternative in the U.S. Cookman's inaugural release was the luminous, self-titled solo debut by Andrea Echeverri, lead singer of Colombia's pioneering Rock en Español act Aterciopelados. He followed it up with "Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3," the much anticipated sophomore effort from Latintronica outfit Nortec Collective. (As it turns out, the band never recorded a Vol. 2.)"

"Released in March and July of 2005, respectively, the two albums introduced Nacional as a boutique imprint with a finger on the pulse of the Latin music zeitgeist. But the label's aesthetic was never about a specific sound. What it offered instead was a point of view, one that was visionary and omnivorous. In the years that followed, Nacional shepherded future stars (Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estéreo, ChocQuibTown), invested in beautiful failures (Liquits, She's a Tease) and lured genre legends into its fold."

Nacional Records launched in Los Angeles 20 years ago and quickly became the defining U.S. voice for Latin alternative. Early releases included Andrea Echeverri's luminous solo debut and Nortec Collective's Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3. The label prioritized a visionary, omnivorous point of view rather than a single sound, developing artists such as Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estéreo and ChocQuibTown while signing legends and non-Latin acts. Nacional earned over 100 Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations and co-founded the Latin Alternative Music Conference. When rock-based alternative waned in the 2010s, the label expanded into tango, música Mexicana and urbano, and issued a 51-track double-LP for its 20th anniversary.

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