Ines ❤️ Radio Ambulante

In this episode of Pod, Actually,  Catherine talks with Ines, a writer and translator living in Lima, Peru, about her favorite podcast: Radio Ambulante. Ines describes the show as something like This American Life for a Spanish-speaking Latin American audience: a beautifully produced program that tells stories from across the region with intelligence, nuance, and care. She talks about discovering the show through her admiration for writer Daniel Alarcón, and explains why its regional outlook matters so much to her.

🎙 Ines's Top 5 Podcasts:

1. Radio Ambulante

2. The Viall Files

3) The Slowdown

4) Normal Gossip

5) Dying for Sex

🔗 Links

• Read Ines' newsletter on Substack: The Cranky Guide
• Find Ines on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ines.bellina/
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hello, I'm Catherine and welcome to Pod Actually, a podcast about people's favorite podcasts. On today's program, I'm speaking with Inez. Inez lives in Lima, Peru and describes herself as a writer, translator, and bon vivant. Let's jump in. Inez, what is your favorite podcast?

SPEAKER_00 0:27

So my favorite podcast is Radio Ambulante. It is a Spanish language podcast, although I believe some episodes are translated into English, and they have a pretty robust section of their website that helps Spanish speakers discover podcasts that might help them with language fluency. But it is a Spanish language podcast produced in the United States, however. So it has a very regional outlook. It includes stories from all over the Americas. And the way I describe it to a listener in the US is that it's like this American life, but for a Latino Spanish-speaking audience.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

And how did you discover the show?

SPEAKER_00 1:21

I actually think it was through This American Life. I might be wrong in this. You might want to fact check it. But my understanding is that it first began as an NPR podcast. And so there was, you know, a lot of advertisements probably happening in this American Life about this new Spanish language podcast. But I think what really drew me to it was that the main producer and host is a wonderful writer named Daniel Alarcón, who is a Peruvian American writer. So I had read his work previously, and I had no idea that he had made this pivot to the podcasting world. But I figured if this man can write a hell of a book, I'm sure this will be great. So that's that was, I want to say, like that was the main draw. You know, it's like I really like this writer. It's so strange to see a Peruvian do not do anything, but like get any sort of recognition. So he's one of the few, you know, recognized authors in the States from my country and just decided to dive in.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

And is he still the host?

SPEAKER_00 2:38

He is. I mean, he's definitely one of the executive producers. But because Radio Ambulante focuses on a different story every episode, sometimes the episode is narrated by other producers, by other writers, by special guests. You might only hear his voice at the beginning, you know, and then on the outro at the end. But for the most part, like his presence is still pretty felt. In the same way that Ira Glass's presence is felt in all of this American life, even if the stories are focused on other people.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

So you think of it still very much as related to him in terms of its tone, the context of the program, your interest in the program?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

I don't know if um like I wouldn't say he's the main reason that I listen to it now. Like he was to draw, but I think my understanding is that, you know, it's it's like a pretty collaborative team. His wife, Carolina Guerrero, who is a Colombian journalist, is also heavily involved, although she never talks on the podcast, so I don't want to discredit any, you know, any collaboration or big hand that she might have in the project. But what I will say though is that Radio Ambulante has, I think, a very distinct sensibility when it comes to storytelling that maybe I relate to a lot of Latin American and Latino authors, you know. The fact that it has kind of like this regional vision. It's like totally normal, I think, in Latin America to be open to listening to a story about, say, Costa Rica, even if you're from Argentina, or like, oh, I'm really interested in this whatever Mexican journalist, even though I live in Ecuador. One of the things that frustrates me about the podcast scene in the States is that and the publishing industry in the States is that I think they really infantilize the audience. Like, there's this belief that if it is not from the US or about the US, there will be zero interest, which is nuts to me because the US itself is so culturally diverse, right, to begin with. You're already exposed to people from all over the world. And especially with podcasting, it tends to target, you know, audiences that for the most part seem to be a little nerdy, probably travel a lot. Like I don't know where this idea that Americans only care about Americans began and why it's still a fixture in such a globalized economy as we are now. So I think with Radio Ambulante kind of pushes against all that, you know, they're not afraid to share stories, niche ideas, politics, and so on about different countries in the region with um, and kind of with the idea, you know, that it's like we are a very diverse region, very multicultural. We're even multilingual, right? Not all Latinos speak Spanish or only Spanish, but there is this idea of just like we are kind of like together, you know, we have this like shared fate or destiny because of our shared past, and we'll find connections through that.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

I got the impression also that you felt there was something about the style of storytelling that was particular to this program.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Yeah, I think it's extremely well written. Um, like they are not afraid to yeah, how can I say this? You know, they're not afraid to play around with different tones. Some episodes are funny, others are infuriating, others are sad, even though obviously everything is written for the ear, and that has its own challenges. I also think it's a podcast that really cares to tell the story well. I think there's like a thoughtfulness to the language that is really important. And again, because I think they have this regional landscape to deal with, they are so good about breaking down in clear and concise ways, maybe like historical events or concepts that we don't know because we're not from that country. But I mean, it sounds so silly to say, but I just think it's like a mature podcast. I think like right now, especially when we're being like swamped with a lot of these kind of interview style podcasts, you know, that are just like blabber blabber blabber. And I mean, I love some of those, but in this case, I really do think they take care with words. Like they want to make sure they get the precise terms. They want to make sure that everything that is being said is in service to the story.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

And how long is each episode usually?

SPEAKER_00 7:33

It's about like 40 minutes, roughly 35 to 40 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

So tightly edited.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

And how often does the show drop?

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Once a week. I mean, they take breaks between seasons, but when they're like in the season, it's usually once a week.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

Okay. And so is this a show that you listen to as soon as it drops?

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Usually. I will say sometimes I just get sidetracked because I also have a tendency to listen to a lot of reality TV podcasts, and sometimes those are the first I'll turn to in the morning. But for the most part, it's a show that I will definitely keep tabs on in the sense that I never want to get too many episodes. You know, I never want to ignore too many episodes. Like maybe I'll wait a week or two and then binge a hole like on a Sunday walk. And this is good. It requires more of my attention than like a podcast about a reality TV recap does. I like to languish in it. So there is so sometimes this is like a Sunday thing where it's like I have downtime, I'm taking a walk, I can really just lose myself in the story.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

So you tend to listen when you're walking. Where else might you be?

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Usually it's either walking or the beach. I will say I'm currently living with my parents, which means that uh this is going to sound so obnoxious, but like I rarely do chores anymore. Like, but when I lived on my own, yeah, I know. When I lived on my own, though, like every time I would cook, clean, or anything, that was a lot of my podcasting listening time. And I mean, you know, just thinking back, I actually loved listening to Radio Ambulante while cooking because I think it's a similar experience for me, you know, where I really want to take my time with both things. I want all my senses to be aware of what's happening, you know, and just kind of really lose myself both in a recipe and in the story. So it's yeah, now that I'm thinking about it, it's just like, man, I really miss that. I used to have a ritual of like listening to like Radio Ambulante on Sundays and make something massive, and it would just be like hours and hours, you know. So maybe when I live on my own again, that will that will happen.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

So are you listening to fewer podcasts now that you're staying with your parent?

SPEAKER_00 10:01

I don't know if it's fewer, but I feel like my time is short. I actually keep adding more and more podcasts, but I've noticed that in order for me to really listen to them, I need to make sure I take my daily walks. Like daily walks are now very important, not only for my health, but for like my podcasting habits. And I listen, and you know what I do now that I didn't used to before? I now do a lot of like podcasts in the shower. I bought, you know, those like little protectors you use when you want to take pictures undersea or something like that. Okay, I only use those for bringing my phone to the shower so I can listen to podcasts. Because that's also the only time in the day now that I have where my parents aren't talking to me. I love my parents, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

I swear. Do you ever talk to them about any of the podcasts that you're listening to?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

You know, it's interesting. The other day I had to explain to my dad what a podcast was because he only understood it as a YouTube form. Like he watches sports podcasts on YouTube, but he didn't realize that that was a podcast. He just thought it was a YouTube show. And I send my mom sometimes like uh podcast episodes of things I think she'll find interesting. You know, like she is a huge fan of this comedian, uh, this Indian uh comedian who lives in the States, Zarna. I forgot her last name.

SPEAKER_01 11:35

Dog, I think.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Sarna Gog.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Sarnagar. And uh she was on Amy Polar's podcast a few months ago, so I sent her that episode. But they are definitely of that generation that like missed a podcast revolution. It doesn't occur to them to like find podcasts, you know, or listen to it on their own or anything like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

What about other people? Do you tend to talk about any of the shows with other people?

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Yeah, so I have a very active group chat with three of my friends from Chicago, and we tend to like similar reality TV, but I am the only one that listens to the Vial Files, which is hosted by former bachelor star Nick Vial. And the whole it's an interview show slash reality TV recap show. I actually do not wait, let me choose my words carefully. I don't particularly like Nick Vial as a person. I think he's a little problematic, but he is an excellent interviewer, and he gets all the big reality stars on his show, and they just spail their guts whenever they're there. So I'm kind of like the designated Nick Vial reporter for my group chat because I'm the only one that listens to that podcast. But they'll ask me, like, oh, I heard so-and-so was on the show. What did they say? Or it's just like, Inez, do you know why Lala and Shayna from Vanderpump are no longer friends? And I will know, and it's all because of this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

That's so funny. Yeah. And do your friends not listen because they also find the host slightly problematic, or is it just that you've been known to listen to this show, and so they're just like, yeah, you report back?

SPEAKER_00 13:33

I think it's more the latter. And I also think, I mean, all my friends my age listen to podcasts, but I think we all get into habits. Like, I have a friend who is really into women's health podcasts, and she's kind of my reporter for that. But like, you couldn't get me to download any podcast about women's health. Like, it's just not something I particularly want to listen to, even though I I need that information and I enjoy getting that information from my friend, but I'm just like, I'm not listening to like 40 minutes of this, you know. So I I think it's just we develop different loyalties and different habits, and then we just kind of like share the info along.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

So getting back to your designated podcast, which I would like you to say so that I don't murder it with my accent.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Oh, Radio Ambulante.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

If it went off air tomorrow, how quickly would you notice?

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Oh, it might take me 24 hours just because that's that's when my podcast app updates. But I would notice it right away, and I would I would miss it uh with like all the funding that's being cut. There is a part of me that's afraid for its existence. And it would represent such a big loss because to be honest, not only is it so enjoyable, but I almost feel like I I get an understanding of what's happening in Latin America through them. But it's kind of like this unifying thing where I kind of know what major stuff is happening in the region thanks to them, even though they're not necessarily a news podcast, but they like pick up on the big tendencies, you know. They they're very good at weaving together this regional story within the specific.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Final question. Uh do you think liking this podcast says something about you? And if so, what is that?

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Oh, I think it probably does. I might have to think you know what I think it says about me? I think it said something more about me when I lived in the States, I'll be honest. But I think when I lived in the States, it was one way of signaling that I still care deeply about where I'm from. But I'm also kind of a nerdy intellectual about it. I don't want to come off as pompous or anything, but sometimes when it comes to Latino media for the US, they not always, I think it's gotten better, you know, but they kind of tend to flatten all the differences. They also tend to go for a lot of the stereotypes, right? It's just like, let's make another show about loud, big families and how we all dance salsa and like, you know, and like spicy food. And I'm I'm not saying there isn't some of that that's true. I come from a big, loud family. I love spicy food. I'm a terrible dancer, but my cousins are great, you know. But I think Radio Ambulante to me was a way of saying we have a rich intellectual history and a tradition of investigative reporting that often isn't shown in the US. And this was my way of signaling that, you know, that I am as invested in the cultural development of my region and that I take it seriously in the same way that I might be in the cultural development of New York, you know, or the US as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

And would you say that it also is an identity that you're happy to be aligned with a more complex notion of what it means to come from that region?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

100%. Yeah. I think the more we complicate our identities, the better it is. I think one of the one of the things that I'm that I fight back a lot against, and especially in the US, is again this idea of almost just like Latinos kind of being always delayed or flattened or stereotypical or just I don't know if to even call it superficial, but it's almost like there's large swaths of the states, or at least it seems that truly don't take our intellect seriously. You know, it's like we're good for laughter, we're good for cleaning. I think are we talking about racism? Yeah, I know. Have you heard of racism? Let me explain that to you. Pretty much, you know. And I don't know. There's so much knowledge production that goes on in this region, and we need locals to do it. We need people who are deeply enmeshed in these cultures to do it, and not just like send some like dude named Brad to just spend 24 hours in Caracas and try to explain the Venezuela situation to us. Like that just doesn't fly.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

So Inez, thank you so much for talking with me today.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

And that's the show. Podactually is produced and hosted by me, Catherine Harris. If you like the program, please tell a friend. And you can also support us over at Patreon at Pod Actually or on Substaff. Thanks for listening. See you soon.