San Diego musician Nicole Hernandez grew up in Tijuana with a Cuban father and a mother from Sinaloa, Mexico. The music she heard growing up, from salsa and reggaeton to hip-hop, now finds its way into her sound. After discovering Nicole through the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, we invited her and her band to perform at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival. After the performance, Nicole joined us in the studio to talk about her debut album, "Layers," writing in English and Spanish, the stories behind songs like "Viste" and "Rina," and how she brought together an all-women band of musicians from around San Diego.
Guest:
- Nicole Hernandez, musician
Nicole's band for the Sun Drenched Sounds live performance:
- Drums: Sarah Brew
- Congas: Sahar Malik
- Bass: Angelica Yumi Pruitt
- Guitar: Athalia Rodriguez
Sources:
- Nicole Hernandez's Tiny Desk Contest submission, "Viste" (2026)
- Nicole Hernandez, "Pa Ya" official music video), from "Layers"
- Daddy Yankee, "Gasolina" (2004)
- Havana D'Primera, "Pasaporte" (2013)
- How Tijuana Went From Stopover to Destination (Frankie Mills, New Lines Magazine, 2026)
- 10 standout San Diego artists from the 2026 NPR Tiny Desk Contest (Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS, 2026)
From KPBS Public Media, The Finest is a podcast about the people, art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Pandora, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have feedback or a story idea? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at thefinest@kpbs.org and let us know what you think.