OK. Veracruz All Natural.

Yes.

One of my favorite taco places in town.

Yeah.

And that's kind of saying a lot cause-- That's a lot.

--it's a town of tacos.

I know.

But yeah, that's a bold statement.

It is.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I'm going to probably get a migas with the poblano pepper.

Yeah.

Maybe I also need to get a pastor because-- Oh, yes.

That is the ultimate taco here in my opinion.

It's just so super delicious.

Breakfast of champions.

It is.

Yeah.

What would you like?

You know what?

I'll do what you do.

Cool.

Yeah.

OK. Mm, look at that.

Oh.

That is beautiful.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

That is so good.

Oh my god.

Mm-hmm.

This is Carrie Rodriguez.

She left her classical violin training behind in favor of country inspired fiddling, becoming a prolific singer songwriter in embracing all sides of her diverse heritage.

Performing in both English and Spanish, Carrie describes her personal take on Americana as Amarriagicana, a blending of flavors and sounds that needs no translation.

[AUDIO LOGO] I'm your host Thau, And this is Southern Sounds.

Thank you so much.

[CARRIE RODRIGUEZ & GINA CHAVEZ, "LA ULTIMA VEZ"] (SINGING) You don't like the way I say your name.

Well, I wish I had mine back.

You say I'm the only one to blame, but I know better than that.

You don't like it when I make that sound.

Well, I can't get yours out of my head-- OK, Carrie, please tell us where we.

We are in the historic Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas.

It's been here since 1915.

I have seen so many concerts here, and I've also performed on the stage since I was a little girl actually.

My first memory of being on the stage was wearing a witch costume.

[LAUGHS] I was probably 9 or 10, but I do remember standing on the stage and looking out into the audience and feeling like anything was possible.

This particular setting invites that.

That's the magic of a space like this.

OK.

So this is just myth.

I don't know.

But I have heard that Harry Houdini hung from the ceiling like 100 years ago.

Wow.

I choose to believe that.

[SINGING IN SPANISH] OK.

So you grew up in Austin.

What's it like to grow up in such a remarkable music town?

I probably didn't understand how remarkable it was growing up.

I mean, it's all I knew.

My father, David Rodriguez, was a folk singer songwriter.

Everyone on his side of the family, they all play music.

He was one of six brothers and sisters.

Every single one plays multiple instruments, sings, and my great aunt was a woman named Eva Garza.

Growing up, my grandmother always talked about her sister Eva.

Your great aunt was a famous singer.

She was in Mexican movies.

She had gold records.

You should know, Carrie, where you came from.

[MIGUEL ANGEL VALLADARES REBOLLEDO, "FRIO EL ALMA"] [SINGING IN SPANISH] When I moved to New York, my grandmother sent me a stack of CDs.

She had digitized all of Eva's vinyl.

I will never forget like putting on that first album and weeping.

Just overwhelmed that, that actually was part of me somehow.

There is something about this history and the musical history of my family that makes me want to always do this and share this.

Like, it's like I'm helping to kind of keep these people alive that are no longer here.

Can you tell me about this new project you've been working on.

Laboratorio.

Yes.

So basically, we have a house band that's all based in Austin.

It's like some of our greatest, greatest musicians here.

And we get a different Latino artist to come join us for each show and collaborate with us.

And not only musicians, but also we've had writers and poets, visual artists.

I think for me like the main goal is to share with the world how diverse Latinodad is.

Like how different we can sound and look.

It's like infinite.

Right.

[SINGING IN SPANISH] [CHEERING] So where are we headed?

We are headed to the Dome's.

Domes.

Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] I'm taking you dome.

This is where my mom and her husband, Jim, live.

They're like-- well, you'll see.

They're kind of mud hut looking hobbit house domes.

I have no idea what is happening, but I look forward to it.

You dom't.

So-- I dom't.

[LAUGHTER] You dom't.

Uh-oh, this is going to go on and on and on.

Hello.

Hey, Thau.

How you doing?

Welcome.

Thank you so much.

This is my mom Katy.

Katy-- This is Thau.

Hi.

It's such a pleasure to have you.

Hi, Thau.

Thank you for having us over.

So nice to have you.

Is this a dome?

Yes.

This is amazing.

I can't wait to check it out.

Well, goodie.

Wow.

Thank you for having us.

Welcome dome.

Welcome- [LAUGHTER] Here's Carrie.

That she was my best and favorite model.

There's a duck on the violin and this little cardinal singing in her ear and this painting is called Songbirds.

I always paint Carrie at different ages.

But this is Carrie kind of coming of age, and she's in a jungle, and she doesn't know what's going on.

She's in another world because that's how she is.

She's in that sort of artist's world.

She's dreamy.

This is a family portrait I did for my mother.

That is so my mother.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

She's just so, regal, and my sister-- she's in another world.

Mm-hmm.

She's in a beautiful place, but she's not-- like, I'm all there.

And this was done in like 87.

You can tell it's the 80s because of my whole jumpsuit.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, it is so cute.

I wish I had that now-- yes.

You loved that jumpsuit.

[CARRIE RODRIGUEZ & SUSAN GIBSON, "Z"] How did growing up with all these strong women impact you?

I never thought that I couldn't do something.

[SINGING IN SPANISH] Been breaking it down ever since I was little.

I didn't know that becoming a musician, as a profession, was crazy because it was modeled for me in so many ways.

(SINGING) Not everybody's going to spell your name right, honey.

Might get it wrong on the grand marquee.

You can just sing em a song, hija mia.

Tell country music where to put the z.

We've talked about community.

We've talked about the musicianship on your dad's side of the family, the storytelling of your mother's side.

What connects it all for you?

(SINGING) Not everybody's going to spell your name right, honey.

Might get it wrong on the grand marquee.

It's curiosity-- sort of is a gift I feel like I've been given by both sides of my family.

(SINGING) --put the z.

There's something-- there's like a rootedness that I feel because of them that gives me energy to keep doing what I'm doing.

Mm-hmm.

[CHEERING] [LAUGHTER]