Rephonic
Artwork for Suave
Luis Suave Gonzalez
Astrology
The Never Give Up Tour
Suave Podcast
Incarceration
Juan Ponce De León
Fania Records
Puerto Rico
Juan Gabriel
Freedom
Futuro Media
Statue Vandalism
Cultural Heritage
United States
Prison System
Philadelphia
Suave Gonzalez
New York City
Salsa
Prison Reform

Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting

The U.S is the only country in the world that allows minors to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Approximately 2,500 juveniles have been effectively sentenced to die in prison — considered “irredeemable” by the state for crimes committed when they were just teenagers. One of them was David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes26Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
True CrimeSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Suave

Latest Episodes

The 1960s brings social and political change to the world and to New York City, where a young Johnny Pacheco keeps people dancing with his orchestra and charanga music. The Dominican musician is also going through a divorce and his lawyer, Jerry Masu... more

The Men’s World Cup is coming to our continent – and to this country. So we’re using this huge event to dive deep into what soccer means in the United States with a new podcast called “American Futbol.” We hear from immigrants all across the country ... more

It’s been a time of growth at Futuro – we’ve been breaking news and bringing rigorous in-depth journalism at Latino USA, creating ambitious podcasts at Futuro Studios, and sharing some awesome behind the scenes moments and stories at Futuro+ with our... more

A new podcast from Futuro is coming to you soon!

In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened “the Motown of Salsa,” Fania Records. Artists like Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón,  Celia Cruz and La Lupe made the la... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

Aurora Flores
Puerto Rican journalist and writer who worked with Fania Records
Fania Records
Episode: Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York (hosted by Rosie Perez)
Mary Kent
Author interviewed for Salsa Talks
Author
Episode: Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York (hosted by Rosie Perez)
Jonathan Wilson
Soccer columnist for The Guardian
The Guardian
Episode: The First Time The Men’s World Cup Came to the U.S.A.
Rosie Perez
Host of birth‑of‑salsa project on Futuro/Salsa initiative
Birth of Salsa in Nueva York (Futuro Studios)
Episode: My Futuro is Impactful: Our Projects for 2026
Jorge Andres Olivares
Host of a new show, Hyphenation
KQED Studios
Episode: Patience - Ep. 7
Frank Ross
A lifer who taught Suave how to read and write in prison
Episode: Old Head - Ep. 4
Salim Hallbrook
Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center and former juvenile lifer
Abolitionist Law Center
Episode: Old Head - Ep. 4
Luis 'Suave' Gonzalez
Former juvenile lifer and subject of the Suave podcast
Futuro Media
Episode: Building The Future: A Message From Maria
Luis Suave Gonzalez
Former juvenile lifer who is navigating life post-incarceration
Episode: Introducing - Suave: Season Two

Host

Maria Garcia
Executive Editor / Host with roles across Futuro Studios and Futuro Media noted for investigative reporting and leadership.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 2.1k ratings
  • Maria Mariaaaaa 🙄

    Maria was excruciating to listen to, it went from bad to worse. How unaware of one’s self can one be? Other than that big up Suave ❤️💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Kazwards1
    United States4 months ago
  • Maybe the best podcast ever! Inspirational!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    slatersli@hotmail.com
    4 months ago
  • Good concept but insufferable

    Suave’s story is compelling, and illustrating the effects of the justice system through him is a great idea. But there is WAY too much focus on Maria and her relationship with Suave. Listening to her interact with him is exhausting, not to mention all the airtime dedicated to her talking about how she feels about the relationship. Enough already!! Honestly I should’ve stopped after the first 5 minutes of ep 1. Made it through episode 5 before I realized I didn’t need to do this to myself.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    moosemoodmouse
    United States5 months ago
  • S1 👍👍👍 S2 👍

    Suave’s story is incredible and inspiring. He has such an honest way with words. I could listen to him talk all day. Season 1 is a 10/10 rec.

    But Season 2 left me uncomfortable. Maria was way too needy and the podcast was clearly infringing on his life at this point.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    c123armen
    United States5 months ago
  • More Please

    I love this series so much and I hate that I finished it this is the best podcast I’ve ever heard. We need more episodes!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Monkey36364737
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the immersive storytelling and reporting quality.
Many appreciate the focus on long-term impact and redemption.
Some critique the balance of airtime between hosts and the subject.

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Sword and ScaleSword and Scale
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Patience - Ep. 7
Q: What have you learned about freedom?
It's not all, it's not a bouquet of roses. It's not. A lot of people think that freedom is, you get out and you're free, you shouldn't complain about nothing. I went from one prison to another prison.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Suave

What is Suave about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners are drawn to investigative storytelling that humanizes people impacted by the justice system, with a focus on redemption, incarceration, and life after release. The show pairs rigorous reporting with intimate, character-driven moments, and it's noted for high production quality and a Pulitzer-winning impact. Expect deep dives into systemic issues, the human cost of sentencing policies, and the evolving relationship between journalist and subject. The format may attract listeners who value accountability journalism, personal narratives, and conversations about reform, while occasional critiques suggest audience appetite for balanced airtime among voices involved in the storytelling process.

Where can I find podcast stats for Suave?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Suave. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Suave and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Suave get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Suave, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Suave?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Suave, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Suave have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Suave has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Suave?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Suave:

1. Criminal
2. This American Life
3. Ear Hustle
4. The Moth
5. This Is Actually Happening

How many episodes of Suave are there?

Suave launched 5 years ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Suave?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Suave?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Suave from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Suave?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Suave. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Suave?

Recent guests on Suave include:

1. Aurora Flores
2. Mary Kent
3. Jonathan Wilson
4. Rosie Perez
5. Jorge Andres Olivares
6. Frank Ross
7. Salim Hallbrook
8. Luis 'Suave' Gonzalez

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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