Hosted by acclaimed writer and award-winning podcast creator Maria Garcia, the series unpacks the moments, music, movies and memories that continue to define generations

WHAT: My Cultura, iHeartMedia’s podcast network dedicated to elevating Latino voices and stories, and Futuro Media today announced the debut of "Muy Excited with Maria Garcia," a new weekly audio and video podcast hosted by award-winning writer, editor and podcast creator Maria Garcia. 

Each week, Garcia will choose a nostalgic or contemporary piece of culture, whether it's an iconic album, unforgettable film, defining cultural moment or major event, and unpacks its lasting impact through humor, storytelling and insightful cultural analysis. "Muy Excited" will explore why the stories we share and the culture we consume continue to shape our identities, relationships and understanding of the world.

In the premiere episode, Garcia will revisit Ricky Martin's extraordinary career and cultural legacy after a performance during Bad Bunny's "Benito Bowl" sparks an unexpected conversation with her 11-year-old son. Exploring how Martin's groundbreaking success paved the way for artists like Bad Bunny to embrace their identity and politics unapologetically, Garcia will examine what one unforgettable performance reveals about Latino culture across generations. Throughout the season, listeners will hear immersive storytelling, personal anecdotes from Maria and incisive analysis on music, movies, cultural phenomena and defining moments that continue to resonate across generations.

WHO: Garcia is the Executive Editor of Futuro Studios, where she has created and overseen multiple award-winning podcasts. She is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed "Anything for Selena," which was named one of the year's best podcasts by The Atlantic, Vulture, TIME and Vogue, among many others. She was also named newcomer of the year by Apple Podcasts in 2021. Her Apple Original series "My Divo," exploring Mexican icon Juan Gabriel alongside her own queer and Mexican roots, debuted at No. 1 in its category in 2024. In 2025, Apple Podcasts recognized Garcia as one of its "Creators We Love."

WHEN: The series premieres today, July 30, 2026, with new episodes available weekly.

WHERE: “Muy Excited with Maria Garcia'' is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard, with full video episodes available on YouTube.

About Futuro Media

Futuro Media is an independent, nonprofit news organization and podcast studio founded in 2010 by Pulitzer Prize winner Maria Hinojosa. Based in Harlem, New York, Futuro Media produces the Peabody Award-winning Latino USA, the longest-running Latino news and cultural program in public radio, which celebrated 33 years on the air. Its podcast studio, Futuro Studios, is home to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Suave and acclaimed series La Brega and Anything for Selena. Futuro Investigates, its IRE and Murrow award-winning investigative journalism unit, produced After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics.

About My Cultura Podcast Network

iHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network launched May 2021 in collaboration with Enrique Santos, iHeartMedia’s top-rated on-air personality and President and Chief Creative Officer of iHeartLatino, and has since welcomed actor, producer, entrepreneur and activist Wilmer Valderrama along with Eva Longoria and her studio Hyphenate Media Group as stakeholders. Since launch, the network has seen steady listener growth and has become home to more than 60 podcasts including hit series “Chiquis and Chill,” “The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos,” “Bleep! with Ana Navarro,” “Against All Odds with Yris Palmer,” “More Better with Stephanie & Melissa,” “Princess of South Beach,'' “Sacred Scandal,” “Radio Ambulante,” “Magical Rewind,” “Agushto Papá,” “Enrique Santos Podcast,” “Suite 305 with Lele Pons,” “Dos Amigos with Wilmer Valderrama,” “Latino USA,” and many more. All My Cultura shows are distributed by iHeartPodcasts. Listeners can find the full catalog of My Cultura podcasts here.