You know, it's hard to believe that there are still people out there who don't know you can be Black and Latino at the same time, who aren't familiar with the history of the slave trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. That's why this week we are drawing your attention to Afro-Latino culture, as we have in years past, in honor of Black History Month.
We feature powerful performances from musicians from the Caribbean side of Venezuela, the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, and we explore Afro-Cuban spiritual music made by Puerto Rican santeros.
We also do a deep dive into songs written by one of Puerto Rico's greatest composers, Tite Curet Alonso, with Puerto Rican jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenon as our guide into music that celebrated the island's African history.
Lots to cover but don't worry, there will not be a quiz.
Featured artists and songs:
- Betsayda Machado & Parranda el Clavo, "Oh, Santa Rosa"
- Bia Ferreira, "Quando Você Me Olha"
- Cheo Feliciano, "Anacaona"
- Ismael Rivera, "Las Caras Lindas"
- Ruben Blades & Willie Colón, "Plantación Adentro"
- Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound, "Lamento De Concepcion"
- ÌFÉ, "Higher Love"
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