Al compas del mundo – programa #62

Al compas del mundo – programa #62 - Afro-Latin music

One thinks of Peruvian music as all panpipes and El Condor Pasa. One would be wrong. Romantic trios, Colonial epoch dances, and Amazonian pop sounds all co-exist with another major influence – the legacy of African-influenced music mostly from the Southern coastal region. Previously ignored outside of the area of its origins, Afro-Peruvian songs are far more popular today than ever before. Hopefully, this little Al compas del mundo drop in the bucket will serve to further that growth. Less known still is the presence of Black taste-makers in Ecuador. Largely residing in the northwestern province of Esmeraldas, they make up roughly half the population there and wield a sizable impact on any popular (read “dance”) music charts. Unsurprisingly, Esmeraldas borders Colombia where Black rhythms and dance styles continue to influence the world’s dance floors. The cumbia and other popular dance styles originated here and are imitated from Mexico to Argentina. Those people know a good thing when they hear it! Finally, Venezuela - long a hotbed of “musica tropical” - makes its contribution. Truly a melting pot, over half the population is “moreno”, a blend of indigenous, White, and Black ethnic origins. The small pure “African” communities have maintained their identity culturally and musically and produce drum-and-chant-heavy songs guaranteed to move both spirit and tush. Listen in to this infectious lesson in ethnomusicology.


Marching to the city - and the road ain't long

Play list for Afro-Latin music from South America: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela

01 Conjunto Gente Morena - Enciéndete Candela (Peru)

02 Marimba de Esmeraldas - Vengo de Mar y Rio (Ecuador)

03 Juan Reyes y Los Alegres de San Basilio (Colombia)

04 Lucila Campos - Samba Malato (Peru)

05 San Millan - Sangueo y Golpe (Venezuela)

06 Grupo Socavon - Comadre Mayeya (Colombia)

07 Peyo Torres y Sus Diablos del Ritmo - La Veterana (Colombia)

08 Los Hijos de la Niña Luz - Dejala Corre (Colombia)

09 Grupo Taribo con Karla Kanora Guarapo - Román Román (Ecuador)

10 Manuel Donayre - Yo No Soy Jaqui (Peru)

11 Huracan de Fuego - Bendíceme, Santo Negro (Venezuela)

12 Andres Landero - La Pava Congona (Colombia)

13 Lucila Campos - Toro Mata (Peru)

14 Yacambu - El Hilo (Colombia)

15 Abelardo Vasquez y Cumanana - Prendeme la Vela (Peru)

16 La Nelda Piña - El Sucusu (Colombia)

17 Tambores de Santa Barbara de Moron - De Un Amor Naci (Venezuela)

18 Peru Negro - Son de los Diablos (Peru)

The Children of the Light Girl Will Rock This House

Comments

British Invasion - 1960s

I wanted to declare “Kick out the jams, mo’fos!” as a signpost towards the message in this week’s Al compás del mundo radio show, but that actually came about a little later. As humanity descended ever deeper into the Cro-Magnon state, Iggy Pop and the punks claimed that honor. What we have here instead, is a post-WWII let’s shake up the political order a bit, and no, not everyone has signed up to be an unconscious consumer attitude. There’s something afoot with these lads. Not exactly revolutionary fervor, but most certainly promoting a change in the general way of things. Recalling Che Guevara’s famous quote “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”, the Animals, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones et. al. pouted and preened – some more than others – in a way that hadn’t quite been done before. Youthful vigor ensued. These groups pushed the evolutionary chain of popular music a step further and we’re all better off for it. Set list Al compás del mundo programa #183, 6-5-25 - The British Invasion, 1960s 01 Yar...

Funk and Soul

Al compás del mundo - programa #169, 2-27-25, Funk and Soul 01 The Commodores - Brick House 02 Tower of Power - Drop It In The Slot 03 Parliament - Ride On 04 Sly & The Family Stone – Frisky 05 The Webb People – I’m Sending Vibrations 06 Ruby Delicious - Rock Steady 07 Mandrill - Git It All 08 The San Francisco TKOS – Herm 09 Ohio Players - Fire 10 Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child) 11 Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie 12 Chico and Buddy - A Thing Call the Jones 13 Little Ann – Possession 14 Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Time Will Tell 15 Parliament - Ain't Nuthin' But a Jam Y'all What did James Brown mean when he said “we’re gonna have a funky good time”? This “funky” of which he spoke, was it strictly musical (and danceable), or maybe sexual, sociable, or even political? Or maybe a little bit of each? Funk, funky, funkify, funkadelic, funkalicious…all pointing at the pleasure principle…a new dialect for the “blue...

Nuyorican boogaloo cha-cha-cha

I’m labelling this week’s playlist as “Nuyorican” music, the lion’s share of the players from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican ancestry. Two notable exceptions are Joe Bataan, a Filipino-African American, and Mongo Santamaria born in Cuba. What they all have in common, however, was centered around the music scene of New York City where African American and Latino musicians forged a common ground in creating “boogaloo” dance music, mixing elements of R&B, Soul, and Latin dance rhythms. The boogaloo genre was fairly short-lived, enjoying popularity during the 1960’s before giving way to salsa, in what was largely an East Coast and Caribbean impulse. “Watermelon Man” and ”El Watusi” were early and major boogaloo hits, but truly, most of the titles included in the program were popular recordings in their day, whether cha-cha-chas like Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va”, or GFyEN’s guajira. I’ve gathered them here for an hour’s worth of revelation for those too young to have heard thi...

Search This Blog