Al compas del mundo, programa #93

Al compas del mundo, programa #93 - Tango and danzón

The tango and danzón are two of the best-known dance styles to ever come out of Latin America. They evolved in the 19^th century as a lower-class form of entertainment, with influence from the Black ex-enslaved people (i.e. African) population and European immigrants. Both were considered scandalous at first by “polite society” as the accompanying dance styles were viewed as salacious, but proved to be too much fun to be ignored. As their popularity spread, the danzón became the official musical genre and dance of Cuba, where it originated, while the tango represented Argentina wherever it was heard. Today, the danzón in its original form is probably more popular and danced more widely in Mexico than Cuba. The tango, on the other hand, has spread around the world though remains firmly rooted as an essential cornerstone of Argentinian cultural pride.

The music in today’s program presents a sample of the most notable proponents of each genre. Old school legends like Carlos Gardel and Mariano Merceron match up with contemporary takes on classical themes from the likes of Astor Piazzola and the Orquesta la Moderna Tradicion. Dancing shoes are not required for listening, but millions of Latinos (and others) will experience restless leg syndrome for the next 60 minutes. JH

Tango and danzón run list - First broadcast 9=14=2023

01 Carlos Gardel - La Cumparsita (Argentina)

02 Orquesta Mexicana de Tango - Volver (México)

03 Hugo del Carril - A los oligarcas (Argentina)

04 Juan D'Arienzo con Osvaldo Ramos - Sentimiento gaucho (Argentina)

05 Tangueses - Camerata de tango (Uruguay)

06 Orquesta Mario Demarco con Edmundo Rivera - Mano a mano (Argentina)

07 Astor Piazzola - Fuga y misterio (Argentina)

08 Carlos Gardel - Adiós muchachos (Argentina)

09 Acerina y su Danzonera - Las alturas del Simpson (Cuba)

10 Chamaco Aguilar con La Danzonera Joven de México - Una rosa de Francia (México)

11 Carlos Campos y su Danzonera - Mujer (México)

12 Los Xochimilcas - Teléfono a larga distancia (México)

13 Danzonera Dimas - Lágrimas negras (México)

14 Mariano Merceron - Mi amigo Pancho (Cuba)

15 Felipe Pérez - El Acahual (Cuba)

16 Orquesta la Moderna Tradición - Clavelitos (Cuba-USA)

~`~!~!~!~!~!~`~

Comments

Al compas del mundo, programa #92 - Japan

The Japanese historically have been a most creative people, excelling in aesthetic conventions like architecture, painting, culinary arts, theatre, music, and more. A craftsman’s care and an artist’s flair have come to define everyday household objects such as articles of clothing and kitchen ware, designed with a sensibility that imbues them with import and elevated status. After WWII in the United States however, an item inscribed “made in Japan” usually indicated a tchotchke of mediocre quality. A perfect example is the large number of Northwest Coast Native American-style bone totem poles made for the tourist shops in the Northwest. There is a distinctive difference in these “artifacts” from the real, home-made variety that illustrates someone from another culture tackling aesthetics they don’t fully comprehend. And that leads us to some of this week’s musical choices. Imitating Western pop, rock and jazz, Japanese artists have recorded many forgettable efforts – not unlike those o...

British blues of the 60s y 70s

This has to be one of my favorite programs. The British blues scene gave us a healthy dose of reverential and, admittedly, imitative music that awakened a youthful audience suffering from pop fatigue on both sides of the ocean. Of course, the blues, as interpreted by young white musicians who couldn’t have been much further from the Mississippi Delta or the South side of Chicago, can be considered as cultural appropriation. At the same time, those involved in the scene have reminisced that playing the blues was largely a visceral reaction to a compelling combination of rhythm, lyrics and energy that was distinct from the British music scene up to that point. I don’t believe anyone at the time felt guilty playing the songs of their Southern US heroes. Does it make a difference that a number of these groups went on to earn far more money than the originators ever dreamed of? Probably, though many of the greats – Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson and others – profi...

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