Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchLos Van Van: Cuba's salsa train
Los Van Van has been Cuba’s premier dance band since its formation in 1969, with its longevity earning the band the nickname El tren de la salsa (the…
2 years, 8 months ago
The poetry and politics of nueva trova
Nueva trova is one of the few Cuban genres that is for listening and reflecting instead of dancing - it's sung poetry, much like other Latin American…
2 years, 8 months ago
Rap cubano part 2
Part 2 of a conversation with Pablo Herrera on Cuban hip hop, including a discussion of the relationship between rap cubano and repartero, or Cuban r…
2 years, 9 months ago
Rap cubano
We've got an amazing conversation with Pablo Herrera, an anthropologist and one of Cuba's most influential hip hop producers. Pablo speaks about how …
2 years, 9 months ago
The 1950s dance crazes: mambo & cha-cha-cha
Cuban dance genres of the 1950s, specifically mambo and cha-cha-cha, were hugely popular in the U.S. and all over Latin America. Both were outgrowths…
2 years, 9 months ago
The evolution of salsa
Part 2 of Rebecca's conversation with ethnomusicologist Chris Washburne, author of Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City, and profe…
2 years, 9 months ago
The birth of salsa
Rebecca is joined by ethnomusicologist Chris Washburne, author of Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City, and professor at Columbia …
2 years, 10 months ago
Jazz meets Afro-Cuban music
Rebecca is joined by Raul Fernandez, author of Latin Jazz: La Combinación Perfecta, to discuss the musicians who created Afro-Cuban jazz in the 1940…
2 years, 10 months ago
Arsenio Rodriguez and his musical legacy
Ethnomusicologist David Garcia speaks with Rebecca about the significance and musical legacy of Arsenio Rodriguez, the prolific Cuban composer, tres …
2 years, 10 months ago
Rumba
Learn about rumba, the quintessential Afro-Cuban music and dance genre that's sometimes referred to as the heart and soul of Cuban music. Rebecca bre…
2 years, 10 months ago