Afropop Worldwide program listings for July 2009

Blues Reflections (Uplinked July 2, 2009)

On this 4th of July holiday weekend, we dive into a celebration of the blues--for some, the essence of the American experience and for others a link back into a lost history in Africa. We'll hear the reflections of Bo Diddley, Robert Plant, Corey Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Lobi Traore, Amadou of Amadou & Mariam and enjoy their music. Happy 4th! Next is part 1 of our two part series highlighting the music of Puerto Rico--from roots bomba and plena to the salsa glory days of the 1970's to contemporary salsero superstar Gilberto Santa Rosa and, in part 2, a visit to San Juan, the epicenter of the hottest pan-Latin craze today--reggaeton.

Afropop Vignettes: Puerto Rico (Uplinked July 9, 2009)

From the early days to the present, Puerto Rico has always been a creative, prolific epicenter of Latin music. And the music traveled to New York with the large immigrant Puerto Rican community. We'll hear roots styles such as bomba and plena, salsa maestro Tito Puente, the contemporary leading sonero Gilberto Santa Rosa, as well as today's reggaeton superstars out of San Juan.

Reggaton Roundup: New Moves in Latin Youth Music (Uplinked July 16, 2009)

When Daddy Yankee released his hit single "Gasolina" in 2004, nobody suspected what was about to happen. Reggaeton, that rollicking Caribbean dance-rap, traveled like an uncontained blaze around the world - crossing over from the Latin charts to pop and hip-hop from the U.S to Australia, thrilling and/or shocking those that came in its path. Reggaeton was the sound and swagger of a new generation of urban Latin Americans, and a whirl around Latin America in 2009 will show you that the controversial genre is here to stay. We travel to Puerto Rico, the birthplace of reggaeton, and talk to players from the music's history and take the pulse of today's scene. We'll follow that omnipresent bass-heavy beat that wove its way from coastal Panama in the 1970s to freestyle sessions in San Juan and Spanish Harlem block parties in the 90s, and talk to Puerto Ricans who are taking the music to new places today. Two side trips--one to New York City for Latin house and another to Brazil for baille funk--fill out this panorama of today's Latin youth music.

Afropop at Home and Abroad (Uplinked July 23, 2009)

This whirlwind roundup takes you on the scene with some of the most exciting new developments in African pop music. We visit with Algerian rai superstar Khaled as he rolls out his new album "Liberté" at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. We go on the road in America with Bela Fleck's Africa Project and catch up with traditional pop maestro Anania and his new Zanzibar-based group. We meet Sam Mutukudzi, son of Oliver, with an exclusive interview from Zimbabwe. We hear new music from Vieux Farka Touré and Oumou Sangare, and debut a remarkable band of disabled street musicians in Kinshasa, Congo, Staff Benda Bilili.

Afropop Summer 2009 Dance Party (Uplinked July 30, 2009)

What's hot on the dance floors in Luanda? Jo'berg? Lagos? Dakar? Cairo? Havana? Rio? Caracas? New York City? Find out on this hip-swiveling, ass-shaking, cheaper-than-therapy edition of the show.