AFROPOP WORLDWIDE’S SPECIAL SELECTION OF PROGRAMS FOR STATIONS CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2025
This September and October, public radio’s Afropop Worldwide from PRX will feature the greats from the musical cultures of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Ecuador, and the U.S.
Programs include A History of Puerto Rican Salsa, Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata, The Golden Age of Cuban Music, and Live Latin Extravaganza.
Episode #1: A History of Puerto Rican Salsa
Distributed: Sept. 18, 2025
The first time Puerto Rican bandleader Willie Rosario heard the word salsa applied to the Cuban-style music he played was in Venezuela, where DJ Phidias Danilo first popularized the term. Later, Fania Records in New York used it as a marketing tool, and it quickly became a marker of Puerto Rican identity. We speak with the founding bandleaders of the genre—Rafael Ithier (El Gran Combo), Quique Lucca (Sonora Ponceña), Willie Rosario, and others—and present immortal hits of early Puerto Rican salsa. Produced by Ned Sublette with José Mandry.
Episode #2: Live Latin Extravaganza
Distributed: Sept. 25, 2025
This program features Afropop Worldwide’s original live recordings of stellar artists: Joe Arroyo (Colombia) in London, Paulina Tomayo (Ecuador) in Quito, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (Cuba) in New York, Los Van Van (Cuba) in Havana, and Willie Colón in New York.
Episode #3: The Golden Age of Cuban Music
Distributed: Oct. 2, 2025
On January 8, 1959, Fidel Castro and his ragtag army marched into Havana, proclaiming victory in the Cuban revolution. At that time, much of the world knew Cuba primarily from its 1930 megahit “El Manicero” (The Peanut Vendor) and the mambo craze of the 1950s. After Castro came to power, the economic, political, and cultural doors between Cuba and the U.S. soon shut. They reopened briefly for U.S. tours by Cuban artists under the Carter and Clinton administrations.
In this broadcast, we savor sounds from the pre-Revolutionary golden age of Cuban music that set the stage for its international success. We illustrate how popular music across Africa and the Americas would be unimaginable without Cuban influence—copied and adapted on three continents. Listeners will hear the stories and rare recordings of core styles such as son, as well as luminaries like Beny Moré, Arsenio Rodríguez, Celia Cruz, and the Sexteto Habanero, along with lesser-known artists. Produced by Ned Sublette.
Episode #4: Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata
Distributed: Oct. 9, 2025
Bachata is music of the people. Echoing the American blues, bachata was once infamous as the anthem of the hard-drinking, womanizing, down-on-his-luck man. It was vilified as the music of brothels and cabarets, yet embraced by the downtrodden poor as the deepest expression of their feelings. Today, it is an international sensation. Alex Wolfe, director of the film Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata, brings us live ambience and stories of bachata stars Luis Vargas, Antony Santos, Luis Segura, Adridia Ventura, and others. Produced by Alex Wolfe.
For nearly four decades, Afropop Worldwide has been the trusted voice bringing the sounds and stories of Africa and the African diaspora to public radio audiences across the globe. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we invite stations and listeners alike to join us in celebrating the rhythms, histories, and legacies that continue to shape Latin and global music today.
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