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Photo by Christopher Gregory-Rivera, show art by Fernando Norat. Christopher Gregory-Rivera/Christopher Gregory-Rivera/Fernando Norat/WNYC Studios hide caption
Photo by Christopher Gregory-Rivera, show art by Fernando Norat.
Christopher Gregory-Rivera/Christopher Gregory-Rivera/Fernando Norat/WNYC StudiosFrom our friends at WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios, today we're sharing an episode from the latest season of the podcast La Brega — which traces the history of Puerto Rican music across eight transformative songs.
In this special bonus episode of the show, La Brega goes behind the music with the artists featured on La Brega: El Álbum — including RaiNao, Xenia Rubinos, ÌFÉ, and Ana Macho.
Plus, in an interview recorded live at On Air Fest, host Alana Casanova-Burgess speaks with Angélica Negrón and José Olivares — of the band Balún, who composed music for La Brega and recorded a cover for the album. The band members talk about how they incorporated a broad palette of sounds and instruments into their score. "Balún es estar en la brega todo el tiempo," Angélica explains. "Tener una banda entre diferentes lugares entre Puerto Rico entre San Juan... It's about that kind of layered complexity of 'ni de aquí ni de allá,' pero de aquí, siempre, también." They also unpack their cover of Sylvia Rexach's "Olas y Arenas," featured on the album.
Listen to the album here.
La Brega: El Álbum is sponsored by Marguerite Casey Foundation.
This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.
