An hour and a half mix of organic, old-school 60s and 70s Roots music that spans genre, nationality, race, and language. They are all hybrids and manifestations of Afro musical influences that pay tribute to our African roots and transnational movements across land, sea, and social borders. Inside the mix you’ll find: Cumbia, Salsa, Funk, Afrobeat, Rara, Carnival music, Congotronics, Merengue, Calypso, Batucada, and Reggae from Africa, the Caribbean, and America.
This mix lets me pay homage several pillars of my musical vocabulary. The first is my tribute to my Latinidad and the rich and turbulent history that brought us here, the sounds of Merengue, Cumbia, and Salsa that make up a link and memory to my family and my cultural heritage. The second tribute is to the polyrhythm, bass, and syncopation these musical blueprints provide to current musicians and artists; amazing that with as much education of our past is ignored from our schools and books, I can still see how new urban dance music like Footwork, House, Jungle, and Hip Hop gather so much from their Afro and Afro-Latino past. The third piece this mix brings is my newest fascination with Transnationalism, the study of communication and movement among peoples beyond the boundaries and walls set by others. It’s the latest fad that strikes close to me as a 1st Generation U.S. Born, Segment-Acculturated, hybrid, pan-everything individual that I am
This is for those who know their past, but are not regulated by its rules and boundaries… the border-crossings I enjoy the most are found within cross-pollination, hybrids of hybrids of musical ideas and sharing found deep within the complex beat patterns and bass work. They may not be found individually, but when in groups they shine bright.
Download the mix
here, Stream it at
my Mixcloud, or just tune in below
Gade Yon Rara - Roots Of Haiti
La Agarradera - Johnny Ventura
Who're You? - Fela Ransome Kuti & The Africa 70
Esto No Lleva Bata - Los Papines
Real Rock - Sound Dimension
Hankuri - Madman Jaga
Old Buzzard - Los Silvertones
90% Of Me Is You - Amral’s Trinidad Cavaliers Steel Orchestra
Cumbia Cienaguera - Conjunto Tipico Vallenato
Dom Sou Nare Bakh (feat. Youssou N'Dour) - Etoile De Dakar
Cherry Oh Baby - Eric Donaldson
Tito On Timbales - Tito Puente
Nana Nina - Bush Y Sus Magnificos
Together - Ray Barretto
Truths and Rights - Johnny Osbourne
La Piojosa - La Sonora Cienaguera
Give It Up and Turn It Loose - James Brown
Carnival Brass Band - Afro-Cuban musicians
Bam Bam - Byron Lee And The Dragonaires
Ba-Tu-Ca-Da - Par Ney De Castro
Cantos De Yuka - Afro-Cuban musicians
Unknown - Domincan Merengue
Salsa Na Ma - Fruko Y Sus Tesos
Rara in Haiti - Bizoton Unspecified
Mama Liza - Konono No.1
