Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York

7. You Reap What You Siembra

New kid on the block Ruben Blades moves from Panama to New York City. He gets a job in the mail room at Fania Records, where he tries to pitch his music. Eventually, he gets executives to listen to what he has to offer and lands a collaboration with the legend Willie Colon. But their idea for an album is met with skepticism from music executives, who are later – very dramatically – proven wrong.  Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuMJHi0i2MWyIqCiUugVW?si=fe807d8759874bce&pt=e6723d72fffe0ce18b52d365236a8c3a]. Archival courtesy of The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library, Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA, Craft Recordings, a Concord company, and Aurora Flores Hostos Interview. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from WBAI Radio, Third World Newsreel Film Collective - El Pueblo Se Levanta, FOX 5 New York, Tik Tok, and Vox Media. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Plus, get exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus [http://www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

6. Fania Finds its Roots in Africa

At the height of Fania’s success, the label’s artists are invited to Zaire to perform at a highly anticipated boxing match. For many of these Black artists, this is the first time they are stepping foot on African soil. Welcomed by a rapturous crowd, the Fania All Stars give a legendary performance and many of them connect with their roots.   Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuMJHi0i2MWyIqCiUugVW?si=fe807d8759874bce&pt=e6723d72fffe0ce18b52d365236a8c3a]. Archival courtesy of The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx Historical Society, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Aurora Flores Hostos Interviews, Craft Recordings, a Concord company, and Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from Hemdale Leisure Productions, ESPN, Ora TV, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Antidote Films, and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. Additional music this episode also courtesy of SONGS of Media Creature. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Plus, get exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus [http://www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

5. A Tale of Two Women

In the 1960s and ‘70s, two Afro-Cuban women dominated stages from Havana to New York City. They are La Lupe and Celia Cruz, both virtuosic, vibrant artists. But Fania Records seems to only make room for one woman. One of these women is promoted, while the other is set aside, showing the oppressive mistreatment of women by the music industry. Even still, both of these artists’ legacies persevere.  Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuMJHi0i2MWyIqCiUugVW?si=fe807d8759874bce&pt=e6723d72fffe0ce18b52d365236a8c3a]. Archival courtesy of “The Dick Cavett Show”  Courtesy of Daphne Productions / Global ImageWorks, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Maria Hinojosa for NPR, Craft Recordings, a Concord company, Aurora Flores Hostos Interview, and Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from Enzo GD - Contribution. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Plus, get exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus [http://www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

4. The Year Fania got Political

By 1973, drummer Ray Barretto is determined to make a high-stakes comeback and to make a political statement about the role of Salsa in the activism of the time. He’s set on performing at Fania’s most ambitious concert yet, at Yankee Stadium. The day of the concert, a frenzy erupts. But despite the wild turn of events, this night cements Fania as the leading label for salsa music. And whether the label wants to be or not, the very presence of Latino youth in Yankee Stadium – one of the most storied venues in the city – makes Fania political.  Listen to The Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuMJHi0i2MWyIqCiUugVW?si=fe807d8759874bce&pt=e6723d72fffe0ce18b52d365236a8c3a]. Archival courtesy of The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library, Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Aurora Flores Hostos Interview and Craft Recordings, a Concord company. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from US National Archives, American Archive of Public Broadcasting, ABC, Internet Archive / formerly Radio Aeropuerto, Rockefeller Archive Center, Third World Newsreel Film Collective, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, WNET, and WMCA Radio. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Plus, get exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus [http://www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

3. The Night that Made Salsa

Larry Harlow, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, and one of the first artists to be signed to Fania, pitches an idea to film an ambitious live concert. His suggestion will dramatically change the course of the label and salsa. After Fania bankrolls the live concert at the legendary Cheetah Club, the film Our Latin Thing releases one year later, a film and evening often referred to as the night salsa was born and a new Latino consciousness starts taking shape in the media. Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuMJHi0i2MWyIqCiUugVW?si=fe807d8759874bce&pt=e6723d72fffe0ce18b52d365236a8c3a]. Archival courtesy of The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library, Craft Recordings, a Concord company, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA, Aurora Flores Hostos Interview, and Martin Cohen Congahead Archives. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from Oro Productions. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Plus, get exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus [http://www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.