Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York

Hailed by Ira Glass as the “best new show I’ve heard in years,” and winner of the Audio Memoir Award of the Tribeca Film Festival, Reaching Out is a story about fathers, sons, and the distance between them. The story begins on the eve of twin brothers’ Sayre and Connor’s 30th birthday, when they set out to find the biological father whom they’ve never met. Their search pulls them through desert raves, drunken nightclubs, and across borders of time and language, forcing the brothers to confront the truths they’ve hidden from each other and themselves. And it’s not long before the twins discover that their father is closer than they ever could have imagined.

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Maria was watching the Benito Bowl when an unexpected artist came on: the one and only Ricky Martin. He sang one of Bad Bunny’s most political, anti-colonial anthems. Maria knew this was a touchstone moment — the artist who most represented the 90’s Latin Boom wasn’t performing to a white audience for recognition or acceptance; he was singing a song of resistance, in Spanish. And then Maria’s 11-year-old son said, “Who’s that???”

Today, Maria revisits the importance of Ricky Martin’s career and life, and how he had to live “La vida loca” so that Bad Bunny could do “Lo que le da la gana.”

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Senior Producer Jeanne Montalvo sat down to chat with Afro-Filipino singer-songwriter and New York legend Joe Bataan at the Bronx Music Heritage Center in 2024.

As you’ve heard in Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York, Joe is full of all kinds of stories about New York, about music, and about the rollercoaster ride that’s made up his career. In this week’s bonus episode, we share unaired segments from their interview and are even treated to a special performance by Joe.

The Futuro Plus Team includes associate producer Liliana Ruiz, production manager Victoria Estrada, and development manager Danetsy Len. Mixing by Multitude Productions.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.
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Fania Records is changing. Co-owner Jerry Masucci wants to sell the company but his partner Johnny Pacheco refuses to sell. Tensions rise between the two, until an alleged betrayal sets them on very different paths. The end of Fania Records doesn’t spell the end of salsa though. The artform these underdogs created lives on.

Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here.

Archival courtesy of Craft Recordings, a Concord company, Doc Stanley, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Aurora Flores Hostos Interviews, Jeanne Montalvo Interviews and Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from HITN Television and TelevisaUnivision.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.
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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.

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+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.