The Case of the Moody Latin Vibe

I know you amigos be lovin' your Latin America vibes... we doin' it again.

I usually build these sets around a core of Cuban music, as Cuban music is the core of so much Latin music around the world....

But this set gets started with more gut stirring Afro Peruvian gems, this time from the classic "Soul of Black Peru" compilation on the Luaka Bop label (reissued on vinyl this year!). The haunting, lamenting vibe behind that music has inspired this entire 2 hour set.

In Brazilian music we often speak of "saudade," a word without a good translation in English... The saudade in Brazil is basically a flavor of sadness, often for a lost love, but it also has an edge of sweetness to it. I see a similar vibe in all this Latin music, but I feel today's songs have a vibe that speaks more directly to suffering and desperation, sometimes for a jilted lover, but also for a people who feel locked into lives of hardship.

Don't get me wrong... there is joy in some of the music today... but this is the release for a people resigned to lives dominated by hard times rather than good times.

In addition to Peru we will hear some sad ballads from Cuba, some moody cumbias from Colombia, and even a couple guest appearances today from Africa and Brazil.