Episode 104: Summertime Latin Chill

For the past few weeks Tropicology has been locked in on the theme of mellow music for summer recreation… today’s episode is staying on that summer groove vibe, but I am shifting focus again, this time to Latin America. Funky latin sounds have always felt like summertime music to me. I picked up this association from my earliest media memories, some mixture of the Electric Company, Chico and the Man, and Fame. Any time I see footage of kids opening a fire hydrant to play on an urban street corner, I expect to hear bongos, timbales, and a funky bassline… soundtrack by Santana, War, and Tower of Power. That music was never paired with winter scenes… it was always about summer. Today I am conjuring that spirit of brownstone stoops, block parties, and spray painted subway cars. We’ll kick off with some Latin Jazz and descarga; then we’ll move on to Latin Funk and even a few Latin reggae covers; and the show ends with a set of funky, mostly newish Cumbia tracks from Colombia.