Shows / Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York
In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened Fania Records, the “Motown of Salsa.” The artists from Fania toured the world, sold millions of records and changed culture forever. But Fania Records also became mired by royalty divisions, lawsuits and falling-outs. This is the story of the birth of salsa in Nueva York and the rebellious, seductive and political label that defined it: Fania Records.
Hosted by Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress and Brooklyn…
Episodes
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva YorkLa Brega Is Back… For Good!
La Brega is back, and here to stay! For three weeks out of every month, you’ll hear fascinating stories about our history and identity, reports on the latest…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva YorkNEW PODCAST ALERT: Reaching Out
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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva YorkNEW PODCAST ALERT: Muy Excited with Maria Garcia
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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva YorkSubscribers Only: The Cinderella Story of New York Legend Joe Bataan
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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York8. The End of Fania and the Rebirth of Salsa
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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York7. 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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York6. 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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York5. 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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York4. 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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York3. 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…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York2. Real and Pretend Gangsters
In the mid 1960s, young musicians Joe Bataan and Willie Colón are quickly owning the boogaloo scene in East Harlem and the Bronx. The problem—Morris Levy, the…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York1. Fania Takes Nueva York
The 1960s brings social and political change to the world and to New York City, where a young Johnny Pacheco keeps people dancing with his orchestra and…
Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva YorkOur Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York Trailer
In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened Fania Records, the “Motown of Salsa.” The artists from Fania toured the…