Latin Impact – Latin Songs

Dutch radio (VPRO) started this month with Nina Jurna’s podcast series ‘Latin Impact’, in which she searches for the most poignant songs from South America. What does life on that continent sound like in bossa nova or Latin jazz, cumbia, reggaeton or salsa? Jurna and her guests assess the music styles and put the songs in their socio-historical context. For example, the background of the song can be about the important role of women, the connection between music and the struggle for justice. Music as an outlet and refuge in everyday life, or as a symbol of a social, cultural and political struggle.
The first episode is set in Rio de Janeiro, where Latin songs are on every street corner and where the time-honored MPB, ‘Música Popular Brasileira’, can be heard everywhere, while young people in the Favelas experience the impact of the Brazilian singer, songwriter Anitta. Guest in this episode is the Brazilian singer Lilian Vieira (known from the band Zuco 103). The conversation is about the lingering racism in Brazil, the years under ‘fag turd’ Bolsonaro (according to Lilian), and about Brazil today: a big cleaning and forgiveness. Jurna and Vieira discuss Bia Ferreira’s song Cota Não é Esmola. The song, for example, discusses the Brazilian quota system, which allows young people from disadvantaged groups to follow higher education. And then the song states this is not handout, but something to which these young people are entitled.

Latin Impact – Episode No.1.

The podcast series is in Dutch, but the songs are in Spanish and Portuguese.

Source: VPRO / Adapted by Favas.net.

Image: Favas.net (Graffiti on a wall depicts Criolo, the famous Brazilian singer, rapper, songwriter and actor).