On January 26, WNYC and Futuro Studios celebrated the release of the second season of the podcast, La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience at The Greene Space.
Hosted by award-winning Alana Casanova-Burgess, the commemoration entailed a night of melodious music, dancing, and a description of what to expect in the second season of the La Brega podcast. Thanks to the Mellon Foundation, the eight-episode podcast focuses on uniting communities and sharing authentic accounts of La Brega, also known as The Struggle of the Puerto Rican people.
Recognized as the island donde hasta la piedras cantan, meaning “where even the rocks sing”, Puerto Rico is known best for expressing themselves musically. As a result, each episode of La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience will contain an esteemed Puerto Rican Song. Each song feature’s themes of societal issues such as colonialism, race, feminism, immigration, LGBTQ+ issues, and more. Expect to hear from musicians, DJs, and academics such as Rubén Blades, Susana Baca, Gabby Rivera, José Massó, Andres “Velcro” Ramos, Ana Macho, José Massó, and more. The podcast is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, etc.
“Season 2 sheds light on the songs that reflect what it means to be Puerto Rican and part of the diaspora — about the pride and yearning we feel for home, and that resonates with people everywhere. They capture joy, frustration, love, loss, and wonder of the human experience — in short: la brega.”
– Alana Cassanova- Burgess
Doors opened at 7pm, where guests mingled and were welcomed by flavorsome food and drinks by the bar. Around 8pm guests made their way into a stunning fluorescent lit room, excited to hear from Alana, the electric band, Balún, and the exuberant DJ Christian Mártir. The iconic Puerto Rican and Brooklyn based band, Balún left the audience with no choice but to dance as they performed. Through the violin, accordion, bass, pan flute, ukulele, piano and remarkable lyrics, harmonic music filled the air.
The music showcased by Balún also appeared in the first season of the La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience. After their captivating performance, the stellar DJ Christian Mártir took over for the night. Known for his Lantinx sound, DJ Christian Mártir made the night unforgettable.
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