Minha Bahia ~ Trio Nordestino

Trio Nordestino

We’ve had some wacky weather with some false starts, but I think it’s safe to say that finally Spring is here, at least here in the Bay Area. Today the sky is a pure blue and there is that signature Bay breeze that carries a new sense of optimism and excitement this time year. This past weekend in Oakland California we had our annual Malcolm X Jazz Festival where everyone was looking fly in their new Spring fits, kids were running wild in all the parks, and everywhere I went I could smell barbecues lofting through the air. So what we have here is something I think you’ll find quite fitting — a beautiful example of Brazilian forró (a 3 insturment form of music consisting of an accordian, a bass drum and a metal triangle from the Northeastern region of Brazil) by Trio Nordestino called Minha Bahia from their album Dia De Festejo. I highly recommend opening up all your windows to let that Spring breeze mix with this music to fill your home and carry out for you and your neighbors to enjoy.

This one is especially dedicated to our honorary pelanguero, DJ Smokestack, who is laid up right now and is the one who hooked me up with this great record. He’s been supplying all us pelangueros with incredible music lately and I can’t wait to see him back flying around the soccer field and rocking the turntables with us again soon. Wishing you a full and fast recovery homie!

– posoule

Mon Rivera

I was superhappy to finally find this record at a reasonable price in Puerto Rico last month! Mon Rivera’s monster track Lluvia con Nieve has always been a Pelanga favorite – from Eddie Palmieri’s badass piano intro, to the horn section consisting of a trombone, a trombone, and a trombone, to the eloquent lyrics on the boricua experience in Nuebayol (“Lluvia con nieve, lluvia con nieve, lluvia, nieve, lluvia con nieve”.) If you like the hard-hitting, trombone-heavy sound of the salsa orchestras of the 70s, say thank you to Mon Rivera y su Orquesta – they were doing this in 1963, you understand?

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This is an incredible album, where he is really pushing the possibilities of the plena and of Puerto Rican music in general. I can’t recommend it enough. I had a really hard time choosing what song to post, but the chorus of this song has been stuck in my head for a couple of weeks, so that’s a good sign. (It’s also the scratchiest one on the record, sorry ’bout that! That is how it is.)

Monina by Mon Rivera

Monina

I’ve also gotta show you what he was doing with the plena:
Qué Gente Averiguá by Mon Rivera

Qué Gente Averiguá

In case you don’t know what a plena is (or if you do), I’ll let him explain:

 

Enjoy,
papicultor

Tu Canción! Good Morning :)

Buenos dias de ChocQuibTown 🙂 Listen closely for the marimba, it’s in there.

 

 

Enjoy your week, and thanks again for bringing your beautiful smiling faces and shaking booties to La Pelanga on Saturday! You guys were amazing, you danced to music from five continents, and with such incredible spirit.

 

– djchinatumadre

Happy Mother’s Day! prince nico mbarga – sweet mother

We had such a blast at La Peña last night!!! Thank you all for coming!

It was a joy and a privilege to begin the Mother’s Day celebrations with a dance floor full of strong, beautiful, amazing women. (And yes, men also. We saw you getting down too; how could we not?) It’s always good to see that our community is, and will continue to be, in such good hands.

Mothers, here is one for you, with much love!

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Sweet Mother by Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz

Mami, hoy y todos los días, celebro tu testimonio de vida. ¡Gracias por todo lo que me enseñaste!

Federico

(papicultor)