Show Notes
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. But Fania Records seems to only make room for one woman. One of these women is promoted, while the other is set aside, showing the oppressive mistreatment of women by the music industry. Even still, both of these artists’ legacies persevere.
Listen to the Music Behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York playlist here.
Archival courtesy of “The Dick Cavett Show” Courtesy of Daphne Productions / Global ImageWorks, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library, Mary Kent’s Salsa Talks interviews, Maria Hinojosa for NPR, Craft Recordings, a Concord company, Aurora Flores Hostos Interview, and Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA. This episode also utilizes fair use clips from Enzo GD - Contribution. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York
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 2024.
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, until an alleged betrayal sets them on very different paths. The end of Fania Records doesn’t spell the end of salsa though. The artform these underdogs created lives on.
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. Eventually, he gets executives to listen to what he has to offer and lands a collaboration with the legend Willie Colon. But their idea for an album is met with skepticism from music executives, who are later – very dramatically – proven wrong.
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, this is the first time they are stepping foot on African soil. Welcomed by a rapturous crowd, the Fania All Stars give a legendary performance and many of them connect with their roots.
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 time. He’s set on performing at Fania’s most ambitious concert yet, at Yankee Stadium. The day of the concert, a frenzy erupts. But despite the wild turn of events, this night cements Fania as the leading label for salsa music. And whether the label wants to be or not, the very presence of Latino youth in Yankee Stadium – one of the most storied venues in the city – makes Fania political.