1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: This is Latino USA, the radio journal of news and 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: culture Latino USA. Latino Latino USA. I'm Maria Inojosa. We 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: bring you stories that are underreported but that mattered to you, 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: overlooked by the wrestler media, and while the country is 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: struggling to deal with these, we listen to the stories 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: of black and Latino Studio United Latino Front, a cultural 7 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement. I'm Maria 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: ino Jossa. Hey, they're Latino USA listener. Here's a show 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: from our vault. 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 2: The festival the Sea is like the woolstock of Palo 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 2: music Sina. I was in San Cristole and people from 12 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: all the regions of Dominican Republic goes there to perform 13 00:00:52,960 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: with their Palau group. When I saw the first time 14 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: in the dancing and everything together, I was like super impressed, like, 15 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: oh my god, how I don't know about this? So 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 2: that's why I started experimenting with the Dominican roots music. 17 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: And that's why I say this is kind of the 18 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 2: real Dominican music. 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: From futro media and PRX. It's Latino usay. I'm Maria 20 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: in no Rosa. Today Dominican infusion band Va and Palotre 21 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: Around the globe. People often think of Dominican music as 22 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: being either Meringi or bachata. But there's another side of 23 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 1: Dominican music that doesn't get as much airtime. It's known 24 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: as Afro Dominican roots music. The group Yes Teheva and 25 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: Palotre are hoping to change that. They combine local traditional 26 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: folkloric sounds like barlo and sarandunga with jazz and rock 27 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: to create fusions that celebrate the island's heritage. They're adding 28 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: a new spin to local sounds and hoping to reimagine 29 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: what it means to be Dominican one beat at a time. 30 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: One of the singles from their recent album is titled Amory, 31 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: and it's about a cross border love story between a 32 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: Haitian man and a Dominican woman. In this edition of 33 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: How I Made It, the band leader and guitarist Yest 34 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: Tehida tells us about his personal journey of learning about 35 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: his country's diverse musical landscape and about his band's collaboration 36 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: with Grammy winning artist Vicente Garcia for the song am. 37 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 2: The music that I make with my group is a 38 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: fusion of Dominican roots music with jazz, funk, rock and 39 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 2: all of my influences together. Guess the Nostra. 40 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 3: Isla Balosians when they realita. 41 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: In this album, we call it ki Hoombo because we 42 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: want to celebrate Dominican heritage and Dominican culture. Ki Hoombo 43 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: means a gathering and a celebration in the countryside of 44 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: Dominican Republic. It's a gathering where people get together, play drums, 45 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: they drink, they dance, and it can be for multiple reasons. 46 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: It can be for religious reasons. It can be mostly 47 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: for a party. It can be for when somebody dies, 48 00:03:51,560 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 2: for funerary events. Dominican Republic and Haiti share culture together. 49 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: Every place of Dominican Republic that has sugarcane fields around 50 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: known at battages, they celebrate Gaga at the same time 51 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 2: it's celebrated in Haiti in Semna Santa in the Holy Week. 52 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 2: This music is being marginalized in Dominican Republic. It's being 53 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 2: hidden for a while because some people they don't accept 54 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: this type of music, like the music we make in 55 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: that is mixing with Palo music or congos Ya media 56 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: or gaga or sarandunga. So that's why I say it's 57 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: like a hidden treasure because in Dominican Republic, in every region, 58 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: you have different styles, different celebrations and different way of 59 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 2: playing dancing, and it's so real. Culturally. The connection that 60 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 2: I feel with the music is excitement, and that's what 61 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 2: made me learn more about this music. It's a connection 62 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: that I can't explain. It could be even like a 63 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 2: little bit of spiritual. It can be something that lights 64 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: inside my body that it's like wow, like exciting every 65 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 2: time I hear it. And that can be because maybe 66 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 2: part of my family used to celebrate this, But I 67 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: didn't knew about this till I put my first album 68 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 2: together and I put it out and I play it 69 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 2: to my family from my mother's side, and I saw 70 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: all my dias dancing the way you dance Pallow and 71 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 2: I was like, how you guys know about this? He 72 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 2: was like, yeah, your grandfather used to do fiestas de 73 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 2: Palo for the Holy Spirit. So I think there's like 74 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: a connection there. A moor Raiano it's a song in 75 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: the album Kihombo and it's a collaboration that I did 76 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: with be Sente Garcia. 77 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 4: No level. 78 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 2: Meetup means the people that live close to the border 79 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 2: between Haiti and Dominican Republic. It means that people that 80 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: come from ancestry of Haitian and Dominican, and if you 81 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 2: have parents that are Haitian and Dominican, they are called Arajianos. 82 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 2: And the story of this song is this guy that 83 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 2: lives in Haiti and has his partner that she's Dominican 84 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 2: and she has to go to Dominican Republic, but he 85 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 2: can't go because he doesn't have the right papers to 86 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: cross the border and stay with her. We make this 87 00:06:55,839 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 2: love song putting the border conflict, and mostly the conflict 88 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 2: is politic and people from the elite, they don't want 89 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: to know about that. And that's why sometimes the Afric 90 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 2: Dominican rhythms or Dominican roots rhythms, some of the people 91 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: in the Dominican Republic they rejected because they say, oh no, 92 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 2: that music is Haitian. Our music is Medngi and Bachata. 93 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: And that's why we're trying to include Haiti and the 94 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: border and Aajianos because not that many people talk about 95 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 2: this community of Arajanos. So I decided, Okay, I'm going 96 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 2: to write like a super slow song and I started 97 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: playing the chords that you can hear and I'm or Arajiano. 98 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 2: They came all together like at once. After I have 99 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 2: the course and the harmony, I was like, the perfect 100 00:07:54,680 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 2: rhythm that goes with this is media. This rhythm is 101 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 2: actually patrimonio that the laon esco and it's been around 102 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 2: Dominican Republic three hundred years. And this rhythm because of 103 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 2: the universal clout, is that that that the cloud goes 104 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 2: with everything. I was like, okay, I'm gonna put the 105 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 2: kloud and then make the connguito comes. It's a small 106 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 2: percaution that does the. 107 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 3: Big capping company CAPI compy Pappy. 108 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: And then the congo marior so that the conquito and 109 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,959 Speaker 2: then the congo marior put it all together and it 110 00:08:50,960 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 2: will be a congo. After added the drums, then guitars, bass. 111 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: So I had this song I already recorded, and I 112 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 2: was like, I think I want to hear melody and 113 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 2: somebody singing like a male singer. But I don't know. 114 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 2: I don't want to sing it. I want somebody that 115 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 2: comes write the lyrics with me and like figure it out. 116 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:28,719 Speaker 3: A sun tim boseo yo ye lens see the Mokaya 117 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 3: kill me Pecho be Sentee. 118 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: I is a friend from a long time. We actually 119 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: made our first band together. We had like fourteen years old, fifteen, 120 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: playing hardcore and broke music. And I was like, be 121 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 2: sent to have this song, what do you think you 122 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 2: want to put lyrics and melody? He was like, yo, 123 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 2: I love it. So the collaboration started there and it's 124 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 2: now what. 125 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 4: It is, marking met anyone. 126 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 2: That this lyric be center rooted. And basically when he 127 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 2: say a more can be pegi or not in Evandera's 128 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 2: love that in my chest doesn't have a flag. Love 129 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: doesn't have color, doesn't have religion, nothing color ready unani 130 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 2: frontea and then he said not the eny color. Really 131 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 2: he only frontera. It doesn't have color, religion or borders. 132 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 2: There's no limits for love. And that's a good way 133 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 2: to put like the borders situation as a love song. 134 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 2: The chorus are saying Papa so mentioning papal Legba as 135 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 2: a deity that is shared in Haiti and in Dominican Republic, 136 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 2: in a popular religion, the religion that is practiced in 137 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 2: the country side of Dominican Republic. This song, they break 138 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 2: up because she has to go to the Mini Republic, 139 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 2: so he's asking Papala to open the path so he 140 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: can cross to Dominican Republic and be with the love 141 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: of his life. Everywhere in the world they're having problems 142 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 2: with borders, and the love make it a little bit 143 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 2: sweeter in a way, but then bitter in the way 144 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 2: that they can see each other again because of a border, 145 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 2: because of paper, because of Bruce's politics, And that's why 146 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 2: we're trying to bring it together in this song a 147 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 2: Morayiano to express it to the world that in Dominican Republic, 148 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 2: patients and Dominican are living this the same as people 149 00:11:48,720 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 2: in the world are struggling with borders. Marc, We in 150 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 2: the end are sharing the same world. In Haitian, the 151 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 2: Medican Republic, they are sharing the same island. All these 152 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 2: things that happened because of race, because of religion. We 153 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: are human beings, not already human. 154 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 4: From there, to. 155 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 1: The words of the band leader and guitarist for the 156 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: Dominican Confusion band, Yes and Palotre and dear listener, we 157 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: have a special Treatyre came by our office. Here's Yaltre 158 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: singing their songs live from our offices in Harlem Usa. 159 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 3: Yes, they hasten any more cause then we rise last, 160 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 3: but don't carry venue when they Benita, who's got to 161 00:13:55,240 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: riss has the lover last? It went from this land 162 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 3: lord o masson. 163 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 4: Oh oh where aurro wa? Yes again mensah m me 164 00:14:43,680 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 4: Latin you lady druga mosam mens o who everything. 165 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,640 Speaker 1: If you'd like to see more of Ya and palotre, 166 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: head over to our website Latino Usa dot org for 167 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: the full performance at our offices. This episode was produced 168 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: by Amandel Cant and Gini Montal. It was edited by 169 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: Sophia Palisa Ka and mixed by Julia Cruz. Latino USA 170 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,719 Speaker 1: is produced by Andrea Lopez Crusado, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, 171 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: Daisy Contreres, Victori Estrada, Renaldo Leanos Junior, Patricia Sulbaran and 172 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Lenthal Torres. Our editorial director is Vinan La Santos. 173 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: Our director of engineering is Stephanie Leveau. Our associate engineers 174 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 1: are gabriel Le Baez and jj Carubin. Our marketing manager 175 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: is Luis Luna. Our theme music was composed by Zeya Rubinos, 176 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: I'm your host and executive producer Marino Josa join us 177 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: again on our next episode. In the meantime, remember not 178 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: Te bayas. 179 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 4: E astra a proxima chau. 180 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 5: Funding for Latino USA is coverage of a culture of 181 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 5: health is made possible in part by a grant from 182 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 5: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Latino USA is made possible 183 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 5: in part by New York Women's Foundation. The New York 184 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 5: Women's Foundation funding women leaders that build solutions in their 185 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 5: communities and celebrate it in thirty years of radical generosity, 186 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 5: and the Heising Simons Foundation Unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities. 187 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 5: More at hsfoundation dot org. 188 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 3: God nob the Heavy Then, Oh Go Colo