1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: The festival is like the woodstock of Palo music. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 2: Sin. 3 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: I was in San Cristole and people from all the 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: regions of Dominican Republic goes there to perform with their 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: pala group. When I saw the first time in the 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: dancing and everything together, I was like super impressed, Like, 7 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: oh my god, how I don't know about this? So 8 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: that's why I started experimenting with the Dominican roots music. 9 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: And that's why I say this is kind of the 10 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 1: real Dominican music. 11 00:00:48,760 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: From Futuro media. It's Latino Usa. I'm Maria Ino jossand 12 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 2: on the globe. People often think of Dominican music as 13 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 2: being either medenge or bachata. But there's another side of 14 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: Dominican music that doesn't get as much airtime. It's known 15 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 2: as Afro Dominican roots music. The group yes if Teheva 16 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 2: and Barotre are hoping to change that. They combine local 17 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 2: traditional folkloric sounds like barlo and sarandunga with jazz and 18 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: rock to create fusions that celebrate the island's heritage. They're 19 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: adding a new spin to local sounds and hoping to 20 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 2: reimagine what it means to be Dominican. One beat at 21 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: a time. One of the singles from their latest album 22 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: is titled Amore Rajano, and it's about a cross border 23 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: love story between a Haitian man and a Dominican woman. 24 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: In this edition of How I Made It, the bandleader 25 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: and guitarist yes At Tehida tells us about his personal 26 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: journey of learning about his country, the verse musical landscape, 27 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: and about his band's collaboration with Grammy winning artists Vicente 28 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: Garcia for the song area. 29 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: The music that I make with my group is a 30 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: fusion of Dominican roots music with jazz, funk, rock and 31 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: all of my influences together. Guess the isla balos garivanos 32 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: when they flita. In this album, we call it ki 33 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: Hombo because we want to celebrate Dominican heritage and Dominican culture. 34 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: Ki Hoombo means a gathering and a celebration in the 35 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: countryside of Dominican Republic. It's a gathering where people get together, 36 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 1: play drums, they drink, they dance, and it can be 37 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: for multiple reasons. It can be for religious reasons, it 38 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: can be mostly for a party. It can be for 39 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: when somebody dies, for funerary events. Dominican Republic and Haiti 40 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 1: share culture together. Every place of Dominican Republic that has 41 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: sugarcane fields around known at battages, they celebrate Gaga at 42 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: the same time it's celebrated in Haiti in Semna Santa 43 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: in the Holy Week. This music is being marginalized in 44 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic. It's being hidden for a while because some 45 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: people they don't accept this type of music, like the 46 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: music we make in that is mixing with Palo music 47 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: or Congos Devia Yeah, or Gaga or Sara Dounga. So 48 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: that's why I say it's like a hidden treasure because 49 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: in Dominican Republic, in every region, you have different styles, 50 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: different celebrations and different way of playing dancing, and it's 51 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: so rich culturally. The connection that I feel with the 52 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: music is excitement, and that's what made me learn more 53 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: about this music. It's a connection that I can't explain. 54 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: It could be even like a little bit of spiritual. 55 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: It can be something that lights inside my body that 56 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: it's like wow, like exciting every time I hear it. 57 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: And that can be because maybe part of my family 58 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: used to celebrate this, but I didn't knew about this 59 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: till I put my first album together, and I put 60 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: it out and I play it to my family from 61 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: my mother's side, and I saw all my dias dancing 62 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: the way you dance Balo, and I was like, you 63 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: guys know about this. He was like, Yeah, your grandfather 64 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: used to do fiestas de Palo for the Holy Spirit, 65 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: so I think there's like a connection there. Amao is 66 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: a song in the album MBO, and it's a collaboration 67 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: that I did with Vicente Garcia. Sup means the people 68 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: that live close to the border between Haiti and Dominican Republic, 69 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: and means that people that come from ancestry of Haitian 70 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: and Dominican and if you have parents that are Haitian 71 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: and Dominican, they are called Arajianos. And the story of 72 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: this song is this guy that lives in Haiti and 73 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: has his partner that she's domain and she has to 74 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: go to Dominican Republic, but he can't go because he 75 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: doesn't have the right papers to cross the border and 76 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: stay with her. We make this love song putting the 77 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: border conflict, and mostly the conflict is politic and people 78 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: from the elite, they don't want to know about that, 79 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: and that's why sometimes the Afric Dominican rhythms or Dominican 80 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: roots rhythms. Some of the people in the Dominican Republic 81 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: they rejected because they say, oh no, that music is Haitian. 82 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: Our music is mednga and bachata. And that's why we're 83 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: trying to include Haiti and the border and Aajianos because 84 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: not that many people talk about this community of Arajianos. 85 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: So I decided, okay, I'm going to write like a 86 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: super slow song, and I started playing the chords that 87 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: you can hear and I'm more Arayana. They came all 88 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: together like like at once. After I have the course 89 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: and the harmony, I was like, the perfect rhythm that 90 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: goes with this is congoa media. This rhedom is actually 91 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: patrimonio c that Thelonesco and it's been around Dominican Republic 92 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: three hundred years. And this rhythm because of the universal cloud, 93 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: is that the cloud goes with everything. I was like, okay, 94 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put the kloud and then make the congito 95 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: comes is a small percaution that do the big. 96 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 3: Caping, complete cap complete pappy. 97 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: And then the congo marior do, So that's the congito 98 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: and then the congo. Mario put it all together and 99 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: it will be a congo ya maya. After added the drums, 100 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: then guitars, bass. So I had this song already recorded 101 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: and I was like, I think I want to hear 102 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 1: melody and somebody singing like a male singer. But I 103 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't want to sing it. I want 104 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: somebody that comes write the lyrics with me and like 105 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: figure it out. Assume tim sell yo ye lens see 106 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: them kill me. Becho be s I is a friend 107 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: from a long time. We actually made our first band together. 108 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: We had like fourteen years old if In playing hardcore 109 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: and brock music. And I was like, be sent, I 110 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: have this song. What do you think you want to 111 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: put lyrics and melody? He was like, yo, I love it. 112 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 1: So the collaboration started there and it's now what it. 113 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 4: Is more Canada this lyric. 114 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,839 Speaker 1: Be Center wrote it and basically when he said a 115 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: more can Peg, not Evandera, it's love that in my 116 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: chest doesn't have a flag. Love doesn't have color, doesn't 117 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: have religion. 118 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 4: Nothing color ready he from Terra. 119 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: And then he said no the ena color really he 120 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: only Fronttera. It doesn't have color, religion or borders. There's 121 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: no limits for love, and that's a good way to 122 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 1: put like the border situation as a love song. The 123 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: chorus are saying so mentioning Papalegba as a deity that 124 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: is shared in Haiti and in Dominican Republic, in a 125 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: popular religion, the religion that is practiced in the country 126 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: shyde of Dominican Republic. This song A mora Rajiano. They 127 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: break up because she has to go to Dominican Republic. 128 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: So he's asking Papala to open the path so he 129 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: can cross to Dominican Republic and be with the love 130 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: of his life. Everywhere in the world they're having problems 131 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: with borders, and the love make it a little bit 132 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: sweeter in a way, but then bitter in the way 133 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: that they can see each other again because of a border, 134 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: because of paper, because of rule's politics. And that's why 135 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: we're trying to bring it together in this song A 136 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: Morajiano to express it to the world that in Dominican Republic, 137 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: Haitians and Dominican are leaving this the same as people 138 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: in the world are struggling with borders looking. 139 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 4: Moreca we in the. 140 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: End are sharing the same world in Haitian Dominican Republic. 141 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: They're sharing the same island. All these things that happened 142 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: because of race, because of religion. We are human beings, 143 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: not the God. 144 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 4: Already hear from there. 145 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:57,599 Speaker 2: To the words of the band leader and guitarist for 146 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: the Dominican Confusion Band and Palo Tre, their latest album 147 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 2: Ki Humbo is out now, and dear listener, we have 148 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 2: a special treat for you today. Yes, te Hen Palotre 149 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 2: recently came by our office for our Live from Latino 150 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 2: USA series. Here's yes Hen Palore singing their songs live 151 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 2: from our offices in Harlem, USA. 152 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 4: Yes, they hasten it more. Guess they were rieslas b don't. 153 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: Carry venue when they Benita, who's got to dyess can. 154 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:29,679 Speaker 4: Laughing that it went from this land Loneo Maceda. Oh 155 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 4: where Aura ye? W yes? Second mensa s lady you 156 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 4: Ladie ramsay No there there don't Yeah. 157 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: See we get to sisten those men silas. 158 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 4: Oh who who. 159 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 2: If you'd like to see more of y T and Palotre, 160 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 2: head over to our website Latinousa dot org for the 161 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: full performance at our offices. This episode was produced by 162 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 2: Amandel Cantra and Ginni Montalbo and edited by Sovivia Palissa 163 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 2: car The Latino USA team includes Niel Massis, Antonia Serejhidro, 164 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 2: Genis Jamoca and Alissa s Carse, with help from Johanne Luna. 165 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 2: Our engineers are Stephanie Lebou and Julia Caruso. Additional engineering 166 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 2: this week by Leah Shaw. Our production manager is Natalia Fiedelhotz. 167 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 2: Our interns are Julia Nezes Barsan and Julia Rocha. Our 168 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 2: theme music was composed by see Robinos. If you like 169 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: the music you heard on this episode, stop by Latinousa 170 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 2: dot org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm 171 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 2: your host and executive producer MARIEO Rosa. Join us again 172 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 2: on our next episode, and in the meantime, I'll see 173 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 2: you on all of our social media. 174 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:11,479 Speaker 3: Joe Funding for Latino USA is coverage of a culture 175 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 3: of health is made possible in part by a grant 176 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 3: from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Latino USA is made 177 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 3: possible in part by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Creates 178 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 3: a brighter future for the nation's children by strengthening families, 179 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 3: building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities and W. K. 180 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 3: Kellogg Foundation, a partner with communities where children come first. 181 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 4: God heavyl Oh Gocalo