The Circle fall 2009
The WGBH Leadership Circle Newsletter
Latin Music USA: It’s Gonna Move You
Q: What was the inspiration behind Latin Music USA? A: You could call it cafeteria inspira-
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tion. WGBH’s cafeteria has been the site of many great brainstorming sessions. In 1997, my colleague Adriana Bosch and I were talking about a big music series I had originated two years
Pop star Ricky Martin’s performance of “La Copa de la Vida” (Cup of Life) at the 1999 Grammy Awards opened the eyes of American audiences to the young Puerto Rican’s talent, and US sales of music by Latin artists skyrocketed.
earlier, a 10-part history of rock and roll. Critics and audiences had liked it—it had depth, and yet it managed at the same time to capture the inspiration and the unruly nature of the music. Adriana was born in Cuba and she’s passionate about music, so we wondered if something similar might be done with the amazing range of Latin music in this country. Q: How did you decide which music to include in Latin Music USA? A: At first we just waded in, looking
at everything from Bossa Nova to Norteño to Peruvian flutes and salsa. Slowly it took shape as we began to focus on hybrid sounds, music “made in the USA.” We liked the fusion idea not only as a thematic guide, but because it’s a musical metaphor for what makes this country strong. In the series, we track fusions through the last five decades, right up to the Latin pop explosion and
© 2009 Holly Clark
et ready to dance in your seat! Latin Music USA, a new four-hour film series, premieres on WGBH and PBS stations nationwide this October. The program brings spine-tingling performances to life and takes a deeper look at the vibrant musical conversation between Latinos and non-Latinos that has helped shape the history of popular music in the United States. Reaching across five decades and 10 musical genres, this WGBH production from Executive Producer Elizabeth Deane (Rock & Roll, John & Abigail Adams) and Senior Producer Adriana Bosch (The Great Fever, Fidel Castro) features the stories of an extraordinary range of artists, from salsa greats Willie Colón and Marc Anthony to pop star Ricky Martin. Deane, whose numerous awards include four George Foster Peabody Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award, and an Emmy, recently spoke to The Circle’s Jennifer Goebel about the making of Latin Music USA.
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Reggaeton, a fusion of Jamaican reggae with Spanish rap and hip-hop. So you’ve got artists from Dizzy Gillespie (a big proponent of Latin jazz) to Ruben Blades to Linda Ronstadt, Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee and so many more. And in all the stories, you get a sense of the evolution of Latino identity, and the Latino contribution to the American mainstream. Q: What was the biggest obstacle to producing Latin Music USA? A: Funding. Both WGBH and Latino
Public Broadcasting helped us with small development grants over nine years, but we couldn’t raise production funds. So Adriana and I would go work on other films, sometimes together and sometimes separately, but we kept coming back to this project. I dragged the files and books around as I worked on four different films in four different offices. The boxes were labeled “Latin Music Project/Elizabeth Deane/Please Do Not Throw Out.” They’d be stowed under a table somewhere near my office, looking a little forlorn.
Live Latin Music and Dance Party Celebrate the premiere of Latin Music USA with us on Friday, 10/2. See page 7 or go to wgbh.org/latinmusicparty. 1