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HIP DEEP
- Hip Deep is Afropop's media project dedicated to the idea that music is a key to understanding everything. Get hip deep into programs on how the music formed and informed cultures in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas, plus companion interviews, features, discographies and more.
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New York: Back In The Day

New York City has always been a mecca for musicians and for immigrants from all over the world. This panoramic sweep of New York music history starts with the Harlem Renaissance, fastforwards to the Latin music scene in the 1960's and 70's, and connects the birthplace of rap to turntablists competing today. Featured are first person accounts by the creators.

Music Of The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance is introduced as a movement affecting and affected by the various discourses of music, dance, literature, entertainment, and the economy. The show tells the story of the development of a distinct African-American community as a viable means of the production of the arts.

Program Log:
Historical explanation of the origins of Harlem, and its establishment as an African-American community as well as its musical impact during the Jazz age.
The cultural backdrop of the 1920's-- the Jazz Age of the 1920's was a result of many factors, including the introduction of commercial broadcasting, prohibition, and the economic boom that preceded the Depression.
Fats Waller & his mentor James P. Johnson, were two of the many piano players that found work in "Power Socials," parties that went on every night in private homes with plenty of opportunity for good company, bathtub gin, food and dancing.
Fletcher Henderson, music director of Black Swan Records, had some of the best musicians of the day as members of his orchestra.
Harlem Renaissance as a literary movement; Langston Hughes.
The Caribbean influence in the 1920's NYC arts scene. Influence of Marcus Garvey on Harlem and the extended Afro-American community. Claude McKay, and the influence of the Soviet Union and Communism.
Prohibition, the Cotton Club and its connection to the Mob.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, Harlem's commercial backbone became more dependent upon the sale of the sale of illegal alcohol. When prohibition ended in 1933, this ended as well.

History Of New York Salsa, Part 1

New York is a crossroads of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican and other Latin musicians. We go back to the early 1960's in New York for some precursors of what came to be called "salsa." Johnny Pacheco shares his memories from back in the day.

Program Log:
Predating the use of the word "salsa," we go back to the early 1960's for some popular recordings.
Tracing the trombone's roots in salsa back to Puerto Rico and New York. Johnny Pacheco talks about his early encounters, via short-wave radio, with Cuban music; Pacheco also talks about visiting Africa.
Precursors of salsa- Pachanga, the last dance craze to come from Cuba before the embargo in 1962. Bugal�- an Afro-Puerto Rican crossover style combining rock & roll with r&b. Johnny Pacheco talks about the origin of the word "salsa" in reference to a collection of Cuban styles (and also in reference to the musicians that played it).
Arsenio Rodriguez, legendary Cuban musician and composer, inventor of conjunto and son montuno.
Fast-forward to the 1970s. Two streams of salsa are emerging- one, a more traditional conjunto based sound; the other, a more experimental approach. Musical examples.
Soneros, singers of Cuban son. Besides being able to sing the songs of the group's repertoire, a sonero must be able to improvise as well.
Willie Colon and Ruben Blades.

History Of New York Salsa, Part 2

The story of New York salsa continues with the prolific 1970s. Featured guest is pianist Eddie Palmieri.

Program Log:
Georges recaps the beginnings of the use of the term "salsa." First recorded use of the term is on 1968 recording by Ray Barreto.
Eddie Palmieri's Charanga La Perfecta. Eddie talks about how he was able to put the group together. Selections from Eddie, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe.
Manny Oquendo's Conjunto Libre.
Eddie Palmieri's legendary album "The Sun Of Latin Music", which introduced Lalo Rodriguez and included some classic pieces.

Rap, The Boom

In the 1980's rap became a widespread cultural and economic reality, no longer a phenomenon limited to urban areas. On "Rap; The Boom," some of the founders of the rap movement share their first person accounts.

Program Log:
The art and culture of rap stopped being an underground culture and began to take over the world. Russell Simmons, Run DMC, and the making of street records, which was a departure from the slick productions from Sugar Hill Records.
Def Jam Records and their first star LL Cool J.
1984 - first big rap tour, "The Fresh Fest." UTFO's Kangol Kid speaks about the B-side Roxanne Roxanne, which was an enormous success for the group as well as a cultural phenomenon.
Slick Rick's hits and their studio simplicity with the human-beat-box help of Doug E. Fresh. Doug E. reminisces about meeting and collaborating with Slick Rick.
Crack and its presence in the cities altered the face of Rap.

Turntabalists, DJ's, Remixers, and More

TURNTABLISTS, DJ's, REMIXERS, AND MORE Back in the day, deejays experimented on wheels of steel. Then rappers took center stage. Now turntable wizards are making a comeback. We'll explore this burgeoning artform with some of today's top practictioners. And we'll check out remix maestros who are collaborating with African and Latin artists to make 21st Century sounds.

Program Log:
Georges gives a brief intro to the world of turntablists, DJs, and remixers. Music from "Battle Sounds 2000", an international competition held in NYC.
"Battling", "breakbeats", "cutting". Brief survey of techniques. DJ Cool Herc, and the scene of the early DJ battles. Evolution of breakbeats into modern-day turntablism.
The documentary "Battle Sounds." Mixer DST talks about using scratching as percussive effect.
Experimental aspects of turntablism; more examples of turntable-as-instrument. Growth of turntablism beyond "dance" music.
The art of the "remix", as spawned by DJing and turntablism.
Cutting, pasting and remixing in Brazilian music, from its roots in tropicalia to today's sounds. Remixer as "time traveler", able to layer sounds from different eras and styles.