This week on Radio M we survey a style of music from the Dominican Republic that as recently as the 1980’s was considered too vulgar, crude and musically rustic to enter mainstream music: bachata.

Like any musical history, the birth of bachata isn’t clear cut but it’s generally acknowledged that bachata early on was a respectable and mainstream music when it was more closely aligned with the bolero. It then became associated with the countryside, brothels and prostitutes and relegated as outsider music.

But one thing is certain- it’s the guitar picking that sets bachata apart from other forms of music in the Dominican Republic.

We’ll also continue our fascination with the music of Belgian artist Stromae, plus the sounds of Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke, 1970’s music from Nigeria’s The Lijadu Sisters and other grooves from around the globe.

Playlist

9PM

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra- Oclupaca- Latin American Suite

Luis Vargas- Tranquila- Putumayo: Republica Dominica

Super Boiro Band- Kha Mu Lan Ma- Guinee 70: The Discotheque Years

Stromae- Tous les Memes- Racine Carree

Joan Soriano & Andre Veloz- Veneno- Me Decidi

Aram Arkalien Ensemble- gay Sultan- The Oud

9:30PM

Ramon Cordero & Eliado Romero Santos- Calzoncillo Largo- The Bachata Legends

Ramon Cordero sings with the Bachata Roja Legends in Santa Monica, CA. Ramon in accompanied by Edilio Paredes on lead guitar, Joan Soriano on rhythm guitar, Samuel Paredes on bass, Roberto Santos on guira and Randy Alejo on Tambora.This performance was at the Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance

El Chivo Sin Ley & Eliado Paredes- Chacki Chacki- The Bachata Legends

Groupe El Azhar- Touedar Aakli ( My Reason is Lost) -1970’s Algerian Proto Rai Underground

The Lijadu Sisters- Amebo- Danger

The Lijadu Sisters in rehearsal and conversation

Luis Segura- Mi Muchachita- Bachata Roja: Amor y Amargue

Jose manuel Calderon- Resginacion- El Romantico

10PM

Daniel Morillo- La Puerta Rompere- Bachata Roja: Amor y Amargue

Juan Bautista- Estoy Aqui Pero No Soy Yo- Bachata Roja: Bachata from the Cabaret Era

Super Uba- Tierra Lejana- Tierrra Lejana

Melody Gardot- Les Etoiles- My One and Only Thrill

Laetitia Sadier- The Scene of the Lie- Something Shines

Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics- Mulatu- Inspiration Information

The godfather of Ethio-Jazz taken from Mulatu Astatke and Step Ahead’s performance at Fontenay-sous-Bois, Fontenay en Scènes, May 2013, France

Hakki Bulut- Gercek Seven Kiskanir- Psych Funk a la Turkish

10:30PM

Toots & The Maytals- Funky Kingston- Funky Kingston

Dioris Valladares & His Conjunto Tipico- Los Dos Merengues- 90 Degrees of Shade: Hot Jump Up Island Sounds from the Carribean

Ramon Cordero- Amor del Bueno- Bachata Roja: Bachata from the Cabaret Era

Luis Enriquez- Mas Que Nada- The Mood Mosiac: The Hascish Party-

Mauricio Maestro & Nana Vasconcelos- Ancient Truth- Upside Down

Rob- Boogie On- Funky Rob Way