RADIO MACONDO pays tribute to Puerto Rico--the beautiful island that provides the engine behind this music... Salsa! We check out some of the contemporary hits by bands from Borinquen, many of whom were present at the conception of salsa in early '60s New York. The roll call?... Ismael Miranda, Willie Rosario, Johnny Ray, Bobby Valentin, Tony Vega, Johnny Rivera. And of course, no set of salsa boricua would be complete without at least one track each from Willie Colon, El Gran Combo, and the Palmieri brothers... and we got 'em! But there's much more to salsa than Puerto Rico, so we take a side trip to Cuba for a taste of modern charanga with Candido Fabre, then down to Colombia for a classic from Joe Arroyo, and finally over to Santo Domingo for a smash hit from Manolo. Puerto Rico... the heart of Salsa, the custodian of rhythm... the land of dancing. And we go there this week, on Radio Macondo.

This week, we've got more variety and styles than ever, and more reasons for you to take a partner and start dancing! We open with Oscar D'Leon in his hit tribute to Cali, Colombia, then Sonora Carruseles. Next, it's The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Tipica 73, and a very old classic from Tito Puente. Henry Fiol, Papi Oviedo, Celia Cruz with Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, Juan Luis Guerra, Los Tupamaros.... What a night for dancers! What way to swing or just groove.

Our last podcast was hot! So, this one is smoooooth. And that's because we're starting out with a tribute to the son montuno, with four examples of how contemporary artists interpret this beautiful classic form. We start with Maraca, then Orquesta La Palabra from L.A. Next, it's Ruben Blades paying his tribute to son--with a "special guest" vocalist... or is he? And Cubanismo joins in with another version of a great Cuban classic. But that's not all for this podcast, because after all that gorgeous son, we have contemporary hits from Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, then into a set of romantic salsas with Tony Vega, Miles Pena, Jerry Rivera, and George Lamond. Miguel Matamoros once wrote, "There is no more sublime way to soothe the soul than with the son montuno" -- "No hay mas sublime que el son, para el alma divertir." And that's what this week's podcast is all about. So take a break for a while... in Macondo.