Best Pops And The Rican Podcasts (2025)

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Hispanic Heritage Month: Live Latin Extravaganza 59:04

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35m ago59:04

59:04

This classic episode features Afropop Worldwide’s original live recordings of stellar artists Joe Arroyo (Colombia) in London, Paulina Tomayo (Ecuador) in Quito, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (Cuba) in New York, Los Van Van (Cuba) in Havana, and Willie Colon in New York.Produced by Sean BarlowAPWW #292By Afropop Worldwide

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Hispanic Heritage Month: A History of Puerto Rican Salsa 59:04

6d ago59:04

59:04

The first time Puerto Rican bandleader Willie Rosario heard the word salsa applied to the Cuban-style music he played was in Venezuela, where DJ Phidias Danilo first popularized it. Subsequently applied as a marketing tool by Fania Records in New York, the word quickly became a marker of Puerto Rican identity. We talk to the founding bandleaders of…

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Ed Sheeran Interview! On Overcoming Grief, Fighting for His Songwriting & A Career Full of Hits 1:17:19

15d ago1:17:19

1:17:19

The superstar singer-songwriter discusses overcoming personal and professional turmoil ahead of his new album, “Play.” Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.By The New York Times

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Discover and Record: The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey 59:04

20d ago59:04

59:04

In this Hip Deep edition, Afropop producer Wills Glasspeigel heads to South Africa to reveal the story of the inimitable Hugh Tracey, a field recordist born at the turn of the 20th century in England. A wayward youth, Tracey found himself in Africa in the 1920s where he became fascinated with music from Zimbabwe. Tracey became a pioneer field recor…

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Islam and Music: From Prohibition to the Science of Ecstasy 59:04

27d ago59:04

59:04

Islam's complex relationship with arts and culture across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia presents special paradoxes and intrigue in the realm of music. Islam has been used both to nurture and curtail musical expression. This program delves into the historic roots of this debate, all the way back to Baghdad in the early centuries of Islam. Case s…

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What Was the Song of This Summer? Amelia Dimoldenberg, Zohran Mamdani, Questlove & More Share Their Picks 49:43

1M ago49:43

49:43

Is there a universally agreed-upon song of the summer? These days, not really! So we asked some notable cultural figures for their personal favorites. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

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Topher Payne: The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries 1:14:04

29d ago1:14:04

1:14:04

One of the most divisive books in children’s literature is Shel Silverstein’s "The Giving Tree," the story of a dysfunctional relationship between a boy and a sentient apple tree who gives him everything she has, from her apples and leaves to her branches and trunk, until all that's left is a stump. Meant as a parable of unconditional love, writer …

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Earl Sweatshirt Interview! On ‘Live Laugh Love,’ Growing Up in Odd Future & Becoming a Dad 1:08:12

1M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

The cult rapper, who broke out at 16, discusses his new album, his relationship with Tyler, the Creator and how he cut his own path around fame and into fatherhood. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

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The Music of Black Peru: Cultural Identity in the Black Pacific 59:04

1M ago59:04

59:04

The "Black Pacific" is a term coined by our guide, ethnomusicologist Heidi Carolyn Feldman. She describes the circumstance of African descendants displaced not only from their ancestral homes in Africa, but also from the Atlantic coast nations where their enslaved ancestors were originally brought.This Hip Deep edition explores the sonically vibran…

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Dan Cass Escapes from Alligator Auschwitz 1:15:21

1M ago1:15:21

1:15:21

After threatening Americans with raising their taxes by 68%, President Trump managed to strong-arm Republicans in Congress into passing his Big Burglary Bill: a sweeping economic and policy package that slashes healthcare funding, shuts down hospitals, inflates ICE’s budget to be larger than the Marines’, opens new concentration camps in Florida, a…

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Anticipating Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ 35:14

1M ago35:14

35:14

The singer’s twelfth album is being teased as a pivot back to pop bangers. We break down why (and why she announced it the way she did). Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

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BigXthaPlug Interview! From Solitary Confinement to Nashville’s Favorite Rapper 1:15:11

1M ago1:15:11

1:15:11

The Dallas M.C. traces his journey from high school football star to petty criminal to country music’s go-to collaborator, ahead of a new album featuring Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll and Ella Langley. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron A…

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Madagascar Medley 59:04

1M ago59:04

59:04

On a return trip to Madagascar, we catch up with and hear new music from tsapiky maestro Damily, the “King of Salegy” Jaojoby, an exciting new duo starring Sammy of Tarika Sammy, Toko Telo and more. This music-rich edition is filled with entrancing and hard-to-find roots pop. In the wake of 2018’s hard-fought presidential election, Madagascar faces…

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MGK Interview! On Bob Dylan, Megan Fox, Rehab & His New Pop Album 1:11:29

2M ago1:11:29

1:11:29

The polarizing rapper-turned-singer discusses making rock legends into fans, blowing up his life, the harrowing abuse that shaped him and his latest musical pivot, "Lost Americana." Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotif…

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New Sounds From Nigeria 59:04

2M ago59:04

59:04

Nigeria is the undisputed powerhouse of African pop music. Call it Naija Pop, Afrobeats, Afropop or what have you. The likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Olamide and Fireboy DML are giants on the scene. In this program we sample the latest from these and others - as well as action from the Afrobeat scene. We also speak with key ar…

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The Story of Bembeya Jazz 59:04

2M ago59:04

59:04

Guinea's legendary dance band, Bembeya Jazz, are a pillar of modern West African history. Begun in 1961 in the flush of Guinea's independence and Sekou Toure's maverick presidency, the band played under the inspired leadership of guitar giant Sekou "Bembeya" Diabate. This program delves into Bembeya history with a focus on the band's 60s and 70s he…

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Ethel Cain Interview! On Knowing When to Apologize & When to Stand Firm 1:18:29

2M ago1:18:29

1:18:29

The singer discusses returning to the spotlight following a successful debut, an ambient detour and some recent controversy. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.By The New York Times

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Blues Reflections 59:04

2M ago59:04

59:04

In this episode, Afropop dives into a celebration of the blues--for some, the essence of the American experience and for others a link back into a lost history in Africa. For our program, we also went back through a number of key interviews we've done over the years where the subject of blues came up, particularly in reference to the genre's Africa…

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Justin Bieber’s Experimental ‘Swag’ Resurgence 48:31

2M ago48:31

48:31

Discussing the era-defining pop singer’s most idiosyncratic and musically adventurous release to date. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.By The New York Times

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Chimurenga Legacy - Thomas Mapfumo and Mary Anibal 59:04

2M ago59:04

59:04

Afropop’s Banning Eyre published his prize-winning biography of Thomas Mapfumo, Lion Songs, in 2015. In this episode, he visits the Lion of Zimbabwe at his home in Eugene, Oregon, to discuss new music, the current state of Zimbabwe and more. We hear from Mapfumo’s latest album, Ndikutambire, and sneak previews of works in progress. We also meet 24-…

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Nollywood - Nigeria's Mirror 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

"Nollywood - Nigeria's Mirror" takes us to Lagos, the third largest film industry in the world. Scholars Jonathan Haynes and Onookome Okome serve as guides as we negotiate the intricacies and eccentricities of Nollyood's past and digital future. Nollywood films dramatize key tensions in contemporary Nigerian life, such as the relationship between t…

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Does Lorde Still Want to Be a Star? Our ‘Virgin’ Feelings 59:11

3M ago59:11

59:11

The beloved pop singer’s new album once again ponders whether being famous and obsessed over is all it’s cracked up to be. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.By The New York Times

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Queeny Bitch and the Windy City Comedy Festival 1:09:36

3M ago1:09:36

1:09:36

When the world is falling apart, sometimes the best thing you can do is make art. Just because Republicans are doing everything they can to crush the joy in people’s hearts, doesn't mean you can’t dumpster dive a feather boa, borrow a pair of heels and put on a show. Remember, that some of the greatest works of art have blossomed in the shadows of …

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Planet Afropop - The Other Sound of Kinshasa 45:29

3M ago45:29

45:29

The rumba and soukous of Congo-Zaire has infatuated listeners across the world for more than half a century. However, today in the neighborhoods of the capital, Kinshasa, there is a movement of musicians creating a new music that is at once more folkloric and rootsy as well as more innovative and cosmopolitan. Producer Nathaniel Braddock shares mus…

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Roots Reinvented in Mali and Egypt 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

Grammy nominated ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate and his 8 piece band Ngoni Ba wowed the crowd at Lincoln Center in 2011. Ngoni Ba re-wired the ancient ngoni to create a dense, 21st century sound. We'll hear the concert and talk with Bassekou about hunters, his precocious son, and his future plans. We hear a very different take on the ngoni from Si…

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Reacting to the Diddy Verdict 32:26

3M ago32:26

32:26

A conversation, immediately following the jury's decision on Wednesday, about how and why the music mogul was acquitted of the most serious charges at his sex trafficking trial. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

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From Burlesque to Bikes: Tamale Sepp on Dykes on Bikes, Pride, and Queer Power 1:22:38

3M ago1:22:38

1:22:38

A beloved Pride tradition around the world is the roar of Dykes on Bikes: a fierce motorcade of motorcycle mamas who kick off the parade with a chrome-plated spectacle of queer power, and noise. They first rolled onto the scene at San Francisco Pride in the mid-’70s and quickly became a staple all over the world. Inspired by those heavy-metal heroi…

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Off The Beaten Track in Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Beyond 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

This program ventures into corners of Africa we rarely hear from, guided by adventurous field recordists and crate diggers. The Zomba Prison Project is a set of recordings by inmates at a maximum security prison in Malawi, one of the poorest nations on earth. The project’s debut CD was nominated for a Grammy Award. Here, we speak with the producer,…

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Planet Afropop - Breaking into Afrobeats: Homegrown, Selfmade 56:27

3M ago56:27

56:27

Host FayFay sits with two emerging Nigerian artists whose paths are as bold as their sound: Looking for Avala and Inima. Avala opens up about her journey from sneaking into open mics in New York to navigating motherhood and music in Lagos. She reflects on her identity, independence, and the power of trusting her own voice literally and figuratively…

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Clipse Interview! Pusha T & Malice Speak on Kanye, Kendrick, Travis + Music Industry Mess 1:12:57

3M ago1:12:57

1:12:57

The duo of brothers discuss “Let God Sort Em Out,” its first album since 2009, and all the drama along the way. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythingfrom politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts oron Apple Podcasts and Spotify.By The New York Times

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Cuts from the Crypt 4: Zona Libre 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

DJ Crew Zona Libre take a break from throwing genre-defying parties and producing their own live events and podcasts to team up with Afropop for another edition of Cuts from the Crypt. Frequent Afropop producer Morgan Greenstreet (modrums) and Brooklyn-based Puerto Rican DJ Ricardo Luiggi (tres dos) dig through Afropop's extensive vinyl archives, s…