For episode 477, local musician Ilia Ilia joins me in the studio with a deeply personal selection of Afro-Latin grooves, tracing connections between ancestral traditions, contemporary interpretations, and the vibrant creative spirit of the Bay Area.
From Colombian gaitas and Pacific marimba to Cuban rumba, Puerto Rican folkloric rhythms, Malian sounds, and modern artists carrying these traditions forward, her selection celebrates music as a living, evolving conversation across the African Diaspora.
Along the way, Bay Area voices like La Doña, Orchestra Gold, and Bayonics remind us that these rhythms continue to find new homes and new stories right here in our own community.
Playlist
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Golpe by Chamir Bonano on Amí Plin (Pasillo Sonoro Studio) -
Fuego en Bucaná by Modesto Cepeda (Discos Cangrejo) -
Dámelo (feat. Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto) by La Doña on Corrientes (Text Me Records) New Local -
Marucha by Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto (CBS) -
Fandango, Arrullo y Batey by Neblinas del Pacífico, Eryen Korath (That's Love Records) New Local -
Mi Gallo Corococó by Grupo Naidy on ¡Arriba Suena Marimba! (Smithsonian Folkways) -
Diyanye Ko by Orchestra Gold on Dakan (Self-Released) New Local -
Sosso by Super Djata Band De Bamako on Authentique 80 (Disco Rama) -
Oyeme Aggayu by Celia Cruz Con La Sonora Matancera on Tributo A Los Orishas (Musica Del Sol) -
Yoruba Oya by Yoruba Andabo on Rumba En La Habana Con... (AYVA Musica) -
Cocinarte by Cimafunk, La Tribu (Terapia Productions) -
Flawless by Bayonics on Flawless (City Roots Records) New Local -
Bajito A Selva by Rita Indiana y Los Misterios on El Juidero (Sony Music Latin) -
Mujer Perfecta by Pambelé (La Ruche • Le Label)