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ABOUT
Encanto Tropical is a two-hour radio show dedicated to salsa music with four unique spotlights. Hosted by Japan-based DJ Angel Figueroa, it is one of several programs offered by World Salsa Radio, an internet radio station for Latin music enthusiasts. Encanto Tropical broadcasts every 2nd and 4th Thursday, 05:00 Pacific Time (21:00 JST).
"Encanto Tropical" alternates between a 'spotlight' format (2nd Thursday) and a 'party' format (4th Thursday).
2nd Thursdays:
Either a full-length spotlight on a certain theme or four spotlights of 3 songs each on 1) newly-unreleased salsa, 2) Latin music by Japanese artists, 3) covers of Cuban classics and 4) a guest interview and their song selection. These are preceded by an introductory mix.
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Example shows are Episodes 9, 16, and 18 for thematic shows, and 1-8, 10-15, and 17 for guest shows. See Archives below.
4th Thursdays:
A salsa party mix with commentary featuring the best of contemporary and classic salsa.
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This is a new format starting from March 23, 2023.
Encanto Tropical
DJ Angel Figueroa
Every 2nd & 4th Thursday
21:00~23:00 Japan Time
05:00 PT / 08:00 ET / 12:00 UTC / 13:00 CET
(Standard Time)
How to listen
To tune in live, go to the link above. Then click the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Enjoy!
Chat Room
To participate in the live chat, first create a username in the white ChatRoom box (below the yellow player). Be sure to say "hi!"
Previous Shows
To discover older episodes, see Latest Episode or Archives below. To listen to any past episode, go to Replays.
Latest Episode
19
March Mix
March 23 2023
A highlight of this episode is the world radio debut of "Baile de los difuntos" an instrumental by award-winning bassist, composer, and band-leader Rubim de Toledo from Edmonton, Canada.
Also in the lineup are new releases by Joseph Torres and 5ta en Clave as well as rereleased oldies from Ray Perez and Belisario Lopez. And there's a special one by Enrique Chia in tribute to my parents, RIP.
(2:04:50 / 25 tracks)
Next Episode
20
guest feature
April 13 2023
Details TBA
01
Guest: DJ El Chino
Apr 14 2022
DJ El Chino (Solar Latin Club) is an internationally recognized deejay based in Cali, Colombia. His main focus is the promotion of contemporary salsa and Latin Jazz artists.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 1 are Yeziel Lazo & Lazos D'Cuba, Ayumi Suzuki, and Enrique Chia.
(2:07:20, 24 tracks)
02
Guest: DJ Gia FU
Apr 28 2022
DJ Gia Fu is not only a talented DJ but also an accomplished co-producer, as she took the salsa world by storm in 2021 with the release of Angel Melendez's Big Band Maquina.
Episode 2 features an artist spotlight on Dorance Lorza. Other featured artists include Pete Perignon, Dairo Todd, and Charly Hernandez.
(2:11:16, 26 tracks)
03
Guest: Manny Martinez
May 12 2022
Singer/songwriter Manny Martinez released the acclaimed Azabache album in 2000. The New York native resides in San Francisco where he performs with his band La Rebeldia.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 3 are Sr Ortegon, La Maxima 79, and Orquesta del Sol.
(2:20:06, 24 tracks)
06
Guest: G-Ya
June 23 2022
G-ya is a dancer, instructor, choreographer, and performer from the Republic of Korea. He answered several questions shortly after returning home from a salsa event in New York.
Among the spotlighted artists on Episode 6 are Tony Ávila, Buena Vibra Sextet, and Yacel Sagarra.
(2:02:17, 21 tracks)
07
Guest: Ryoko OHARA
July 14 2022
Ryoko Ohara is a pioneering instructor, performer, and choreographer, as well as the director of Eleggua Entertainment, based in Tokyo, Japan.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 7 are Aya Nakano, Fabio Gianni & DJ Max Cuba, and Nati y Su Charanga.
(2:01:37, 22 tracks)
08
Guest: Jan reijnders
July 28 2022
The musician, composer, and producer Jan Reijnders has released several unique salsa tracks that have become very popular among DJs and dancers alike.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 8 are Mixael Cabrera, Copa Salvo, and Ecos del Tivolí feat. Gilberto Santa Rosa.
(2:06:25, 23 tracks)
09
Mix Edition (EP. 1-4)
Aug 11 2022
This session is a departure from the usual format, with no spotlights, commentary, or guest. Instead, it is a straight-up mix with tracks selected from Episodes 1 to 4, rearranged according to key.
Among the featured artists are Jimmy Saa, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Orquesta Yare, La Maxima 79, Angel Melendez & Big Band Maquina, and Buena Vibra Sextet.
(3:07:37, 41 tracks)
10
Guest: DJ Nik
Aug 25 2022
Dubbed “Mr UnShazammable”, DJ Nik achieved recognition on CoBeatParty (a Facebook group) by live streaming unique DJ sets with rare tracks that went unrecognized by song-identifying apps such as Shazam.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 10 are Son de Kafe, Sabor Y Control, and La Excelencia.
(25 tracks, 2:07:56)
11
GuestS: Frankie Martinez & Lia Robertson
Sept 8 2022
Frankie Martinez is a leading salsa choreographer and dance educator while Lia Robertson is a dancer and dance coach. Both are based in New York City.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 11 are Fresto Music, Steven Brezet, and Jimmy Sabater.
(2:18:56, 26 tracks)
12
Guest: Sr Ortegon
Sept 22 2022
Sr Ortegon is a DJ, musician, composer, and producer based in Cali, Colombia. The Latin Grammy Award-nominee provides Latin-themed sound and music for film, TV, and commercials.
Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 12 are DJ Fabrizio & Dani De Santis, Alexander Guerra & D'Nuevo Son, Hisayo Yamada, and Nacho Sanabria.
(2:05:57, 25 tracks)
13
Guest: Felipe Martinez
Oct 13 2022
DJ Felipe Martinez, aka EldelaClaveSF, is an active member of the San Francisco Bay area salsa scene but also deejays internationally. In addition to being a salsa dance instructor, he is also the founder and CEO of World Salsa Radio, with his own show every Sunday.
Featured artists include Rico Walker, Jesus Pagán y Su Orquesta, and Manyoma Brothers.
(2:13:17, 26 tracks)
14
Guest: Fabrizio Zoro
Oct 27 2022
The celebrated Italian DJ Fabrizio Zoro is perhaps best known for his role leading one of Europe's most well-known salsa bands, La Maxima 79, but he is also a co-founder and artistic director of iLatin Music, a music publishing company based in Milan.
Songs by La Maxima 79 and Fabrizio Zoro are highlighted throughout the show.
(2:24:01, 27 tracks)
15
Guest: Nora
Nov 10 2022
The Japanese salsa diva Nora has released a new solo album, "Salud a la Vida", marking 40 years as a salsa singer as the lead vocalist of Orquesta de La Luz, the pioneering Japanese salsa band that debuted in the early 1990s.
Songs by Orquesta de la Luz are highlighted throughout the show. The guest showcase includes three songs from Nora's recent album.
(2:12:40, 24 tracks)
16
LATIN Japan in Focus
Nov 24 2022
Every episode of Encanto Tropical features 3 samples of Latin music by Japanese artists. I do this to help promote Japanese artists who are generally unknown internationally. As a resident of Japan, it has been interesting to follow the Latin music scene and collect music that I am happy to share with listeners. In Episode 16, I take a break from the usual show structure and instead play several songs by Japanese artists from past episodes, plus some new ones.
(2:00:52, 23 tracks)
17
Guest: Bongohead
Dec 8 2022
The prolific writer Pablo Yglesias, aka Bongohead, regularly demonstrates his vast knowledge of the history and scope of Latin music in his posts on Instagram. Also significant is his work as curator, not just in media (poster and album cover art for exhibition purposes), but also in reissued albums and compilations, most recently for VampiSoul (Munster Records). In addition, he stays busy as a regular DJ and in co-managing the record label Peace and Rhythm.
(2:11:21, 21 tracks)
18
Best salsa of 2022with guest dj Rem
Dec 22 2022
DJ Rem from France and I team up to choose our favourite salsa tracks of the year. Since early January we have worked on a Spotify playlist of salsa songs released in 2022. As the year comes to a close, we go over the list of almost 500 items to share what we consider the best 25 tracks -- not an easy task!
