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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 1 are Yeziel Lazo & Lazos D'Cuba, Ayumi Suzuki, and Enrique Chia.
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(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.
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Episode 2 features an artist spotlight on Dorance Lorza. Other featured artists include Pete Perignon, Dairo Todd, and Charly Hernandez.
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(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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 3 are Sr Ortegon, La Maxima 79, and Orquesta del Sol.
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(2:20:06, 24 tracks)
05
Guest: Giany Despointes
June 9 2022
Giany Despointes is a trombone player based in Montreal, Canada, where he founded and directs Lengaïa Salsa Brava orchestra.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 5 are Zontabogo Salsa Na Ma, and Ricky Campanelli, and Ken Morimura.
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(2:17:17, 25 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.
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Among the spotlighted artists on Episode 6 are Tony Ávila, Buena Vibra Sextet, and Yacel Sagarra.
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(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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 7 are Aya Nakano, Fabio Gianni & DJ Max Cuba, and Nati y Su Charanga.
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(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.
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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
Recap (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.
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Among the featured artists are Jimmy Saa, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Orquesta Yare, La Maxima 79, Angel Melendez & Big Band Maquina, and Buena Vibra Sextet.
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(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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 10 are Son de Kafe, Sabor Y Control, and La Excelencia.
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(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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 11 are Fresto Music, Steven Brezet, and Jimmy Sabater.
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(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.
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Among the spotlighted artists in Episode 12 are DJ Fabrizio & Dani De Santis, Alexander Guerra & D'Nuevo Son, Hisayo Yamada, and Nacho Sanabria.
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(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.
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Featured artists include Rico Walker, Jesus Pagán y Su Orquesta, and Manyoma Brothers.
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(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.
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Songs by La Maxima 79 and Fabrizio Zoro are highlighted throughout the show.
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(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.
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Songs by Orquesta de la Luz are highlighted throughout the show. The guest showcase includes three songs from Nora's recent album.
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(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.
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(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.
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(2:11:21, 21 tracks)
18
Best salsa Of 2022 (with 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!
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(2:04:50 / 27 tracks)
19
Solo
March 23 2023
A highlight of this episode is the world radio debut of "Baile para los Difuntos" an instrumental by award-winning bassist, composer, and band-leader Rubim de Toledo from Edmonton, Canada.
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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.
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(2:04:50 / 27 tracks)
20
Guest:
Rumbera la Andaluza
April 13 2023
Up to now, guests have been musicians, DJs, and dance instructors, but spotlighting a dancer is good, too. A frequent traveler to dance events around Europe -- and a regular audience member of salsa radio shows and live streams -- Rumbera la Andaluza is a fine example of the same level of dedication towards salsa that past guests show, too. Tune in to hear her thoughts and of course her selection of 3 songs in Spotlight 4 for the show!
(2:08:58 / 29 tracks)
24
millennium throwback
June 22 2022
The session follows my recent style of building a mix on a given theme, with little speaking and more flow, providing attribution in voiceovers over short looped segments of a track. The session theme is a throwback to the early years of the millennium, when I was very active as a club DJ and event organizer.
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(2:07:14, 25 tracks)
25
Salsa Piano
July 13 2023
This show spotlights 21 salsa tracks which include masterful piano — all from the 1970s. I cover a range of pianists playing in both the roles of background rhythm and piano solo. It’s a high definition recording.
This was the 25th edition of Encanto Tropical, so it’s a pleasing milestone for me, however small. Thanks to everyone who has have supported me so far.
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(2:04:44, 21 tracks)
26
MIsc Mix
Sept 14 2023
Episode 26 is an on-the-fly mix featuring mostly vintage salsa. There is no specific theme. No guest, either. I had no time to prep, so I just played track to track... Good fun! The audio setup is in my new home, and you can hear the evening crickets chirping in the background when I speak.
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(1:57:02, 30 tracks)
27
For a Cancer Warrior
Sept 28 2023
Episode 27 is dedicated to a friend who recently started chemotherapy. When I suggested lifting their spirits by making a mix during this challenging time, my friend replied "let the music make me dream". So I will focus on brass-infused salsa cuts because that is what this person likes. There's a mix of classics and rarities.
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(2:00:26, 27 tracks)
28
INTERVIEW: DJ BORIQUA
Oct 19 2023
This Encanto Tropical comes with the theme of salsa from Puerto Rico. This serves as a backdrop for an interview with DJ BoriQua, host of “Afincando con DJ BoriQua”, a great program in the World Salsa Radio lineup. Along with 22 tracks representing several Puerto Rican salsa artists, both new and old, there are three songs recommended by our guest.
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(2:05:37, 25 tracks)
30
Twenty-five Faves of 2023
Dec 28 2023
My preferred tracks of the year are selected from DJ Rem's Spotify Playlist, Contemporary Salsa (2023 Releases) totalling over 500 songs. It was not easy selecting my favourite 25 tracks from such a collossal number, but I managed to include a range of artists, both well-known and lesser-known ones. These tracks resonate with me and I think deserve some recognition; however, I underscore that this is a very personal selection and not intended as authoritative.
(2:05:37, 25 tracks)
31
Faves of 2023, Part 2
Jan 11 2024
In this session I pick up where I left off in the last show, playing more salsa gems released in 2023. It turns out that with so much good material and several lesser-known artists worthy of recognition, a selection of just twenty-five tracks to represent the year is simply not enough. So I revisit the 2023 Spotify playlist and play outtakes, missed tracks, and even a few newly discovered ones, such as material released late in the year. That means another 25 salsa songs!
(2:05:14, 26 tracks)
32
MambOki 20th Anniversary
Jan 25 2024
Two weeks ago I had the thrill of deejaying at a weekend event in Okinawa marking the 20th Anniversary of MambOki Latin Dance Studio, run by Erik Rodriguez, whose talents as a performer, instructor, and mentor deserve high praise. Congrats to him!
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Episode 32 is made up of tracks from playlists used for my two sets at the event on Friday and Saturday.
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(2:01:10, 26 tracks)
33
Cuban Session
Feb 8 2024
I had the pleasure being the supporting DJ at an album-release concert and 10th anniversary of the Japanese salsa band called Son D' K.Libre, based in Osaka.
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Episode 33 is an all-Cuban setting to spotlight songs from both Son D' K.Libre and the duo of Yacel and Aya, both members of the band. (Yacel is the director, composer, lead singer, and guitarist, while Aya is a multi-talented vocalist, too.​
(2:06:11, 24 tracks)
35
Fania Records: 60 Years
May 9
In 1964, Fania Records was founded. Its drive, vision, and and impact on the burgeoning Latin music scene in the USA and beyond was incredible. Many regard the first decades of Fania as the golden years of the musical style that was to become known as salsa. This was not without controversy, but the incredible talent and work of the artists under this label deserve recognition. In Episode 35, I go over several songs from Fania that influenced my growth as a salsa DJ.
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(25 tracks, 2:03:30)
36
Versions
June 13 2024
Salsa is full of so-called 'covers'. In Episode 36, I shed light on a few interesting versions which either cross genres or were remade from elsewhere in the Latin music world.
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Included are tracks by Africando, Irving Manuel, Melcochita, and Mambo Legends Orchestra.
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(2:04:20, 25 tracks)
37
OPen Session (3)
June 27
This is an open session with no fixed theme. Mixed are old and new salsa songs, with a few standards, personal faves, and left-field material.
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Featured bands include Orquesta Yare, Raphy Leavitt y La Selecta, Aché Cubano, the Lebron Brothers, and Veruska Verdu.
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(25 tracks, 2:03:30)
38
CUBAN SESSION (3)
July 11 2024
Inspired by a fun night of spinning exclusively Cuban salsa at a gig in May, I dip into the playlist to create my third all-Cuban session.
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Included are tracks by Manana Club, Lazarito Valdez y Bamboleo, Lios Choko, Timbalive, and Pirulo y La Tribu.
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(1:58:22, 26 tracks)
39
La Vida
June 27
This show features songs which contain the Spanish word for 'life' (vida) in the lyrics. My aim was to weave together a collection of songs with poignant lyrics about the wonder and mystery of.... life.
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Featured artists/bands include Hector Lavoe, Herman Olivera, Orquesta Yare, and Cuba Libre Son Band.
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(27 tracks, 1:59:20)
40
Fabulous Solos
Aug 8 2024
Episode 40 highlights salsa songs with a great solo section, whether with piano or other instrument types like strings, brass, percussion, and bass.​
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Featured solo artisits include Larry Harlow, Mongo Santamaria, Alfredo de la Fe, Israel Lopez 'Cachao' and José Mangual Jr.
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(2:05:07, 24 tracks)
41
Tite Curet Alonso tribute
Aug 22 2024
Episode 41 is a tribute to songwriter Catalino Curet Alonso, who is considered one of the most prolific (and important) composers in salsa, having composed more than 2000 songs, many of which are considered salsa anthems.
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Featured artists/bands include Hector Lavoe, Lebron Brothers, Manny Martinez, Cheo Feliciano, Joe Quijano, and Tommy Olivencia.
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(24 tracks, 1:58:58)
