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Last week’s Encanto Tropical (2:04:44, 21 tracks) is ready for replay - see below. 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. Full attribution is given in the show. Most of the tracks are standards; my aim was not to showcase rare songs but rather curate mostly classics. Featured pianists are the following. Sonny Bravo Gilberto ‘Pulpo’ Colon Markolino Dimond Andres Dorios Wayne Gorbea Hernán Gutiérrez Larry Harlow Oscar Hernández Rafael Ithier Enrique "Culebra" Iriarte Papo Lucca Eddie Martinez Jorge Millet Charlie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri Ricardo Ray Edwin Rodriguez Joe Torres Javier Vasquez REPLAY EPISODE 25 NExt episode 26 Misc Mix Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Last week my set opened the 3 Year Anniversary Fundraising event for World Salsa Radio. It is great to be a part of the DJ team! See below for replay. For this one hour session, my playlist is made of 11 preferred tunes from the last three years. It was a very simple setup because I did not have much time to prepare! Full attribution is provided in the show. The artists are as follows. Angel Melendez & Big Band Maquina DDLO Fresto Music Gerardo Rosales Luis Vazquez El Nene León New Swing Sextet Orquesta Yare Papa Orbe & Los Científicos Del Sabor Ricky Campanelli Tromboranga REPLAY WSR - 3 Year anniversary Set 1 (DJ Angel) NExt episode 26 Misc Mix Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

This weekend I'm meeting up with DJ Frankie Flores, who is visiting Japan. Together we share some tunes in a Facebook live stream with lots of underground salsa. Join us! Sofrito Guest DJ Frankie Flores Facebook Live Saturday, July 8: 09:00-11:00 (Japan time) 5pm PT / 8pm ET July 7 / 02:00 CET July 8 See the FB Event page for details

Episode 25 is a sort of milestone, however small. It spotlights the piano in 1970s salsa. The piano has versatility in salsa for its roles in rhythm, melody, and harmony. Although easy to hear, sometimes the piano just blends with other percussive instruments. At other times it switches from this background role to function as a prominent element of a song, such as in a solo. Whether as a solo or part of the multilayered rhythms comprising a salsa tune, the piano has special appeal for me. When considering salsa's golden era -- let's say the 1970s -- there are several pianists that come to mind, such as Eddie Palmieri, Markolino Dimond, Joe Torres, Papo Lucca, Javier Vazquez, Alfredito Linares, and Larry Harlow, to name just a few. In this edition of Encanto Tropical we will listen to them and others. I have highlighted the piano in salsa on other occasions, such as the following. Episode 25 of Encanto Tropical compiles another two hours' worth of songs with amazing piano work -- all from the golden era of salsa. In truth, there are too many great examples to squeeze into one show, so my selection will be limited, and in no way are my choices meant to be authoritative. This is not about the "best" in salsa piano; it is just a small selection of songs which I find noteworthy. I hope listeners enjoy it and find inspiration to seek other great examples of 'salsa piano'. Encanto Tropical 25 DJ Angel Figueroa www.WorldSalsaRadio.com "Salsa Piano" Thu July 13, 21:00 Japan Time 05:00 PT / 08:00 ET / 12:00 UTC / 14:00 CET To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio w/ DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Click 'subscribe' (below) to get email updates about Encanto Tropical! Visit World Salsa Radio for more shows

Yesterday's Episode 24 was great fun (2:07:14 / 25 tracks). The replay link is below. This session follows my recent style of building a mix on a given theme, with little speaking and more flow, while providing attribution using voiceovers in short, looped segments of a song. The session is a throwback to the 2000s, when I was active as a club DJ and event organizer and building my collection with tunes of both new releases and older material. Now, two decades later, the new music from that time feels very nostalgic. It brings back great memories, so I thought it would be interesting to highlight my favourite tracks from that time, specifically the dance floor tunes I played at my main social event,"Shine", in Osaka, Japan. So this episode is a trip down memory lane! Full attribution is provided in the show. The artists are as follows. Africando All Stars Angel Francisco Augusto Enríquez y Su Mambo Band Black Sugar Sextet Caché Conjunto Azabache Direct Latin Influence El Gran Combo El Timba Grupo Caribe Jesus Diaz Y Su Qba Jimmy Sabater Kimbawe La Excelencia Las Estrellas Caiman Latin Giants of Jazz Los Afro-Salseros De Senegal Manolito Simonet y Su Trabuco Mario Ortiz All Star Band Moncho Rivera Orquesta La Palabra Papo Ortega Presents Cubanoson The Spanish Harlem Orchestra Wayne Gorbea Yuri Buenaventura REPLAY EPISODE 24 NExt episode 25 Salsa Piano Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Up next for Episode 24 is a session on salsa from the 2000s. This will be special fun... It was shortly before the start of the millennium that I began deejaying and organizing events, so by the year year 2000 I was fully hooked as a salsa DJ. During this time I discovered so much material -- both old and new -- to play at my gigs, but it is the music released in the 2000s that has become especially nostalgic to listen to recently, as it reminds me of my golden era of deejaying. Some great memories... In Episode 24 of Encanto Tropical, I mix about 25 songs from the years 2000-2009. These are personal favourites that became signature dancefloor tunes at my social event "Shine" in Osaka and at other gigs. For salsa lovers who started their musical journey during the 2000s, it might be especially interesting to find songs on the show that rekindle memories! For those who started salsa much later, this session could be interesting from a historical point of view. Either way, I hope it will be a fun show of 'deep Latin vibes' in this special throwback session -- rekindling the millennial era of salsa! Encanto Tropical 24 DJ Angel Figueroa www.WorldSalsaRadio.com "Millennial throwback!" Thu June 22, 21:00 Japan Time 05:00 PT / 08:00 ET / 12:00 UTC / 14:00 CET To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Episode 23 is up (2:00:24 / 27 tracks). Click the replay link at the bottom of this page. Featured is the unique Cuban salsa sound, including both non-Cuban and Cuban musicians, with a balance between Cuban-based musicians and those in the diaspora. There was a huge range of material to select from, so choices were limited to fairly new releases. Still, there are a number of songs I had to pass over due to the time limit, but it will be easy to make up for this with another "Cuban session" in the future. Stay tuned. Full attribution is provided in the show. The artists are as follows. Alberto García & Alcibiades Durruthy (feat. Juan Munuía) Alexander Abreu Alexander Guerra, D’Nuevo Son Berna Jam Christian y Rey Combinación de La Habana Criss y la Descarga Eduardo Sandoval El Micha El Rubio Loco Elito Revé y su Charangón Formell y Los Van Van Havana D’Primera Issac Delgado Joel Torres El Cata Manana Club y Papucho Manolito Simonet Y Su Trabuco Maravillas de Florida Maurizio Donà Maykel Flores Mixael Cabrera Pascualito Cabrejas y su Tumbao Habana Plena 79 Ray Garcia DJ, DJ El Dan (feat. Dayan) Soneros All Stars Sounds of Cuba Timbalive Willy Chirino REPLAY EPISODE 23 NExt episode 24 Millennium Throwback - Salsa from the 2000s Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Up next is an all-Cuban mix for Episode 23 of Encanto Tropical on World Salsa Radio. Tune in for some fire... Arrancando motores para el próximo show de mi programa radial Encanto Tropical (#23) a través de WorldSalsaRadio. Es una mezcla de música cubana contemporánea (información de abajo). World Salsa Radio の次回の Encanto Tropical 放送に向けてプレイリストを準備中です。すべて現代キューバ音楽。 Encanto Tropical 23 DJ Angel Figueroa www.worldsalsaradio.com Thu June 8 / 21:00 Japan (120min) 05:00 PT• 08:00 ET • 12:00 UTC • 14:00 CET Featured Artists: Alberto García & Alcibiades Durruthy (feat. Juan Munuía) Alexander Abreu Alexander Guerra, D’Nuevo Son Berna Jam Christian y Rey Combinación de La Habana Criss y la Descarga Eduardo Sandoval El Micha El Rubio Loco Elito Revé y su Charangón Formell y Los Van Van Havana D’Primera Issac Delgado Joel Torres El Cata Manana Club y Papucho Manolito Simonet Y Su Trabuco Maykel Flores Maravillas de Florida Maurizio Donà Mixael Cabrera Pascualito Cabrejas y su Tumbao Habana Plena 79 Ray Garcia DJ, DJ El Dan (feat. Dayan) Soneros All Stars Sounds of Cuba Timbalive Willy Chirino Encanto Tropical, E23 www.WorldSalsaRadio.com DJ Angel Figueroa "Cuban Session" Thu June 8, 21:00 Japan Time 05:00 PT / 08:00 ET / 12:00 UTC / 14:00 CET To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Number 22 is now up (1:58:45 / 24 tracks). Click the replay link at the bottom of this page. This version has no guest showcase or spotlights. Instead, I feature songs played from my gig at last Saturday's Mambongo! 5/6 (Sat) in Tokyo... and *only* songs that I have never played on Encanto Tropical. Spinning at Mambongo was certainly great fun -- as always -- and I hope listeners enjoy this selection of tracks from that night. Artists featured are the following. Listen to the show for full attribution. Anaïs Abreu, Pio Leyva, Rudy Calzado, Tata Güines Rey Caney Con Orquesta Antonio Cartagena Oscar D'Leon Alexander Guerra, D'Nuevo Son Bentho Gustave Titiou Emilio Campos Conjunto Selección de Philadelphia Irving Manuel DJ Maurizio Doná La Maxima 79, DJ Pepe Bassan Grupo Nueva Gente Angel Melendez, Big Band Maquina New Swing Sextet Pablito y Su Charanga (DJ Venot Remix) Papa Orbe & Los Científicos del Sabor Eduardo Padua, Dominique Patrick Noël Rikuson All-Stars Los Rocket's Ruben Salas and His Salsa Orchestra La Santa Rumba The Tony Rojas Orquesta Tromboranga Hector Zalsumba Rivera REPLAY EPISODE 22 NExt episode 23 Cuban Session Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

It was great fun doing Episode 21. Replay is available below. The theme was salsa from the 1970s. Twenty-eight tracks were selected -- both well-known standards and rarities -- by the following artists. Roberto Angleró y Su Combo Conjunto Borincuba Angel Canales Willie Colón & Hector Lavoe Mickey Cora y Orquesta Cábala Chivirico Davila Nelson Feliciano & His Orchestra Fuego '77 Wayne Gorbea y Su Conjunto Salsa Kako The Lebron Brothers Los Hermanos Lopez Ismael Miranda con Orchestra Harlow La Muralla New Swing Sextet Ray Olan Tommy Olivencia y Su Orquesta Orquesta Revolucion '70 Tony Pabón y La Protesta Ismael Rivera y Sus Cachimbos The Tony Rojas Orchestra Jimmy Sabater Luis Santi Gilberto Sextet Bobby Valentin Javier Vázquez y Su Salsa Tata Vazquez & His Orchestra Johnny Ventura y Su Combo Show REPLAY EPISODE 21 NExt episode 22 Mambongo Replay Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

DJ ALERT DJ El Chino of Solar Latin Club provides a great review of Baila para los Difuntos by Rubim de Toledo... a track which I am helping promote. Rubim de Toledo is an award-winning bassist from western Canada whose newest album release, scheduled for August 2023, will include "Danza para los Difuntos" -- as yet unreleased on any media or on any streaming platforms. DJs, check it out on SoundCloud in the link below -- DM me if you are interested in a copy.

A week ago my home studio was the venue for a salsa live stream event and fundraiser where 5 invited DJs and me marked my birthday. The event was great fun, there was a good audience, and we managed to collect about ¥149,000 (US$1100) in donations for one of my preferred charities, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. MSF is an important organization that provides crucial humanitarian medical assistance in several hotspots around the world, often under dangerous circumstances for its dedicated medical works and staff. It relies almost entirely on donations, so it’s crucial for gather grassroots support for support it. I’m very pleased and proud of the team of DJs and our generous audience for crossing the US$1000 threshold. In the big scheme of things, it’s not that much, but every little bit counts. The spirit of collective action and awareness-raising is important, too. Find out more about Medecins Sans Frontières. This fundraising project is a yearly event. I do it every birthday for MSF. Participating DJs this year were DJ Eddie Hunt, DJ Hong, DJ Atsushi A-Chango, DJ Mosquetero, and DJ Nik. What lineup! The video of the event, Angel's Birthday Salsa, is available for replay on my Facebook timeline. Six hours' worth! Check it out! With warm thanks to everyone who contributed who contributed to the cause.