Explaining The Song That’s Defined The Uprising In Cuba

Plus, a Tiny Desk (home) concert from Vince Staples. [View this email online]( [NPR Music]( by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna [Gente de Zona's "Patria y Vida" reclaims a slogan made popular at the birth of the Cuban revolution, "Patria o Muerte" (Homeland or Death), 62 years ago.]( Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images One phrase has come to represent the recent protests in Cuba more than any other: “patria y vida,” meaning homeland and life. These words are also the title of a song of the same name released earlier this year, but the significance and context are deeper and more complicated than a simple slogan. So we asked our colleague Ana Sayre of the Alt.Latino podcast to share some of the story around “Patria y Vida”: As a person who thinks, writes, talks and breathes music, you spend a lot of time trying to convince everyone around you that striking bars and seamless melody can be as significant to the universe as they are to your daily life. Enter “Patria y Vida,” the bold piece of resistance hip-hop that is [taking Cuba by storm]( and standing as a shining example of music meeting a moment and catapulting it forward. Written by a group of Cuban artists – some in exile, some still in Havana – it has served as unofficial anthem for some of the [largest anti-Cuban government uprisings]( to emerge both on the island and across the world in recent history. When the Alt.Latino team first heard about the song, which itself is a cleverly-named play on the longstanding mantra of the Cuban government, “patria o muerte” (“homeland or death”), we knew it demanded unpacking. What we ended up with was a week-long excavation of history and cultural references – not only those alluded to within the lyrics, but also living outside them. On this week’s episode – [available now in the Alt.Latino podcast feed]( or wherever else you find podcasts – we talk to protestors and journalists on the ground in Cuba, historians overseas and one of the song’s writers; we unpack the island’s long history of music as protest, how oppression informs culture and even address the question of whether the [CIA may be involved](. As we journeyed to Havana and back in our reporting, one thing became clear: [Music es el corazón de nuestra cultura](. “Todo ha cambiado ya no es lo mismo,” Ana Sayre --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- New Music - There’s a new Kanye West record, but you can’t hear it yet – well, at least not at the time that this email is being written. On [this week’s All Songs Considered New Music Friday show]( you’ll hear about DONDA from someone who attended the album’s listening party in Atlanta, plus new music from Leon Bridges, a solo project from Chicano Batman’s Bardo Martinez and a Nina Simone tribute from the singer Ledisi and more. - Christone “Kingfish” Ingram hails from Clarksdale, Miss., the birthplace of the blues, and in recent years, he’s become one of the genre’s newest luminaries. His second album, 662, is an exploration of his home and an excavation of the blues. Ahead of release, he [spoke to Morning Edition’s newest host A Martínez]( (welcome, A!); this week, he also joined World Cafe contributor and Music Inside Out host Gwen Thompkins for an [NPR Music Listening Party](. - This week’s episode of All Songs Considered [features a couple exciting collaborations]( Nate Amos (from from Water From Your Eyes) and Lily Konigsberg (from Palberta) have a spunky and fun project called My Idea, plus Bonnie "Prince" Billy and guitarist Nathan Salsburg team up as part of a podcast about murder ballads. - [Willow Smith is finally having fun](. The 20-year old artist, known as WILLOW, has been creating and releasing music since she was nine – but, as she tells our colleague LaTesha Harris, her recent pivot to pop-punk is the result of overcoming resistance and insecurity about her place as a Black woman in the genre. - #NowPlaying is our blog that features the very best new songs, every day. This week’s selections includes a powerful, slow-building ballad from [Brandi Carlile]( a bold and brave move from [The War On Drugs]( and a transmission of bliss from [Sun-El Musician](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring - This week, the NEA celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Jazz Masters Fellowship and [inducted the class of 2022]( including four jazz icons: Billy Hart, Stanley Clarke, Cassandra Wilson and Donald Harrison, Jr. Also this week: The [44th Kennedy Center Honorees]( were announced, including Berry Gordy, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler and Justino Díaz. - From New Edition and New Kids On The Block in the ‘80s to BTS today – with the heyday of *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys in between – boy bands have been a gateway for plenty of young music fans. Author and NPR Music contributor Maria Sherman [joined Pop Culture Happy Hour]( to trace a modern history of boy bands. - This year, our Turning the Tables series is asking writers one question: What album changed your life? To answer this question, [writer Lindsay Zoladz traced Fiona Apple’s journey]( from her debut album, Tidal, to her more recent work – and reflected on how much we can learn from our past selves. - Released 50 years ago this month, Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain contains maybe two of the most influential notes in funk-rock history. NPR’s Eric Deggans examines how a group that started as a Motown-style R&B outfit unleashed [one of the most important guitar anthems of the decade](. - Confessional songs are all over the pop charts, from Tyler, The Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost to Olivia Rodrigo's Sour. It made our colleague [Ann Powers wonder]( What do musicians who blend fact and fiction owe to the real-life subjects of their songs? - From NPR Live Sessions: [Mitch Easter talks with KCRW’s Anne Litt]( about producing REM’s single “Radio Free Europe” and shares a few stories about the first version of the song. --------------------------------------------------------------- Tiny Desk [Vince Staples performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert.]( NPR When Vince Staples released his recent self-titled record, he told NPR Music contributor Jenny Gathright that it was the [album he’d always wanted to make](. In his [long-awaited Tiny Desk (home) concert]( he recreates the sound of the record with the players who helped make it, peppering the set with his signature sense of humor between songs. Also this week, we shared two sets that combine soothing sounds and heavy topics: from [The Weather Station]( who performed tracks inspired by the climate crisis in the woods of Mulmur in Ontario, Canada, and from [Maple Glider]( who performed songs about religion, identity and relationships in front of comforting landscape paintings. --------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing ⚾ [Play ball]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprmusic@npr.org](mailto:nprmusic@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on [Spotify]( and [Apple Music]( You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]