Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York

NEW PODCAST ALERT: Muy Excited with Maria Garcia

Maria was watching the Benito Bowl when an unexpected artist came on: the one and only Ricky Martin. He sang one of Bad Bunny’s most political, anti-colonial anthems. Mar

BONUS: The Cinderella Story of New York Legend Joe Bataan

Senior Producer Jeanne Montalvo sat down to chat with Afro-Filipino singer-songwriter and New York legend Joe Bataan at the Bronx Music Heritage Center in 2024. As you’v

8. The End of Fania and the Rebirth of Salsa

Fania Records is changing. Co-owner Jerry Masucci wants to sell the company but his partner Johnny Pacheco refuses to sell. Tensions rise between the two, until an allege

7. You Reap What You Siembra

New kid on the block Ruben Blades moves from Panama to New York City. He gets a job in the mail room at Fania Records, where he tries to pitch his music. Eventually, he g

6. Fania Finds its Roots in Africa

At the height of Fania’s success, the label’s artists are invited to Zaire to perform at a highly anticipated boxing match. For many of these Black artists, this is the f

5. A Tale of Two Women

In the 1960s and ‘70s, two Afro-Cuban women dominated stages from Havana to New York City. They are La Lupe and Celia Cruz, both virtuosic, vibrant artists. But Fania Rec

4. The Year Fania got Political

By 1973, drummer Ray Barretto is determined to make a high-stakes comeback and to make a political statement about the role of Salsa in the activism of the time. He’s set

3. The Night that Made Salsa

Larry Harlow, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, and one of the first artists to be signed to Fania, pitches an idea to film an ambitious live concert. His suggestion will drama

2. Real and Pretend Gangsters

In the mid 1960s, young musicians Joe Bataan and Willie Colón are quickly owning the boogaloo scene in East Harlem and the Bronx. The problem—Morris Levy, the mob boss wh

1. Fania Takes Nueva York

The 1960s brings social and political change to the world and to New York City, where a young Johnny Pacheco keeps people dancing with his orchestra and charanga music. T

Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York Trailer

In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened Fania Records, the “Motown of Salsa.” The artists from Fania toured the world, sold m