Globally, the musical genres most people associate with Dominicans are merengue and bachata, but there’s another set of rhythms that are essential to the spirit of the country, and that’s Afro-Dominican roots music.
Yasser Tejeda & Palotré blend some of the country’s black roots rhythms like palo and salve, with jazz and hip hop to bring a new spin to local sounds—and to reimagine what it means to be Dominican.
For this latest Live From Latino USA, the group performs “Nuestras Raíces” and “Amor Arrayano” from their latest album, Kijombo.
On Tuesday, Yasser Tejeda & Palotré will be featured on Latino USA‘s latest episode, so check it out wherever you get your podcasts.
This video was co-produced by Jeanne Montalvo and Amanda Alcántara.
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NPR’s Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, produced by Futuro Media, is the longest-running Latino-focused program on U.S. public media.
