Listen "The Mighty Amazon"
Episode Synopsis
The Amazon River basin has long been a mystery to Brazil. Located far from the centers of business and power in the nation's southeast, the jungle provinces of the Brazilian north have long been ignored by the nation at large. But recently, Brazilians have discovered that the cities and waterways of the Amazon are home to some of the nation's hottest music. In this Hip Deep episode—a musical history of Pará state, where Afro-Caribbean influences have created a unique local flavor that connects the dots between Brazilian music and the rest of Latin America, we check out the guitar heroes of old-school Amazonian dance bands, investigate the origins of the early '90s lambada dance craze, and explore the bubblegum bass culture of tecno brega. Featured interviews with singer Gaby Amarantos, lambada revivalist Felipe Cordeiro and ethnomusicologist Darien Lamen, among others.
APWW #691
Lead Producer: Marlon Bishop
Assistant Production: Saxon Baird, Joe Dobkin
APWW #691
Lead Producer: Marlon Bishop
Assistant Production: Saxon Baird, Joe Dobkin
More episodes of the podcast Afropop Worldwide
Afropop Soundsystem
07/01/2026
Jewish Communities of Sub-Saharan Africa
02/01/2026
Ghana - Celebration Sounds
25/12/2025
Tarab - The Art of Ecstasy in Arab Music
18/12/2025
Luiz Gonzaga - The King of Baiao
11/12/2025
Hip Deep in the Niger Delta
04/12/2025
Hip Deep in Madagascar: Songs of the North
03/12/2025
Quelbe - Hidden Treasure of the Caribbean
21/11/2025
Kickin' It in Cabo Verde
13/11/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.