Get To Know Afro-Brazilian Music With This Alt.Latino Mixtape

To me, one of the most fascinating things about the cultural history of the African diaspora is how rhythms and beats from west Africa spread throughout the so-called "New World" and were interpreted so differently that each country with a history of slavery developed its own distinct rhythmic identity.

Think about it: There are some not-so-subtle differences between Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian music. There is a resurgence of Afro-Colombian music that has virtually no sonic resemblance to the music made by Mexicans of African descent.

And yet they are all connected to Africa.

This week we continue our celebration of Black History Month by listening to Afro-Brazilian music in the context of contemporary Brazilian sounds. Brazil is a very big and ethnically diverse country, so we can't cover all of the musical bases — but you'll hear the most variety we could fit into a single show!

—Felix Contreras

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.