It’s been quite the year, for the United States and for Futuro Media. At Latino USA, we’re bringing you in-depth reporting from the front lines. At Futuro Studios, we’re developing ground-breaking shows like La Brega Season 3, which is set to premiere early next year.

In this special Giving Tuesday episode, Futuro Media founder Maria Hinojosa reflects on the year behind and the year ahead. She’s joined in conversation by Latino USA Managing Editor Fernanda Echavarri and Futuro Studios Executive Editor Maria Garcia.

The Futuro Plus Team includes producer Tasha Sandoval, production managers Victoria Estrada and Jessica Ellis, marketing manager Luis Luna, and development manager Danetsy Len. Mixing by Multitude Productions. 

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts. https://bit.ly/joinfuturoplus

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a sneak peek of our latest bonus episode for Futuro+ members. Alana and OG La Brega producer Ezequiel Rodríguez Andino break down how they make the show in two languages – something rarely done in podcasting. Plus, hear never before heard audio. 

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts. https://bit.ly/joinfuturoplus

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wepa! We’ve got big news for you: La Brega is back, directly from Futuro Studios! We’re in production right now on a third season and it’ll hit your headphones soon. In the meantime, we have a hint on what’s coming this season. So hit play to find out!

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts. https://bit.ly/joinfuturoplus

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

¡Wepa! Te traemos buenas noticias: ¡Regresa La Brega! Y llega directamente desde Futuro Studios. Estamos produciendo la tercera temporada, que podrás escuchar muy pronto. Pero, mientras, te dejamos algunas pistas de por dónde irán los nuevos episodios. ¡Dale play, pa que te enteres!

¿Quieres apoyar nuestro periodismo independiente? Únete a Futuro+ para disfrutar de episodios exclusivos, early access y el chisme detrás de La Brega y todos nuestros podcasts. https://bit.ly/joinfuturoplus

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The writer Esmeralda Santiago’s latest book, “Las Madres,” is an intergenerational story about Puerto Rico, our history, and what it means to remember it. She recently spoke with The New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham in an episode for The New Yorker Radio Hour, and we thought La Brega listeners would appreciate hearing this conversation about language and the longing. In 2008, Santiago suffered a stroke and had to relearn how to read words using some of the same strategies she had used to first learn English after moving to the States. In “Las Madres” a character named Luz has a similar experience. “For me, Luz is almost representative of Puerto Rico itself. We have this very long history that we don’t necessarily have access to. . . . Those of us who live outside of the island, we live the history but we don’t really know it.”

You can find more of the The New Yorker Radio Hour from WNYC Studios here, or wherever you get podcasts.

Una notita: This episode is in Spanglish.

This season, we explored songs that tell the complicated, beautiful story of Puerto Rico. We wanted to bring that exploration into the present moment, so we called up some of the most innovative Puerto Rican artists making music today and we gave them a challenge: what would you do with these classic anthems?

In this special bonus episode of the show, we go behind the music with the artists featured on La Brega: El Álbum — including ​​RaiNao, Xenia Rubinos, ÌFÉ and Ana Macho.

Plus, in an interview recorded live at On Air Fest, host Alana Casanova-Burgess speaks with Angélica Negrón and José Olivares of the band Balún, who composed music for La Brega and recorded a cover for the album. The band members talk about how they incorporated a broad palette of sounds and instruments into their score. “Balún es estar en la brega todo el tiempo,” Angélica explains. “Tener una banda entre diferentes lugares entre Puerto Rico entre San Juan … It's about that kind of layered complexity of ‘ni de aquí ni de allá,’ pero de aquí, siempre, también.” They also unpack their cover of Sylvia Rexach’s “Olas y Arenas,” featured on the album.

Listen to the album here!

Learn more about the voices featured on the album:

• Ana Macho

• Balún

• ÌFÉ

• La Tribu de Abrante

• Mireya Ramos

• RaiNao

• Velcro

• Xenia Rubinos

La Brega: El Álbum is sponsored by Marguerite Casey Foundation.

This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches are an integral part of Puerto Rican life. They form a ring of pleasure that encircles the whole island — an escape valve. And they’re one of the few places that are truly public. At least, that’s what the law says. Yet in practice, that stretch of land where the water meets the shore is the most contested space in all of Puerto Rico. And it’s rapidly disappearing, due to development and coastal erosion.

In “Olas y Arenas,” Sylvia Rexach plays the role of the sand: she sings longingly for the ebb and flow of the sea, yearning for the waves that never quite reach her. The bolero is a classic unrequited love song, and our final episode of the season takes place in that same eternal tide. We explore the push and pull between lifelong residents and real estate developers, amidst the rapidly changing coastline, the rising tide, and the elusive letter of the law.

Learn more about the voices in this episode:

• Mariana Nogales Molinelli, representative-at-large in the Puerto Rican legislature

• iLe, singer and composer

• Verónica González Rodríguez, environmental lawyer and professor at the Interamerican University in San Juan

• Paco Diaz-Fournier, co-founder of Luxury Collection

• The band Los Rivera Destino provided original music and set the zona maritimo terrestre definition to song for us

Our cover of “Olas y Arenas” is by Balún (out in April).

Listen to our Spotify playlist, featuring music from this episode — and this season.

Special thanks this week to David Rodriguez Andino, Deepak Lamba Nieves, Aurelio Mercado, Ismael Cancel, Yarimar Bonilla, Tracie Hunte, Samantha Fields and Paul Dryden. Fact checking this season is by Istra Pacheco and María Soledad Davila Calero.

This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Las hermosas playas de Puerto Rico son una parte integral de la vida puertorriqueña. Las costas forman un anillo de placer que rodea toda la isla, una válvula de escape. Y son uno de los pocos espacios que son verdaderamente públicos. Al menos, eso es lo que dice la ley. En la práctica, sin embargo, esa franja de tierra donde el agua se encuentra con la orilla es la zona más disputada de todo Puerto Rico. Y está desapareciendo rápidamente debido al desarrollo y la erosión costera.

En "Olas y arenas", Sylvia Rexach desempeña el papel de la arena: ella le canta con nostalgia al flujo y el reflujo del mar, anhelando por las olas que nunca llegan a tocarla. Este bolero clásico es una canción de amor no correspondido, y nuestro último episodio de la temporada tiene lugar en esa misma eterna marea. Exploramos el tira y afloje entre los residentes de toda la vida y los desarrolladores inmobiliarios, en medio de la costa que cambia rápidamente, la marea creciente y una ley escrita que se esquiva.

Aprende más sobre las voces de este episodio:

• Mariana Nogales Molinelli, representante por acumulación electa en la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico

• iLe, cantante y compositora

• Verónica González Rodríguez, abogada ambiental y profesora en la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico

• Paco Diaz-Fournier, cofundador de Luxury Collection

• La banda Los Rivera Destino proporcionó música original y adaptó musicalmente la definición de zona marítimo terrestre

Nuestra versión de "Olas y arenas" es de Balún (saldrá en abril).

Escucha nuestra lista de reproducción de Spotify, con música de este episodio y de esta temporada.

Un agradecimiento especial esta semana a David Rodríguez Andino, Ismael Cancel, Yarimar Bonilla, Tracie Hunte, Deepak Lamba Nieves y Aurelio Mercado. El chequeo de datos y la verificación de los hechos de esta temporada fue realizado por Istra Pacheco y Maria Soledad.

Esta temporada de La Brega es posible gracias a la Mellon Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plaza Las Americas is not any mall — going there, “Pa Plaza,” is a quintessential boricua experience. Young people experience first dates; old people gather and enjoy the air conditioning; you can renew your passport, get vaccinated, and buy an electric car in a single visit. The Pope even gave mass in the parking lot! This mall that has Columbus’ three sails as its logo is like a cathedral to consumerism, with its wide corridors, and glittering fountains. It’s also the second biggest mall in Latin America, and the largest in the Caribbean. Some people even say that to know how the island’s economy is doing, one need only see how full the parking lot at Plaza is. 

While Puerto Rico’s malls have been vessels of mainstream capitalism, they’ve also been incubators of the counterculture. So much so that an early reggaeton classic – Baby Rasta and Gringo’s “Vamos Pa’ Plaza” – is literally about being there: they cruise through Footlocker and Gap, meet some girls, and just… hang out.

Puerto Rican journalist Joel Cintron Arbasetti worked at Plaza - it was one of his first jobs. And while he was drawn to the place by the swagger of Baby Rasta and Gringo’s song, he quickly learned that the reality wasn’t so glamorous. He and the La Brega team spend a day at Plaza Las Americas, meeting people who reflect Puerto Rico’s challenges and are there for a lot more than shopping.

Learn more about the voices in this episode:

• Arlene Dávila, Professor, New York University and author of El Mall: The Spatial and Class Politics of Shopping Malls in Latin America• Watch a video about Luis Muñoz Marin’s speech at Plaza’s parking lot (in Spanish)• Watch the Pope’s mass at Plaza (in Spanish)

Listen to our Spotify playlist, featuring music from this episode – and this season. We’ll keep adding to it each week as new episodes come out.

Special thanks this week to Deepak Lamba-Nieves, Yarimar Bonilla, Juan Carlos Cintron, Ruben Davila Santiago, and Heather Houde – and it’s dedicated to Juan Cintron. Fact checking this season is by Istra Pacheco and María Soledad Dávila Calero. 

This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plaza Las Américas no es un centro comercial cualquiera: ir allí, "pa’ Plaza", es una experiencia muy boricua l. Los jóvenes viven sus primeras citas; las personas mayores se reúnen y disfrutan del aire acondicionado; puedes renovar tu pasaporte, vacunarte y comprar un automóvil eléctrico en una sola visita. ¡El Papa incluso dio misa en el estacionamiento! Este mall – que tiene las tres velas de Colón como logo – es como una catedral del consumo , con sus anchos pasillos y brillantes fuentes. También es el segundo centro comercial más grande de Latinoamérica y el más grande del Caribe. Inclusive, se dice que para saber cómo está la economía de la isla, solo hay que ver cuán lleno está el estacionamiento de Plaza.

Si bien los centros comerciales de Puerto Rico han sido espacios del capitalismo dominante, también han sido incubadoras de la contracultura. Tanto es así que uno de los primeros clásicos del reguetón, "Vamos pa' Plaza" de Baby Rasta y Gringo, se trata literalmente de estar allí: recorren Footlocker y Gap, conocen a algunas chicas y simplemente... pasan el rato.

El periodista puertorriqueño Joel Cintrón Arbasetti trabajó en Plaza - fue uno de sus primeros trabajos. Y aunque se sintió atraído al lugar por las imágenes de la canción de Baby Rasta y de Gringo, rápidamente aprendió que la realidad no era tan glamorosa. Él y el equipo de La Brega pasan un día en Plaza Las Américas, conociendo a personas que reflejan los desafíos de Puerto Rico y que están allí para mucho más que ir de compras.

Aprende más sobre las voces de este episodio: 

• Rubén Dávila Santiago, profesor, Universidad de Puerto Rico, escribió El Mall: del mundo al paraíso• Mira un video sobre el discurso de Luis Muñoz Marin en el parking de Plaza• Mira la misa del Papa en Plaza

Escucha nuestra lista de reproducción de Spotify, con música de este episodio y de esta temporada. Cada semana y, a medida que salgan nuevos episodios, seguiremos agregando canciones. 

Un agradecimiento especial en esta semana a Deepak Lamba-Nieves, Yarimar Bonilla, Juan Carlos Cintrón, Ruben Davila Santiago y Heather Houde  – y está dedicado a Juan Cintrón. El chequeo de datos y la verificación de los hechos de esta temporada fue realizado por Istra Pacheco y María Soledad Dávila Calero.

Esta temporada de La Brega es posible gracias a la Mellon Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.