New Orleans as well as the US Southern coast hit by hurricane Katrina back in August-September 2005 are going back to normal, yet one can feel that the place is not the same as before and the print in people's mind is still very visible. Of course, this is just a very personal opinion drawn from my visits to the city of New Orleans during the second half of 2005 and beginning of 2006.

WTUL finally came back on the airwaves of the city again, as Tulane University was up and running again since January 2006. Slowly but firmly WTUL gathered its staff and put back on the radio scene of New Orleans its 24/7 schedule to enjoy the music that you can't get anywhere else. Moreover, WTUL has just had its annual survival rock-on marathon which has been very successful. Somehow, it is a sign of the will of the people to have New Orleans the way it was.

Reality is that New Orleans is way far from being the same place. Many of us are not back there and probably won't be. Katrina has brought not only destruction to the city but new ways to many people to live their lifes in different places.

This is going to be my last post in this blog "The Latin Journey". During around two years I conducted this show on Tuesdays evenings. This blog was the chance for me to share still more all the music I enjoyed playing on air. These two years of radio has meant my amateur dj career and one the happiest stages in my life. I will always be thankful to WTUL for having had the oportunity to be a member of its staff and participate in one of the most exciting activities one ever can do as it is being dj from a cult radio station.

Here I leave the result of two years devoted to a show that tried to be a thorought and complete guide to all manifestations of Latin music. Thank you to everyone who listened to The Latin Journey.

David Hervás

WTUL 91.5 FM New Orleans interrupted its broadcasting last saturday, august 27, 2005.

On sunday night-monday morning (aug. 28-29), New Orleans was hit by the hurricane Katrina. A category 4-5 that have caused the so called major natural disaster in the history of the States.

New Orleans and some more cities to its east have suffered flood, electricity power and water cut offs. Authorities are still undecided how to face the situation, and normal life as it used to be in this lovely city is yet way far.

We all hope that everything comes to normal, people back to its lives, and WTUL back on the air.

Your dj David, currently safely evacuated from New Orleans.

Playlist for Aug. 23, 2005

Cuban tunes:

Rubén González – Chanchullo
Pío Leiva – El que siembra su maíz
Irakere – Bacalao con pan
Tiempo libre – Un son

Salsa:

Bobby Rivas – Manuela
La sonora carruseles – Vitamina
Conjunto Colores – Tambo la rumba

Mestizaje-pachanga sounds:

Yerba Buena – La vida la life
King Changó – Finalmente
Los Mocosos – Soy callejero

Mexican women:

Julieta Venegas – Sería feliz
Lila Downs – Línea-Border
Eugenia León y Liliana Felipe – Ana Luisa
Lhasa de Sela – El desierto

Flamenco, today on tribute to Lorca´s poetry:

Camarón de la Isla – La leyenda del tiempo
Paco de Lucía y Ricardo Modrego – Café de Chinitas
Enrique Morente – Fragmentos de la Romería de Yerma
Manolo Sanlúcar y Carmen Linares – Adán

Rock en español, bands from the whole continent:

Lupita – Píldoras
Lucybell – Esfera
Víctimas del Dr. Cerebro – Marcianos
Palo Viejo – Brinca
Miguel Mateos – Cuidado con tu amor
Traidores – Máxima velocidad
Ekhymosis – Raza universal
Uchpa – Yaykumunan (in Quechua language)
Maneja Beto - Son de amor

Playlist for Aug. 16, 2005

Latin jazz:

Carlos Patato Valdés – Mosquito
Ray Barreto – La bendición
Julio Padrón – Rumbita rica
Eliane Elías – Samba triste
Paquito D’Rivera – Amor sin medida
Freddie Hubbard and Armando Morales – Little sunflower

International bands of Salsa:

Orquesta de la Luz – Mambo de la luz (from Japan)
Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca – Tata masamba (from Zaire)

Colombian salsa and traditional tunes:

Charlie D’Cali y su salsa – Baila mi piano
Yolanda Rayo – A San Lázaro (Babalú)
Los Golden Boys – Pirulino

Venezuelan traditional tunes:

Juan Vicente Torrealba y Ernesto Luis Rodríguez – Junto al jagüey
Simón Díaz – Caballo viejo
Patrice Fisher – Alma llanera (local artist doing a supernice cover)

Flamenco:

Niño Ricardo – De Chiclana a Cai
Dolores Vargas “la Terremoto” – María Lisi
Antonio Mairena – Y no las quería
La Perla de Cádiz – A la virgen del Rosario
Carmen Amaya – María de la O

Argentinan pop:

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Arde Buenos Aires
Vicentico – Los caminos de la vida
Soda Stereo – Cae el sol
Gustavo Cereti – Altar

Gentlemen from Spanish pop scene:

Santi Campos – Fin de fiesta
Carlos Berlanga - Impermeabilizado (unfortunately, passed away)
Miqui Puig – El punk rocker enamorado

Playlist for Aug. 9, 2005

Tribute to the recent passed away Cuban musician: Ibrahim Ferrer

Ibrahim Ferrer with Teresa Gª Caturla – Marieta
Ibrahim Ferrer – Mami, me gustó
Ibrahim Ferrer – Dos gardenias
Manuel Galbán and Ry Cooder – Patricia

Timba-salsa:

Tiempo Libre – Pare cochero
El Zorro – La bomba soy yo
Los Nemus – Tremendo mal olor
Orquesta de la Luz – La salsa no tiene fronteras
Sexteto Café – El títere
Tito Rojas – Definitivamente

Pachanga:

Yerba Buena – Bilingual girl
King Changó – Confesión

Flamenco:

Ketama – Corazón loko
Montse Cortés – Un olé a tiempo
Arcángel – El que la lleva la entiende
Ojos de brujo – Quien engaña no gana

Andean region tunes:

Inti-Illimani – Arpa peruana
Grupo Aymara – Doctorcito
Los cuatro amigos (Trad. mus. from Piura, Perú) – Historia de los Sarahuas
Carlos Ponce – Qaqachakas

Peruvian women:

Luchi – Lunas rotas
Tania Libertad – El bello durmiente
Yma Sumac – Bo Mambo

Spanish pop bands and Argentinian singer doing covers on cartoon tv series themes from my childhood:

Vicentico – Dime abuelito
Los Petersellers – Mazinger Z
Siniestro Total – Correcaminos
El Canto del Loco – Hej, hej Vickie

Playlist for Aug. 2, 2005

Cuban inspired tunes:

Cabaret Diosa – Welcome to the show
Carlos Patato Valdés – Patato's night dance
Pepe and the bottle blonde – Cuéntame qué te pasó
Elíades Ochoa – El carretero
Cubismo – Morenita
Ska Cubano – Babalú
Laurel Lorenzo Aitken – La paloma
Radio Futura – Semilla negra
Juan Perro – A un perro flaco

Latin jazz:

Willie Bobo – Guajira
Arturo Sandoval – Almendra
Los Hombres Calientes – Cubancajun carnival
Tito Puente and his orchestra – Hit de bongo

Flamenco:

El Bicho – De colores + 11 farolas
Dorantes – Orobroy
Jorge Pardo y Chano Domínguez – Almoraima
Tino di Geraldo – El astronauta de tu corazón
Bordón 4 – Qué cara más bonita
Los Chunguitos - ¡Ay!, qué dolor

Ecuador:

Estudiantina Quito – Amargo recuerdo
Grupo Cultural ETSA – Pirish
Los Hermanos Congo – Fiesta morena
Quimera – El alma en los labios

Electronica:

Sr. Coconut – Tour de France
Fangoria – El arte de decir que no
Le Mans – Canción de todo va mal

Playlist for Jul. 26, 2005.

I am finally back in the studio after a few weeks out of town for my summer holidays. As usual, the show still is a wonderful musical journey through many many cultures.


Cuban artists on a tribute to Joan Manuel Serrat:

La familia Valera Miranda – Hoy puede ser un gran día
Orquesta Aragón – No hago otra cosa que pensar en ti
Pupy y los que Son Son – La mujer que yo quiero
Leyanis López – Tu nombre me sabe a yerba

Latin jazz:

Ray Barreto – Acid
Tito Puente – Ran Kan Kan
Willie Bobo – Bobo! Do that thing
Ralph Robles – Taking over

Méxican tunes:

Los Tigres del Norte – La reina del sur
Exterminador – Las dos monjitas
Nati Cano y sus Camperos – Llegaron los Camperos
Chavela Vargas – Volver, volver
Los Mocosos – Volver, volver

Flamenco:

Camarón de la Isla – Como el agua (live versión)
Carmen Amaya – María de la O
El Lebrijano y Paco de Lucía – Me lo mandas decir
Dorantes – Semblanzas de un río
Maita vende ca – El Sr. Don Gato

Pop from Spain:

Bunbury – Voy a perder la cabeza por tu amor
Bushido – L’Amour
Ñam – Ahora que estoy solito
Nosoträsh – Completamente sola
Nosoträsh y Carlos Loco – Voy a ser mamá
Carlos Berlanga – A Cannes
Poncho K – A mi burro
Andy Changó – Soy un gnomo
Cola Jet Set – En otro país
La Buena Vida – Dulce y callado

A song dedicated to myself for my birthday on July 27th, right tomorrow!

Malconsejo – Celebración