Viva la juventud
As you probably know already, WRIR is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. There must have been something in the water in 2005 (myself, I think that something was “Year 1 of Bush 2’s second presidential term”), because Richmond linchpins RVA Magazine and Gallery 5 were also founded that year.
And all the way across the country in Los Angeles, a fellow named Tomas Cookman was starting up Nacional Records, a new independent label, to focus on what he called “Latin alternative” music. Today, Latin alternative is squarely in the mainstream: Nacional releases have been nominated for over 100 Grammys and Latin Grammys, and Cookman’s business Green Lane Entertainment includes artist management and booking, the LAMC music conference (Latin alternative’s Sundance) and a major sync (music licensing for movies, TV, commercials, video games and the like) operation along with the label.
Nacional was one of the first record companies to figure out that WRIR played a lot of international music. They’ve been sending us promos of their releases for 20 years, and for all of that time I’ve been working with Jennifer Sarkissian, who’s now Nacional and Green Lane’s General Manager, in what might be the longest running business relationship I have in radio.
This week (Sunday June 1, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) I’m going to play two hours of my personal Nacional favorites from the last 20 years including long time Global A Go-Go go-to artists like Systema Solar, Mexican Institute of Sound, Bomba Estéreo, Nortec Collective, Hip Hop Hoodios and Manu Chao, and including selections from the label’s new two-volume, 4-album 20th anniversary set called The Story of Nacional Records.
Viva Nacional, viva WRIR!
Podcast: radio4all.net/program/120302
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go
Show archive
Playlist
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Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”
from Global a Go-Go
BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001
England UK
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Andrea Echeverri, “Florence Conexión (feat. Susana Baca, Fernanda Takai, Lido Pimienta & Ella Fuksbrauner)”
from Ruiseñora
Entre Casa Colombia SAS - 2012
Colombia-Peru-Brazil-Canada-Israel
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Los Rumbers, “Como Mi Ritmo No Hay Dos”
from Raul Campos presents Lotería Beats Mixtape, Volume 1
Nacional - 2007
Spain, 2001
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Systema Solar, “Rumbera”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos
Nacional - 2025
Colombia, 2017
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Los Master Plus, “Rockstar”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos
Nacional - 2025
Mexico, 2024
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Marco Flores y La Jerez, “Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo)”
from Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo) - Single
Casa Nacional - 2022
Mexico
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Mexican Institute of Sound, “Para No Vivir Desesperado”
from Piñata
Nacional Records - 2007
Mexico-USA
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El Hijo de la Cumbia, “Ritmo Realidad (feat. Celso Piña and Alika y Nueva Alianza)”
from Genero Genero
Nacional Records - 2018
Argentina-Sweden-Mexico-Uruguay
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Bomba Estéreo, “Fuego”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Uno
Nacional - 2025
Colombia, 2009
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Ritmo Machine, “Maestro (feat. Eric Bobo & Latin Bitman)”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos
Nacional - 2025
Chile-USA, 2011
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Cheo, “Quiero desintegrar a tu novio”
from Refresco, Vol.2: Cheo Goes Funk - EP
Nacional Records - 2024
Venezuela-USA
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Senor Coconut, “Da Da Da Ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht (feat. Stephan Remmler)”
from Around the World
NN - 2019
Germany-Chile, 2008
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Pahua, “No Huí (feat. El Individuo)”
from No Huí (feat. El Individuo) - Single
Nacional Records - 2023
Mexico-Cuba-Costa Rica
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Clorofila, “Discoteca Nacional”
from Corridos Urbanos (Nortec Collective Presents Clorofila)
Nacional Records - 2010
Mexico
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Bostich + Fussible, “Tijuana Sound Machine”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Uno
Nacional - 2025
Mexico, 2008
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La Dame Blanche, “Cógelo con Calma”
from Cógelo con Calma - Single
Nacional Records - 2020
Cuba-France
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The Pinker Tones, “Viva la Juventud”
from Singles 2001-2011 / Amigos & Friends (Special 10th Anniversary Edition)
(RED) Nacional Records - 2011
Spain
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Pacha Massive, “Don't Let Go”
from The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos
Nacional Records - 2025
USA, 2007