Tunes for the weekend

• According to the press in Puerto Rico, Dominican songwriter Juan Luis Guerra would love to record with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. “My dream is to sing a ‘bachata’ with Paul McCartney (since) The Beatles have always been a great inspiration to me” said Guerra who is promoting his upcoming album “La llave de mi corazón” (“The Key to My Heart). In honor of this romantic album, below is an absolute classic from his days before he set off on a successful solo career.

Juan Luis Guerra y 440 – Burbujas de Amor (File via Cause = Time)

• Bonde do Role is from Curitiba, Brazil and specializes in mixing samples from rock songs along with funky dance music in a genre called “baile funk”. They were present during this year’s edition of the South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, and their latest album was produced by Diplo who is better known as the cohort to Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.

Bonde do Role - Solta O Fango (File via silence is a rhythm)

• Much like Bonde do Role, Instituto Mexicano de Sonido also attended SXSW. Instituto’s sound is in a genre that we briefly covered last year nicknamed “Latintronica” where traditional Latin music is mixed with electronic music. It’s very catchy stuff, especially after listening to Plastilina Mosh.

Instituto Mexicano de Sonido – Mirando a Las Muchachas (File via Audio Deficit Disorder)

• Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (Antibalas) is a Brooklyn-based band that (as their name implies) specializes in"Afrobeat.” However, Antibalas has been in the news lately not due to its sound but because of member Martin Perna’s accusation of racism against a recent Village Voice cover which can be seen here. Judge for yourself if Perna is overreacting or accurate.

Antibalas – Beaten Metal (File via ickmusic)

• Lastly, I confess to being an avid enthusiast of “shoegazer” music; groups like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Sereena Maneesh, and Astrobrite play constantly on my iPod. So imagine my great surprise to discover “shoegazers” en español! Peru’s Resplandor was the focus of excellent music blog Mars Needs Guitars; their sound is pretty average for the shoegazer genre, but it’s a kick to hear it in Spanish.

Resplandor – En Tus Alas

Links- Minnesota Public Radio, Wikipedia, XL Recordings, silence is a rhythm, MySpace, The Latin Americanist, Audio Deficit Disorder, antibalas.com, Brooklyn Vegan, ickmusic, Cause = Time, Primera Hora, Voy Music, allmusic, Mars Needs Guitars, resplandor.com.pe

Image- resplandor.com.pe (Resplandor performing in Lima, Peru in 2005)