La Brega
La Brega is a bilingual podcast produced by Futuro Studios that tells the stories of Puerto Rico and its diaspora – of people trying to cope with too many challenges, and who deserve and demand better. There’s no direct translation of “la brega” in English, to bregar means to struggle, to hustle, to find a way to adapt and get around an imbalance of power. It’s got a creative edge, a bit of swagger; as Puerto Rican scholar Arcadio Diaz has observed, it’s a word that belongs to the underdog.
Support for La Brega’s first season was provided by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and Amy Liss.
Support for season 2 and 3 provided by the Mellon Foundation.
Season 2
From WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios, this season expands season one’s exploration into the culture, history, and soul of the island, this time through one of its most-cherished exports: music. Hosted by Alana Casanova-Burgess, this season of "La Brega" looks at the Puerto Rican experience through eight iconic songs—taking us from the lyrical boleristas of the 1930s, to the electric salseros of the '70s, to the reggaetoneros of today who have taken music from the margins and made it a global sensation.
Episodes from Season 2
Bonus Track — Songs for the Future of Puerto Rico
8. “Olas y Arenas” — The Beaches Belong to the People
8. “Olas y arenas” — las playas son del pueblo
7. “Vamos Pa’ Plaza” — The Center of Everything
7. “Vamos Pa’ Plaza” — el centro de todo
6. “Boricua en la Luna” — The Moon’s Distance
6. “Boricua en la Luna” — La distancia de la luna
5. “Las Caras Lindas (De Mi Gente Negra)” — An Ode to Blackness
5. “Las caras lindas (de mi gente negra)” — una oda a la negrura
4. I Wonder if I Take You Home — Freedom in Freestyle
4. “I Wonder if I Take You Home” — La libertad en el freestyle
3. “Suavemente” — The Merengue War
3. “Suavemente” — La guerra del merengue
2. “El Gran Varón” — Who Was Simón?
2. “El gran varón” — ¿Quién era Simón?
1. “Preciosa” — The Other Anthem
1. “Preciosa” — El otro himno
Season 2: The Puerto Rican Experience in 8 Songs
2da Temporada: La experiencia boricua en 8 canciones
Season 1
WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios present “La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience”: a seven-part podcast series that uses narrative storytelling and investigative journalism to reflect and reveal how la brega has defined so many aspects of life in Puerto Rico. Each episode sheds light on a collective struggle while focusing on individuals en la brega.
Episodes from Season 1
8. Snow In The Tropics
8. Nieve en el trópico
7. The End Of The Promises
7. Se acabaron las promesas
6. The Bankruptcy Letters
6. Las cartas de la quiebra
5. Basketball Warriors
5. Guerreros del basket
4. Vieques and the Promise To Build Back Better
4. Vieques y la resiliencia que nunca llegó
3. An Encyclopedia of Betrayal
3. Una enciclopedia de traición
2. Levittown, Where The Good Life Begins
2. Levittown, donde la buena vida comienza
1. What Is La Brega?
1. ¿Qué es la brega?
La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience
La Brega: historias de la experiencia boricua
HOST & CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Alana Casanova-Burgess
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Marlon Bishop
EXECUTIVE EDITORS
Maria GarciaJenny Lawton
SENIOR PRODUCERS
Jeanne MontalvoNicole Rothwell
PRODUCERS
Ezequiel Rodríguez AndinoMark PagánVictor Emanuelle Ramos RosadoJoaquín CotlerJuan Diego RamirezTasha SandovalLiliana RuizRoxana AguirreDiana Ramos Gutiérrez
POST PRODUCERS
Jacob RosatiJoe Plourde
REPORTERS
Luis J. Valentín OrtizCristina del Mar QuilesYarimar BonillaChristopher Gregory-RiveraJulio Ricardo VarelaRaquel ReichardBárbara Abadía-RexachSergio Gutiérrez NegrónJoel Cintron ArbasettiLaura Pérez
EDITORS
Luis TrellesMarlon BishopMark PagánAlana Casanova-BurgessMaria GarciaLaura PérezJenny LawtonEzequiel Rodríguez Andino
PRODUCTION MANAGERS
Jessica EllisFrancis PoonVictoria Estrada
FACT CHECKING
Laura MoscosoTatiana DíazIstra PachecoMaria Soledad Davila Calero
ENGINEERING
Stephanie LebowLeah Shaw DamerinRosana CabanGabriela BaezAlicia BaitubJoe Plourde
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Balún
THEME SONG
Ifé
ADDITIONAL MUSIC FROM
Los Rivera DestinoYasser TejedaOtoniel NicolásCirculo SaqraRenee GhostErnesto Lucar
ARTWORK
Mya PaganFernando NoratRosaura Rodriguez Raysa Rodriguez de Colectivo Morivivi
MARKETING
Luis Luna
