Los Muñequitos, on the BBC

Reader Rob A. from Brighton sent us this email yesterday:

Hello Guarachon,

Firstly, thankyou so much for your great work in posting so many rare vids and recordings etc. your blog and youtube account are an invaluable resource.

I was wondering if you knew about a BBC radio3 programme aired last Saturday called World Routes? The presenter, Lucy Duran, was looking at the musical history of Cuba, and visited Matanzas to do pieces on Rumba and Danzon.

She visited Los Munequitos de Matanzas and specially recorded 2 Rumbas with the group and an interview with Diosdado Ramos Cruz and Juan Jacomino.
You can listen to the whole programme as a stream online, but only until Saturday (about 24 hours away)

I have, however, ripped the whole 1hr show as an mp3. I would be willing to send you the whole show, but it is 78.5MB, and I don't know where i can post this for free (any suggestion appreciated).

I have separated out the 2 tracks and the interview and am sending them to you now. (There's not a huge deal more on rumba as it moves on to danzon pretty quick).

Actually we didn't know about that Rob, thanks a lot for letting us know and sending these in.

The recordings are very nicely done, we especially like the "a capella" ending they put on "Congo Yambumba" and I am curious to find out who the new singer is on the columbia.

Click below to listen to the columbia:

We've posted the mp3's (15.5MB) of the interview, Congo Yambumba, and the columbia excerpt for download from rapidshare, here.

Rob also adds:

This was the third episode of 3 covering the music of Cuba. I only found out about it after the third, so didn't get a chance to hear or record the other 2. maybe you could mention this in the blog and ask if anyone else recorded them, as i'd really like to hear the congas they recorded.

How about it? Anybody happen to grab those other episodes? Let us know.