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
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
Andrea Echeverri | Colombia-Peru-Brazil-Canada-Israel | Florence Conexión | Ruiseñora | Nacional | 2013
Los Rumbers | Spain | Como Mi Ritmo No Hay Dos | Raul Campos presents Lotería Beats Mixtape, Volume 1 | Nacional | 2007-2001
Systema Solar | Colombia | Rumbera | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos | Nacional | 2025-2017
Los Master Plus | Mexico | Rockstar | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos | Nacional | 2025-2024
Marco Flores Y La Jerez | Mexico | Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo) | Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo) - Single | Nacional | 2022
Mexican Institute of Sound | Mexico-USA | Para No Vivir Desesperado | Piñata | Nacional | 2007
El Hijo de la Cumbia | Argentina-Sweden-Mexico-Uruguay | Ritmo Realidad (feat. Celso Piña and Alika y Nueva Alianza) | Genero Genero | Nacional | 2018
Raul y Mexia | USA | Las Escondidas | Arriba y Lejos | Nacional | 2013
Bomba Estéreo | Colombia | Fuego | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Uno | Nacional | 2025-2009
Ritmo Machine | Chile-USA | Maestro (feat. Eric Bobo & Latin Bitman) | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos | Nacional | 2025-2011
Cheo | Venezuela-USA | Quiero Desintegrar A Tu Novio | Refresco Vol. 2: Cheo Goes Funk | Nacional | 2024
Jungle Fire | USA | Firewalker | Tropicoso | Nacional | 2014
Señor Coconut & his Orchestra | Germany-Chile | Da Da Da (Cha Cha Cha) | Around the World with Señor Coconut and his Orchestra | Nacional | 2008
Pahua | Mexico-Cuba-Costa Rica | No Huí (feat El Individuo) | No Huí (feat El Individuo) - Single | Nacional | 2023
Clorofila | Mexico | Discoteca Nacional | Nortec Collective presents: Corridos Urbanos | Nacional | 2010
Bostich + Fussible | Mexico | Tijuana Sound Machine | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Uno | Nacional | 2025-2008
Ana Tijoux | France-Chile | Creo En Ti (feat. Juanito Ayala) | Vengo | Nacional | 2014
La Dame Blanche | Cuba-France | Cógelo con Calma | Cógelo con Calma - Single | Nacional | 2020
Hip Hop Hoodios | USA | Agua Pa' la Gente | Carne Masada: Quite Possibly the Best of the Hip Hop Hoodios | Jazzheads | 2009
ChocQuibTown | Colombia | Rumba Sin Pelea | Oro | Nacional | 2010
Aterciopelados | Colombia | Canción Protesta | Oye | Nacional | 2006
Manu Chao | France-Spain | Tristeza Maleza | La Radiolina | Nacional | 2007
The Pinker Tones | Spain | Viva La Juventud | Special 10th Anniversary Edition: Singles 2001-2011 + Amigos & Friends | Nacional | 2011-2004
Matorralman | Mexico | Operación Dinamo | Guateque Estelar | Nacional | 2010
Pacha Massive | USA | Don't Let Go | The Story of Nacional Records, Volume Dos | Nacional | 2025-2007
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