Wednesdays, September 8-15, 2010, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS
Encore Broadcast of LATIN MUSIC USA to Kick Off PBS’ Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

 In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, LATIN MUSIC USA will be re-broadcast on Wednesdays, September 8-15, 2010, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). The four-part documentary is a groundbreaking series exploring the Latin rhythms at the heart of jazz, rock, country and rhythm and blues and highlighting the great American music created by Latinos. Revealing the Latin sounds that have influenced the music of great American artists from the Drifters to the Isley Brothers to Santana, the documentary aims to reach lovers of music everywhere, along with fans of American history and everyone who loves to dance.

 Produced by a team led by WGBH, in co-production with the BBC, LATIN MUSIC USA invites the audience into the vibrant musical conversation between Latinos and non-Latinos that has helped shape the history of popular music in the United States. The series features the stories of an extraordinary range of artists, including salsa greats Willie Colón and Marc Anthony; the Latin-inflected sounds found in much of sixties rock and roll, including Motown and the Rolling Stones; jazz fused with Cuban rhythms from Mario Bauzá and Chano Pozo; the genius of Texas accordion player Flaco Jiménez; Linda Ronstadt; the legendary Chicano rock band Los Lobos; megastars Gloria and Emilio Estefan; Ricky Martin and Juanes; Miami rapper Pitbull; percussionist Bobby Sanabria; reggaetón performers Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón; and Lin-Manuel Miranda from the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. The life experiences of these and many other unforgettable artists reveal how Latinos have reinvented their music in the United States, while never losing sight of their own rich traditions.

 Narrated by acclaimed actor Jimmy Smits, LATIN MUSIC USA airs in English, but a Spanish-language track is available.

 LATIN MUSIC USA

Wednesday September 8 (episodes 1 and 2) and 15 (episodes 3 and 4) at 9 p.m. ET on PBS

 Episode 1: “Bridges” (9/8, 9-10 p.m. ET)

The first hour traces the rise of Latin jazz and the explosion of the mambo and the cha-cha as they swept the U.S. from East to West and looks at how Latin music infiltrated rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll through the 1960s.

 Episode 2: “The Salsa Revolution” (9/8, 10-11 p.m. ET)

The second hour explores how Puerto Ricans and other Latinos in New York reinvented the son cubano and the plena from Puerto Rico by adding elements from soul and jazz to create salsa — which became a defining rhythm for Latinos the world over.

 Episode 3: “The Chicano Wave” (9/15, 9-10 p.m. ET)

Mexican Americans in California, Texas and throughout the Southwest created their own distinct musical voices during the second half of the 20th century. This episode shows how their music played an important role in the struggle for Chicano civil rights and ultimately propelled them from the barrio to the national stage.

 Episode 4: “Divas and Superstars” (9/15, 10-11 p.m. ET)

The final hour focuses on the Latin pop explosion of the turn of the 21st century and the success of artists like Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Shakira in the English-language market. As studios concentrate on star-driven pop, Latino youth have gravitated toward urban fusions like Spanish rap and reggaetón, as well as rock en Español.