Latin Jazz is a blend of jazz with African and Latin rhythms, mainly falling into two categories: Afro-Cuban and Brazilian. The former was popularized in the 1940s by musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton when they began to incorporate Afro-Cuban music into their own compositions. Gillespie and Kenton later collaborate with Cuban musicians Machito and His Afro-Cubans, which led to the first Latin Jazz recordings and performances. Brazilian jazz consists mainly of the bossa nova, a hybrid of samba and jazz. This smooth yet spicy concoction of beats didn’t gain much recognition until the early ’60s when American saxophonist Stan Getz began toying with jazz samba. Soon thereafter Brazilian musicians and couple João and Astrud Gilberto reached much success after working with Getz. Some other pioneers of the genre were Antonio Jobim and Sergio Mendes. Whether it’s Brazilian or Afro-Cuban, we play the rhythms and harmonies that are unmistakably Latin Jazz. These are smooth sounds for your soul.
It's so easy to listen to your favorite Latin Jazz songs. Simply click "Play" to launch the Batanga radio player. Be sure to rate the songs you hear – your ratings and email requests directly influence the programming.