the brega is a WNYC and Futuro Studios podcast, and its second season (which began earlier this year) aims to tell the story of Puerto Rico in eight songs. Accompanying the new season is La Brega: The Album, an EP of six recordings of classic Puerto Rican songs. On April 11, it features Ana Macho, Mireya Ramos and Velcro MC, RaiNao and Ìfé, La Tribu de Abrante, Balún and Xenia Rubinos, who covers “Precious”. Watch Rubinos perform the song below.
“I remember my mom singing the song with all her heart,” Rubinos said in a statement. “And I remember that it was very important to her, so it felt important to me as well.”
“Each album cover takes a song from Puerto Rico’s past and reformulates it for the present, and even the future of Puerto Rico.” the brega added host Alana Casanova-Burgess. “These are hits we grew up with and now we can hear them with new layers of meaning and relevance from each artist.”
Rafael Hernández Marín made “Preciosa” in the 1930s as a patriotic song. Marc Anthony further popularized the track, which he performed at Madison Square Garden in 2005.
