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Reginald D. Hunter's Songs of the Border

Reginald D. Hunter takes a 2,000-mile road trip along the US-Mexico border to explore its music. Featured artists include Lyle Lovett, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Frontera Bugalu.

Against the backdrop of President Trump's much-trumpeted wall, Reginald D. Hunter takes a 2,000-mile road trip along the US-Mexico border to explore how romance and reality play out musically where third-world Mexico meets first-world USA on this broken road to the American dream.

Classic American pop and country portray Mexico as a land of escape and romance, but also of danger - think of Marty Robbins's El Paso, The Drifters' Mexican Divorce or Ry Cooder's Across the Borderline. Against this evocative western soundtrack, Hunter explores the border music as it is today, much of it created by musicians drawn from the 36 million Mexican-Americans who are US citizens. Robin Hood tales of Mexican cartels, South American dance, Tex-Mex accordion, Mexican-American rap, border fence sound art and country music of both Mexican and American flavours shed fascinating insight into the topical issues of immigration, drug smuggling and Mexican-American identity, and throw the western songwriter's dream of Mexico as a place of romance, fun and escape into sharp relief.

Reg's natural empathy and gentle humanity guides us on this cinematic journey, featuring Lyle Lovett, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Frontera Bugalu, Calexico, Carrie Rodriguez, Asleep at the Wheel, Los Texmaniacs, Glenn Weyant, Eva Ybarra and Cecy B.

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 22 Jan 2023 01:20
±«Óãtv Four

Clips

See all clips from Reginald D. Hunter's Songs of the Border (3)

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:03

    Calexico

    Banderilla

  • 00:07

    Marty Robbins

    El Paso

  • 00:09

    The Drifters

    Mexican Divorce

  • 00:20

    Johnny Cash

    Remember The Alamo (Album Version)

  • 00:24

    Willie Nelson

    Time of The Preacher (Album Version)

  • 00:34

    Selena Gomez

    Bidi Bidi Bom Bom

  • 00:36

    Selena

    Amor Prohibido

  • 00:38

    Selena

    Disco Medley

  • 00:39

    The Coasters

    Down In Mexico

  • 00:40

    Elvis Presley

    Mexico

  • 00:46

    Pink Floyd

    Another Brick In The Wall (Part 1)

  • 00:52

    Willie Nelson

    Across The Borderline

  • 00:58

    2Pac

    California Love

  • 01:01

    Los Tucanes de Tijuana

    El Centenario

  • 01:03

    Richard Strauss

    Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30

  • 01:06

    J.J. Cale

    Tijuana

  • 01:08

    Selena

    I Could Fall In Love

  • 01:11

    Los Lobos

    La Bamba

  • 01:14

    Johnny Cash

    Streets Of Laredo

Credits

Presenter Reginald D Hunter
Producer Ben Whalley
Director Ben Whalley
Executive Producer Mark Cooper

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