Radio Mundial

Radio Mundial took shape as a New York City collective toward the end of the 1990s, launched by vocalist-guitarist Jean Shepherd of Puerto Rican and Peruvian descent together with DJ-producer Alexi Delano, whose background is Chilean and Swedish. After issuing two successful singles on RX Records, the pair expanded to include the co-leader’s brother Richard Shepherd on guitar, Celer Linares on bass, Geraldo Flores on conga drums, timbale player John Uman, and drummer Andy Sanesi. The resulting ensemble generated an exhilarating, frequently unrefined fusion of musical idioms. Additional participants have included conga drummer Gianni Mano and bassist Gustavo Amarante. Every member arrived with prior experience in Latin jazz, rock, reggae, and ska, contributions that collectively shaped Radio Mundial’s sound. Lively stage appearances swiftly earned the group an international following, an achievement reinforced by its unusual knack for sustaining the same intensity inside the studio; the band made its recorded debut in 2003 with La Raíz. The resulting tracks combined infectious rhythms and dance-floor energy while drawing on folk traditions from the high Andes and Puerto Rican dance forms.