Nation Beat + Rana Santacruz

Inspired by Chico Science’s mangue beat, Scott Kettner and Nation Beat blend Brazilian maracatu, coco, baiao and other folkloric traditions with a New Orleans second-line backbeat. Brooklyn-via–Mexico City songman Rana Santacruz delivers a sound he refers to as "Irish mariachi," which applies a Pogues-style sensibility (or lack thereof) to Cuban son instrumentation.