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Alan Lilienthal with guitar

Alan Lilienthal

Co-host, Port of Entry

Alan Lilienthal is a musician and the co-host of “Port of Entry,” a KPBS podcast about cross-border culture and the people who shape it. He was born in Mexico City, grew up in San Diego, learned a lot in New York, and now splits his time between Tijuana, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Alan is a member of tulengua, a bilingual hip hop supergroup with members from both sides of the US/Mexico wall. His life’s mission is to melt borders and celebrate our shared humanity through art.

MORE STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR
  • In these “Border Voices” bonus episodes, we feature shorter stories spotlighting people who identify as transborder, fronterizx or simply have something to say about how the U.S.-Mexico border has changed their lives. Today, meet Danya Gresham, an American expat who left behind her life in the U.S. so she could help take care of orphaned kids in Mexico.
  • Latin music has deep connections to Africa. In our recurring “Moved by Music” series, we talk to border people about music from both sides of the border. Today, Jorge Gonzalez takes us on a mini trip through the evolution of Latin music, helping trace some of its roots and influences back to West Africa. It’s like a playlist with a side of history lesson. Gonzalez is the director of the Afro-Mexican department at the Worldbeat Cultural Center in San Diego and a researcher of Afro-Mexican history. He's also a longtime crate digger and deejay. Port of Entry Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/36075g71vs22og6334SmAK?si=2IfdPH7MTbKnxjcWk6q9Cw Books: Music, Race, and Nation: Musica Tropical in Colombia by Peter Wade From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity by Juan Flores Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos by Gary Stewart Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae (Studies In Latin America & Car) (3rd Edition) by Peter Manuel (Author), Michael Largey (Author) LP Compilations w/ Liner Notes: Africa Boogaloo: Latinization Of West Africa Diablos Del Ritmo: The Colombian Melting Pot 1960-1985 (Part 1 & 2) Son Palenque: Afro-Colombian Sound Modernizers From KPBS and PRX, “Port of Entry” tells cross-border stories that connect us. Follow “Port of Entry” online at www.portofentrypod.org, or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/portofentrypodcast) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/portofentrypod). Support our work at www.kpbs.org/donate. If your business or nonprofit wants to sponsor our show, email podcasts@kpbs.org. Text or call the "Port of Entry" team at 619-452-0228‬ anytime.
  • A growing number of Black expats are now calling Mexico home. In a new episode, we talk to people who’ve left the U.S. to find some refuge from racism south of the border. From KPBS and PRX, “Port of Entry” tells cross-border stories that connect us.
  • Some people in San Diego and Tijuana can vote on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. In a new episode of “Port of Entry," we profile three of these binational citizens who can vote in elections in the U.S. and Mexico. And while you might think these folks all fall on the same side of the political fence when it comes to how they vote, actually these three are all surprisingly different.
  • This is “Port of Entry,” where we tell cross-border stories that connect us. From KPBS and PRX, our debut episode launches a series on race and politics with a story about how the Black Lives Matter movement is crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s a story about the intersection of migrant rights and Black rights and introduces some of the people behind the Black Lives Matter movement in Tijuana.