Irakere has been played on NTS over 20 times, featured on 21 episodes and was first played on 9 December 2013.

Irakere (Yoruba for "vegetation") is a Cuban band founded by pianist Chucho Valdés in 1973 that won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1980 with its album Irakere. Its members included flutist José Luis Cortés who later founded NG La Banda, percussionist Anga Díaz who later went to France, percussionist Fran Padilla who later moved to Spain, saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera who left Irakere and Cuba in 1980 during a tour in Spain before moving to the United States. Trumpetist Arturo Sandoval went…