Those who have made Latino music their life are listening in amazement at what is being produced these days. Panama's legendary Ruben Blades is recording salsa that include bagpipes. Columbian guitarist Juan Carlos Quintero is infusing traditional merengue, cha cha cha and rumba with new jazz, producing a sound that is at once familiar and trail-blazing.

Musical influences have crossed oceans and borders and come back again and the end result is sometimes mesmerizing. Just ask Henry Brun, the local percussionist, band leader and host of Ritmos del Mundo from 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays.

"It's incredible," he says. "The cumbia being produced here is different from cumbia in northern Mexico, which is different from cumbia in southern Mexico. In Costa Rica, the cumbia sound is mixed with Columbian vallenato music. Everything is changing and evolving." The end result is music that is fresh and vibrant, while still paying tribute to its roots. It is this mix of tradition and innovation that is the basis of Ritmos del Mundo.

Brun's 30-year career in the music industry, as well as his cutting-edge Latino music savvy are the driving forces behind the two-hour program, which will feature the latest Latino music being produced throughout the world. The front man for Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz says he'll dig through his archive of new Latino music to bring listeners closer to the sounds being heard in all the major Latin centers of the world, from Rio de Janeiro to New York to East Los Angeles.

Brun says he seeks to open San Antonio's ears to the enormous body of music being produced in the Latino community today. Along side traditional Cuban salsa greats like Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Perez Prado, you'll hear some New York salsa, LA salsa and some Texas salsa. Learning to identify these varied sounds will be a part of the educational component Ritmos del Mundo listeners will receive. But make no mistake, the show's atmosphere will remain festive. "It is, after all, Saturday night."

Questions about the program and featured music can be e-mailed to .

Airs:  10 p.m. to midnight Saturday on KSTX 89.1 FM

About Henry Brun

Born in Bronx, New York to Puerto Rican parents, Henry started playing congas at the tender age of seven and was playing semi-professionally by the age of eleven, after his family moved back to Puerto Rico. He listened to the music of Tito Puente, Patato Valdez, Jose Mangual Sr., Mongo Santamaria, Candido Camero, Willie Bobo, Milton Cardona and other Latin pioneers in the early sixties. Henry soon developed a unique style in bongo and timbale playing while expanding his knowledge on the conga.

In 1979, Henry joined the United States Air Force, becoming a member of one of its bands, eventually selected to play for the Air Force's international show band, "Tops In Blue". This gave him the opportunity to travel worldwide and gain more experience in other ethnic rhythms. During his stay with the Air Force, Henry had the opportunity to perform with luminaries such as the legendary trumpet player Maynard Ferguson, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Barbara Mandrell, and many others.

In 1989 he made a decision to pursue music as a full time career. The Latin Playerz was born from this giant leap of faith. When performing with his ensemble, his music covers a cavalcade of Latin styles, ranging from the slow tempo of a Cuban cha-cha, and the more upbeat mambo, to the conga and rumba, guaguanco, songo, charanga, timba, and merengue rhythms. The Latin Playerz are known for integrating rhythm and blues, swing, and straight ahead Jazz with a Latin beat. They have become a very popular Latin Jazz ensemble, performing throughout the United States and internationally.

Henry Brun and The Latin Playerz are active members of the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Program. They have been featured on Jazz Central (BET) and Dave Valentin's Club Del Sol (National Public Radio). The latest addition to the Playerz is Judi De Leon. An accomplished arranger/composer, Judi has added a distinctive color and texture to the Latin Playerz' repertoire, singing in both English and Spanish.

When not performing with his ensemble, it is not uncommon to find Henry performing with international acts such as Arturo Sandoval, Peter Erskine, Eric Marienthal, Los Lobos, Ernie Watts, Flaco Jimenez, Ruben Ramos, Little Joe y La Familia, Lou Soloff, Augie Meyer, Freddy Fender, Gilberto Puente y Los Tres Reyes, Millie Corretjer, Sparx, Isidro Infante, Jerry Rivera, Malo, James and Bobby Purify, Roger and Zapp, to name a few.