Do you live in Miami? If you answered yes to that question, it's quite possible you're Cuban-American, and if you answered yes to that proposition, your top five favorite shows is likely to include late-'70s classic ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A?
The first bilingual and Cuban-American sitcom is near and dear to all hearts in Miami, and it's also just a really adorable program. In celebration of its three years of excellence and charm, PBS hooked up with remix artist Melodysheep and local producer Luis Beyra to give ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A? a fresh new groove.
See also: Cubamerican Airs on WPBT2 Thursday: "It's the Story of Our Exile"
It's a catchy tune, and even though it's only three minutes and 20 seconds long, it captures the real heart and soul of the show. It's a heartwarming tale of promise, the story of the Peña family who are very grateful for the chance to grasp a brighter tomorrow in their new home. It's also a hilarious look at living in a world of second languages and mixed-up idioms. Are the immigrant children Cubanos or Americans? They're both, but they're still learning exactly what that means.
This isn't PBS' only classic show remix. They've also created one for the incredible Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, Julia Child, and LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow. It's a pretty magical video series, and they sometimes include videos of how the remixes were made, like the one they made for the remix of ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A?.
If you've never seen the "cultural treasure" that is America's first bilingual sitcom, and also a great look at Miami in the late '70s, you can catch the program online at video.wpbt2.org.
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