Monday, November 28, 2011

Musical Atlas of Cuba - Cuban Music History

Musical Atlas of Cuba - Cuban Music History


Friends I've just discovered a very cool and extremely well put together timeline on the history of Cuban music. on the PBS Web site.

"A multi media exploration of the roots of Cuban music through an interactive musical map of Cuba, a music timetable and a polyrhythmic demonstration breaking down the basic rhythmic structures of classical Afro-Cuban sounds."

It's written by Ron Conner whom I did not know before discovering the timeline but whom I certainly would like to meet sometime. Each century has it's own page and it begins before the arrival of Columbus in Cuba in 1492.

Here are the fist two events on the timeline:

• 1000 B.C.E.-1492: approximately 250,000 indigenous Taino, Arawak and Ciboney people live in Cuba as does their Areito music

• 1492: Christopher Columbus arrives in Cuba and claims it for the Spanish crown
and the last entry in the timeline reads...

• 1993: U.S. Supreme Court legalizes animal sacrifices as practiced in santería, creating a surge in Afro-Cuban religious practice -- and in santería music -- in New York City and Miami
Here's a link to the whole timeline. Have fun with this and you'll understand how deeply influential Cuban music has been on everyday world culture in the last couple of centuries.

Follow this link to the timeline

Until next time... keep dancing, my friends.





And don't forget, if you really do wanna keep dancing, come see me and my band Conjunto Guantanamo around New York City - Check our calendar on our official site:


http://www.ConjuntoGuantanmo.com

Ulises


Monday, November 14, 2011

A Great Interview Given by Dizzy Gilespie in Havana

Friends here's a great interview given by Dizzy Gilespie in Havana, Cuba c. the late 70s (Reportedly at the house of Chano Pozo's sister) discussing the influence of Cuban muzic on Jazz and North American music in general. One of the things he tells the interviewer is...

"out of all the music in this hemesphere, that has come into jazz, our music, Cuban music has the biggest... made the biggest impact"...


This video segment comes from a longer documentary by the Cuban film institute ICAIC called simply "La Rumba". (The DVD should be available from the actual poster of this video).

I'm going to be talking about the different ways that Cuban music has influenced the majority of North American and Pop music from all over the world from Japanese Shamisen music to Indian Bollywood to The Beatles, The Stones and so much more. In fact the infuence is so pervasive that it goes unnoticed today. Tune in here to find out some interesting facts about the music we love to listen to.

Fore more interesting videos about Cuban music, check out some of the videos I've curated on our Favorites page on YouTube right here...

http://www.youtube.com/user/CubanFeeling

Thanks for reading friends and stay tuned for more interesting tidbits about this great music.

Ache!
Ulises

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Saludos y bien venidos a mi blog de la musica de Cuba...

We'll have a great time while I share my Cuban music collection and passion with you. For for info on me please check out -- http://www.ConjuntoGuantanamo.com. Stay tuned her for more great posts on Cuban Music on La Musica de Cuba.

For now check out this great video of Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro film in Cuba c.1960s.

Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro 1978 "Suavecito"