"This month begins part 1 of an ambitious 3-month series. Beginning with Afro-Cuban classics mostly from the 40s and 50s, then in the second part Salsa and Merengue favorites from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and then in the third part Latin Rock from the 80s, 90s and 00s. More than 9 hours of music in total - more than you'd get from most box sets. And it's free.
The early Afro-Cuban music in the 1st part is, to me, sometimes at least, what I imagine Robert Johnson's blues recordings are to Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. The lilting melodies of Trio Matamoros, Orquesta Aragon and the compositions of the great composer Lecuona are some kind of holy grail of the heart in the same way that the legendary bluesman's few recordings are to many rockers.
In a nutshell, Cuba was like New Orleans, Salvador Bahia, Detroit or many other places where African culture hybridized with the harmonies and lyricism of the Europeans to produce music that changed the world. Havana was one of many nodes where this creative energy radiated out, and this music was some of the result."
No comments:
Post a Comment