Studies of Latin American music often overlook its Cuban roots and the political policies that brought the musicians to the United States. This work rectifies that omission by examining the Afro-Cuban influence upon Latin American music and its various idioms. A brief history of Afro-Cuban musicians in the United States provides the background and context for the study. Influential pre-revolutionary Afro-Cuban immigrant musicians, such as Mongo Santamaria, Jesus Caunedo, Charanga and Pup Legarreta, Juan Carlos Formell, and Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, discuss both their music and their attitudes toward the political policies that led them to flee Cuba. Speaking from firsthand experience, founding figures of Latin music in the United States present unique insights into the Afro-Cuban experience within the Latin musical community. Adding to the musicians' stories, Gerard provides a history of relations between Cubans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans in the Latin music community. He also discusses the impact of the mass emigration in the 1980s that brought many more Cubans to the States. This multicultural approach to Latin American music will appeal to music and Latin American history scholars and to jazz and Latin music enthusiasts. An appendix includes album listings for the musicians interviewed.

Saxophonist, composer, and author Charley Gerard describes the lives and music of both older and younger-generation Cuban-born musicians living in the US, based on extensive interviews. Discusses historical background, the effects of emigration, and musical traditions and their development in the US and historical roots in Cuba, as well as providing bibliographic coverage of Cuban musicians including Mongo Santamar<'i>a, Jes<'u>s Caunedo, Charanga and Pupi Legarreta, Juan- Carlos Formell, and Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros. An appendix lists the musician's album titles; a glossary presents musical terms. Includes additional essays by George Rivera, a music writer, and Richard Davies, trombonist and professor of music at Plattsburgh State U. of New York..
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

A useful addition to a growing list of books devoted to Latin music emanating from Cuba and Puerto Rico....the book will be a great resource for enthusiasts....Choice

Studies of Latin American music often overlook its Cuban roots and the political policies that brought the musicians to the United States. This work rectifies that omission by examining the Afro-Cuban influence upon Latin American music and its various idioms. A brief history of Afro-Cuban musicians in the United States, of relations between Cubans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans in the Latin music community, and of the mass emigration in the 1980s provides the background and context for the study. Influential pre-revolutionary Afro-Cuban immigrant musicians, such as Mongo Satnamaria, Jesus Caunedo, Charanga and Pup Legarreta, Juan Carlos Formell, and Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, discuss both their music and their attitudes toward the political policies that led them to flee Cuba. Speaking from firsthand experience, founding figures of Latin music in the United States present unique insights into the Afro-Cuban experience within the Latin musical community.

Examines the Afro-Cuban influence upon Latin American music and its various idioms in the United States, including interviews with noted Afro-Cuban musicians.

Discography: p. Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.

CHARLEY GERARD is a saxophonist and composer. He is the author of Jazz in Black and White (Greenwood, 1998).