Introduction to Latin Music

Cultural History
Percussion Instruments
Latin Jazz

Cultural History of Latin Music

What is Latin music?

Where does Latin music originate?
How did Latin music come to the USA?
Why is Latin music American music?

What is Latin music?

The term Latin music is a generic category

with a singular identity.
The term Latin music can include music
from various Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
Latin American and Caribbean cultures do
not share the same musical traditions,
musical instruments, or cultural identities.
Each country has its own musical heritage
and identity.

Where does Latin music originate?

Latin music shares three common cultural
elements:
African culture
Native American culture
European culture

How did Latin music come to the

USA?
Colonialization of the new world
England, Spain, France and Portugal
began colonizing territory in the new
world during 1500s to 1800s.
European countries enslaved and
imposed customs on native people.
Colonial powers transferred people
from their homelands to the new
world.

Colonial powers in the new world

Spain colonized Mexico, Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and Dominican Republic, and
South America.
France colonized Haiti.
Portugal colonized Brazil.
England colonized the USA.

Colonial Cuba
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean.
Spain colonized Cuba to be the largest sugar
producing region in the world.
Approximately 3.5 million African slaves were
transported to the new world between the
1500s to 1800s.
The Spanish suppressed African traditions by
imposing religion and Spanish language on
the slaves.

How did African traditions survive

Spanish colonialization?
Africans maintained their cultural and
religious practices in secret.
Africans continued to worship their own
gods by giving African deities names of
Christian saints.
Africans continued religious ceremonies
that involved drumming and chanting.

Spanish American War 1898

U.S. entered into war with Spain due to
sinking of the battleship, Maine.
The Platt amendment allowed the USA
to intervene in Cuban independence by
requiring Cuba to sell or lease to the
USA land for naval bases.
Guantanamo Bay is the result of that
amendment.
The USA occupied Cuba from 18981902.

Why is Latin music American?

In the 1920s the United States granted
citizenship status to Puerto Rico.
Puerto Ricans immigrated to East
Harlem in New York City.
In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the
Cuban government. Many Cuban
citizens left Cuba for the USA.
Cubans immigrated to the USA and
began living in Miami and New York.

Latin music integrates with Jazz

In the 1940s, Latin and Jazz music begin to
integrate when Latin composer, Juan Tizol,
wrote Caravan for Duke Ellington.
Cuban arranger Mario Bauza formed the
Latin group: Machitos Afro-Cubans.
Dizzy Gillespie merged Jazz with Afro-Cuban
music to introduce, CuBop.
In 1947, Chano Pozo, a Cuban conga
drummer joined Dizzy Gillespies jazz band.

Percussion Instruments

Clave
Maracas
Cowbells
Congas
Bongos
Timbales
Tambora
Bombo

Guiro
Palitos
Cajones
Cascara
Shekere
Tres
Marimbula

Gillespie & Chano Pozo, Manteca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9UPptx9jmM

Cuban Dock Workers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T45gOJKxthA&feature=related

Giavonni Hidalgo & Changuito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ-HWLu-3pQ

Carlos Patato Valdez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxJrQl3m3QQ&feature=related

Buena Vista Social Club

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2dFLlaEaIU