It’s been a while since I did a Leftover Links feature so I thought I’d explore the music of Cuba. The island has given us a variety of genres such as rumba, mambo and salsa and acts like Celia Cruz, Gloria Estafan, Rita Marley, and Buena Vista Social Club.
- How Mexican and Cuban Music Influenced the Blues – Ashawnta Jackson explored the history of blues music from a Latin perspective, including Afro-Cuban rhythms “evident in New Orleans” at the time (JSTOR Daily)
- That time when The Manic Street Preachers performed in Cuba – On Saturday 17th February 2001, the Welsh band became one of the first Western rock bands to play in the Communist state. (BBC)
- The real story behind “El Manisero” – Rafael Lam explore the history of the iconic son-pregón song El Manisero, known in English as “The Peanut Vendor” (Granma.cu)
- Chucho Valdés’s NPR Tiny Desk performance – This August, Chucho Valdés performed a NPR Tiny Desk Concert. (YouTube)
- A deep dive into Cuba’s rich musical history, reported from Havana – Here’s a NPR Radio segment on Cuban music history (NPR)
- The role of music in Cuban protests – Ally Dever looked at how music played a pivotal role in Cuban protests such as the 11-J protests in 2021. (CU Boulder)
- How Salsa Music Took Root in New York City – Iván Román followed salsa’s historical path back to 40s and 50s in New York, when “Afro-Cuban mambo met big band jazz”. (History.com)
- How Pitbull Went from Miami Street Rapper to Global Brand Ambassador – Pitbull was born in Miami to Cuban parents and Vanity Fair chronicled his rise from a street rapper to Mr. Worldwide and number counting extraordinaire. (Vanity Fair)