From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz » (1st Edition)

Raul A. Fernandez is Professor of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is the coauthor off One Hundred Years of Chicano History: Empire, Nations and Migration (2003), and author of Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination (2002), and The U.S.-Mexico Border: A Politico-Economic Profile (1977).

"From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz is an illuminating and remarkable study. This book is written with unparalleled authority and expertise, a true gem of a work."—Danilo Lozano, Flutist, Record producer, Whittier College Professor

"As curator of the Smithsonian exhibit 'Latin Jazz: La Combinación Perfecta (Perfect Combination)' and author of its accompanying book, Dr. Raul Fernandez has helped fill a void recognizing the Latino contribution to the American musical idiom of jazz. Now he further expands on that theme by exploring the lives of unsung Cuban musicians who helped shaped not only jazz but also American popular music. Dr. Fernandez is a treasure of musical scholarship that affirms that the Latino involvement in shaping and playing the popular music of the United States is more than just a footnote."—Jesse "Chuy" Varela, Contributing writer, San Francisco Chronicle, Jazz Times, and Latin Beat Magazine

Preface

PART I. Popular Music: Worksong of the Caribbean
1. The Salsa Concept
2. Ontology of the Son
3. The Aesthetics of Sabor

PART II. On the Road to Latin Jazz
4. Magic Mixture
5. Drumming in Cuban
6. Lords of the Tambor
7. Chocolate Dreams
8. The Taste of ¡Azúcar!

Afterword Notes
Index