In Praise of Older Drummers: The Cuban Creators of Latin Jazz. A Review of Raul A. Fernandez's <em>From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz</em> (Berkeley: U of California P, 2006)

Authors

  • Kevin M. Delgado San Diego State University

Keywords:

jazz, drummers, cuban drummers, latin jazz

Abstract

Raul Fernandez is Professor of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. While trained in political economy, the Cuban-born Fernandez is extremely well positioned to study Latin jazz through his lifelong interaction with Cuban music, first as a fan, then as a musician, and finally as a scholar. Significantly, in addition to his decades of interaction with the subject matter, Fernandez’s expertise led to his recruitment by the Smithsonian Institution to conduct oral histories for its Jazz and Latino Music Oral History Programs. Fernandez interviewed over a dozen Latin jazz, Cuban, and salsa musicians on behalf of the Smithsonian, providing him invaluable access to major artists in these fields. His work resulted in Fernandez’s appointment as curator of an excellent traveling Smithsonian exhibit Latin jazz: La combinación perfecta (2002–2006). He also produced an outstanding companion compact disc and authored a bilingual exhibit book (2002), a dazzling work that includes over 150 photographs.

Author Biography

Kevin M. Delgado, San Diego State University

Kevin M. Delgado es profesor asistente de Música y Coordinador de Música del Mundo y Etnomusicología en San Diego State University. Recibió su doctorado en UCLA y trabajó anteriormente en la Universidad de Tulane (New Orleans). Delgado, quien es también bajista y percusionista, se especializa en el estudio de la música, interpretación, y representación cultural de la Santería afro-cubana.

Published

2007-08-01

How to Cite

Delgado, K. M. (2007). In Praise of Older Drummers: The Cuban Creators of Latin Jazz. A Review of Raul A. Fernandez’s <em>From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz</em> (Berkeley: U of California P, 2006). A Contracorriente: Una Revista De Estudios Latinoamericanos, 5(1), 291–303. Retrieved from https://acontracorriente.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/acontracorriente/article/view/390

Issue

Section

Reviews: Race, Culture and Identity