As many of us know, the United States and Cuba have shared a strained relationship since the 1959 Castro Revolution.  Politically, economically, and culturally, citizens of both countries have largely been cut off from their counterparts across the pond.  What Americans now know of Cuban music and culture stems in part from the large diasporic community living in the United States.  Predominantly found in metropolitan communities in Florida and New York, the sounds of salsa, mambo, and timba have made a large splash in the American music scene.  Still, little is known about what goes on culturally inside Cuba itself. 

Take a look at these past Afropop features that highlight the immense musical tradition on La Isla Grande:

Shout Out: Colombia and Cuba
Cuba and its Music
Cuba: What's Happening in 2007?
Inventos Hip Hop Cubano film review
APWW Seminar in Cuba, March 2003 (final dispatch)
APWW in Havana 2003: Dispatch 1


Contributed by: Ian Staub