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Photos by Benjamin Forster.
Words by Cristina Dio.
Click on the images to enlarge.
La Habana
Havana is the Caribbean's largest city and a wellspring of musical
talent. It is here where Cuba's musical tradition underpins a
thriving culture of experimentation that informs and influences
music all over the world. If you love latin music, Havana will
make your head explode. Street ragga, timba dura, salsa, afro-cuban
jazz ... it's all here in abundance. In Havana we were invited
to the house of Marcos Jorrin, whose uncle Enrique penned the
very first cha-cha-cha, we frequented the famed Cafe Cantante,
jazz den La Zorra y El Cuervo (The Vixen and The Crow) and hung
out with Los Tres de la Habana, Sur Caribe, Oscar Valdes and Diakara,
Pupy Pedroso and Compay Segundo's band, led by his son Salvador
Repilado. Read the interviews on Rincon
Latino...
Santiago de
Cuba/Trinidad
El Oriente (the east) is known as the birthplace
of the "son", Cuba's most popular traditional style.
"Son", along with many other musical forms, such as
the bolero, charanga, guajira-son and trova are most prevalent
on the eastern side of the island. Musicians perform daily at
public music houses such as La Casa de la Trova where we met Los
Cubanitos, Inaudi Paisan Mallet and trovador Bene Bili. Santiago
is also celebrated as the birthplace of the revolution and we
happened to be there for the 50th anniversary of Castro's attack
on the Moncada Barracks. El Oriente is a fascinating place...
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