Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo

An absolutely astounding work of music history. The sheer amount of research put into this volume boggles the mind. Sublette goes to great lengths to place the music of Cuba into proper context. This isn't just music history; it's world history, linguistic history, religious history, political history. I am a lover of Latin music with a degree in music performance, and this book was still full of revelations. Reading Cuba and Its Music will illuminate the true extent to which the music of one island shaped the traditions of an entire continent. The tone is serious, but with an appropriate amount of room for humor and without getting lost in academic technicalities. If I had any criticisms of the book, they would be that I wished it included even more musical analysis—Sublette writes for the general reader—and that towards the end of the book, as more historical records become available to describe the times in question, the number of names grows a bit dizzying.The prospective reader should note that this book ends with Batista's re-ascension to power in 1952. Post-1952 developments in Cuban music are not discussed. Throughout the text Sublette references a second volume discussing Cuban music from 1952 to the present day, but as of the time of this review, 17 years after the publication of the first volume, the second has never been released. A shame, because I would love to read what Sublette has to say about more contemporary Cuban music.Coincidentally, Cuba and Its Music serves as the perfect antidote to [b:Music: A Subversive History 43886050 Music A Subversive History Ted Gioia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550709377l/43886050.SY75.jpg 68280425], which mentions some Afro-Latin genres but does not use the word “Cuba” once. Sublette does for Cuban music what Gioia couldn't quite accomplish for the music of the whole world.In my opinion, one of the greatest books I have ever read.