Hello! My name is Jennifer Rysavy and I would like to welcome you to my blog for Music 111. I enjoy the rhythm and energy of Latin music so I decided that watching a documentary and reporting on it would be an enjoyable blog post for myself to write and for you to read!
The text book required for Music 111 is Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On and it covers Latin music in America in middle of the twentieth century. However, it does so briefly with coverage over a page and a half of the text. This was a vibrant time in American history where Latin music was a gem in the crown of New York so it should be remembered by more than a few paragraphs.
In the documentary “Latin Music USA”, 1940’s Latin music is discussed in the episode entitled Bridges. The episode is called Bridges because the type of music discussed was essentially two musical worlds (jazz and Afro Cuban rhythms) being bridged together.
Mario Bauza (interviewed in the documentary) and his brother in law Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo (aka Machito) are cited as the creators of fusing Cuban rhythms and big band music in the 1940s.[ii] This style of music is called Latin Jazz or Afro Cuban jazz.[iii] This fusion was achieved with the help of their band, Machito and his Afro Cubans. The documentary states that even the name of the band was ground breaking just like their sound. It was ground breaking because no one was referring to Africa with this musical revolution. I found this interesting that Mario Bauzo and Machito were so forward in their culture that they shook up the scene with their direct band name that unashamedly causes a listener to identify their heritage.
While Mario Bauzo and Machito were creating new rhythm fusions, Dizzy Gillespie was falling in love with their sound. By all reports, Dizzy was an amazing jazz trumpeter that also was a leader in the Be Bop style. With his interest in the Afro Cuban rhythms, he became a champion for the sound. He brought along composer and percussionist Chano Pozo for the ride.[iv] They produced the song “Manteca” that showcases the fusion between Afro Cuban rhythms and jazz. I like the blaring horn riffs, the energetic rhythms and the conga drums that can be heard. It is a toe-tapping and exhilarating piece of music that makes me want to shimmy onto the dance floor.
Dizzy Gillespie & Chano Pozo – Manteca
In the mid-twentieth century, the new Latin Cuban rhythms could be found in New York, East Harlem. This was an area of New York that was often called “Spanish Harlem” as many of the Puerto Rican immigrants made this their home base. If Spanish Harlem was the where the Latin-Cuban rhythms could be heard, the Palladium Ballroom was where those rhythms could be showcased.
The Palladium Ballroom was a dance studio where the only rule to enter was that you had to be able to dance. There was a special group of people that you would encounter at the Palladium, the mambonicks. A mambonick is a person who likes to dance, especially the mambo. The Palladium did not differentiate by race or social class, just by dance ability. This was truly unique because it was a time in history where racial integration was frowned upon (to put it lightly). If you were at the Palladium, you would have undoubtedly seen every race and culture showcasing unique dance steps.
Over time as Latin music became more popular it was mainstreamed for the masses. This happened through:
- The television show “I Love Lucy”. This was a new ground breaking tv show that featured a white woman and a Cuban man living in matrimonial harmony.[v]
- The Cha-Cha-Cha dance was created and popularized Latin jazz music instead of the mambo because it was easier to dance. The documentary recorded people saying that this dance was the “idiots dance” because it was so easy to learn, thus the mass appeal.
The popularity of Afro Cuban music was short lived. The growing boom of Latin music was stopped in it tracks due to a major political reason and one unstoppable musical reason. The political reason that Latin music’s popularity was halted was that Cuba was taken over by Fidel Castro. The source of the music was no longer allowed entry into America. The unstoppable musical reason for the reduction in the boom of Latin music was because a band seemed to take over the whole world, The Beatles. When The Beatles took the stage, no artist or band could compete. The Beatles were drawing huge numbers at all of their performances and their massive appeal drew the mainstream ears to their songs and away from other types of music.
The impact of this musical style can be found in many popular songs throughout the decades. A Latin influence can often be heard in the Cha-Cha-Cha rhythm, conga drums (or conga drum style) and the fact that some of these songs are actually covers of Latin music songs.
Some songs that you may have heard and may not have realised had a Latin influence are:
- “Day Tripper” – The Beatles
- “Save the Last Dance for Me” – The Drifters
- “Good Lovin’” – The Rascals
- “Louie, Louie”- The Kingsmen
I would recommend this documentary to anyone wanting more information on the rise of Latin jazz in the 1940s. It was entertaining to watch and gave me a greater appreciation for the creators of this movement. Leave a comment after you watch the documentary because I would love to read your thoughts!
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[i] “Latin Music USA”, PBS.org. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://bento.cdn.pbs.org/hostedbento-prod/filer_public/latinmusicusa/lmusa_logo.png
[ii] “Latin Music USA”, directed by Daniel McCabe (2009; WGBH Educational Foundation and BBC), DVD.
[iii] “Latin Jazz,” Brittanica.com, accessed July17, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/art/Latin-jazz#ref1088975
[iv] Ibid.
[v] “Why Lucille Ball Was More Revolutionary Than You Think,” Huffingtonpost.ca. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/lucille-ball-revolutionary_n_7138476
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Bibliography
Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. 4th ed. Boston: Schrimer/Cengage Learning, 2013.
“Latin Jazz.” Brittanica.com Accessed July17, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/art/Latin-jazz#ref1088975
Latin Music USA, “Bridges,” directed by Daniel McCabe. 2009; WGBH Educational Foundation and BBC, DVD.
“Why Lucille Ball Was More Revolutionary Than You Think”. Huffingtonpost.ca December 6, 2017. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/lucille-ball-revolutionary_n_7138476