| Most critics point to the 1940s when they
reference the convergence of Latin music and American jazz (Acosta,
Stewart and Colón). However, the history of Latin jazz goes
back to the early decades of the 20th century and possibly before
(Roberts, Leymarie). The most recent research on the cross-fertilization
of the two genres of music seems to point to the first half of the
19th century (Leymarie). Prior to the Louisiana Territory purchase
in 1821, Spain had been in control of New Orleans for extended periods
of time thus leaving and indelible Spanish flavor in the city. Moreover,
when Cuban musicians accused of conspiring against the Spanish colonial
government fled to New Orleans in the 1800s, they often found work
in the city's many clubs. It is no accident then that the Cuban danzón
and ragtime developed almost simultaneously, and that both have analogous
elements highlighting a common source: the African elements distilled
in Haiti and exported to Cuba and New Orleans in late 1700s.
As the United States presence in Cuba and Puerto Rico intensified
after the Spanish-American War, American jazz bands toured the two
islands and Cuban musical groups began to visit New York City, which
had become the new gate to the Caribbean since the mid-1800s. For
instance, Cuban septeto-style dance bands were playing in New York
by the 1930s, and often included musicians from both islands. Cuban
and Puerto Rican composers and musicians such as Chico O’Farrill,
Mario Bauzá, Noro Morales, and Juan Tizol were living in
the city and were working for Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and
Cab Calloway in the clubs and hotels. Their presence in these orchestras
allowed for the introduction of a Latin flavor in the arrangements
of the time. View in this light, then, the concert given by Dizzy
Gillespie in September 1947 at Carnegie Hall, featuring the "Afro-Cuban
Suite," marks the culmination of the influence of Cuban music
on American jazz rather than its beginning as it comes after two
decades of collaborations.
The Puerto Rican community in New York City had been growing at
a steady pace since the first decades of the 20th century. However,
the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917 granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto
Ricans and opened the door to one of the largest Latino migrations
to the Mainland. By the mid-1920s East Harlem had been transformed
into El Barrio or Spanish Harlem providing a focus for the New York
Latin music scene. In the next decade, Spanish-language radio stations
carried live broadcasts from local nightclubs, which added variety
to home entertainment that had been dominated until then by the
vitrola or phonograph. The Victor Talking Machine Company [RCA]
and Columbia Phonograph Company had found a new market with recordings
of Puerto Rican danzas, plenas, and aguinaldos for those yearning
for home style music. But the generation born in New York, who grew
up speaking Spanish and English andlistening to American music,
wanted a broader musical experience than the popular music of Puerto
Rico. It is not surprising then that the first generation of Nuyoricans
produced a music that incorporates elements of both musical traditions.
To familiarize yourself with Latin jazz visit the following web
sites:
http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/en/juan_tizol.html
http://www.jazzhouse.org/library/index.php3?read=kauzler
http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/en/joe_cuba.html |
Listen to “Perdido” written by trombonist
Juan Tizol in the early 1930s and performed by the Duke Ellington
band. Comment on the instrumentation and rhythm.
Listen to “Pito” or “Bang! Bang!” by conga
player Joe Cuba. Analyze the theme as it relates to the instrumentation
and rhythm. |