About the album
Working with Rounder Records of Cambridge Massachusetts, Howard Dratch and his colleagues produced what one music critic called “one of the best compilations of Afro Cuban music ever released in the U.S.” These albums were designed to accompany the television series of the same name, broadcast on PBS.
The first volume, A Carnival of Cuban Music includes the music performed in the documentary, while the second, Cuban Dance Party, chronicles the evolution of the genre. Most of the tracks are original songs, some of which were recorded by the film crew on locations all around Cuba. Responding to the popularity of the first two albums, Dratch subsequently produced a third volume, featuring Cuba’s legendary tres maestro Isaac Oviedo and his family. The informative liner notes on all three albums give a good idea of the place of each song occupies in the evolution of one of the world’s richest, most fascinating musical forms.
A Carnival of Cuban Music- Routes of Rhythm Volume 1 takes the listener on an exhilarating musical voyage to discover the joyous and powerful music that originated in Africa and Spain, and evolved in the Caribbean and the United States, where it has been variously called “Latin Music”, “Afro-Cuban music”, “salsa”, or “tropical music.”
Reviews
“….one of the best compilations of Afro Cuban music ever released in the U.S. Most of the cuts are original songs some of which were recorded on location in Cuba. Others include such standards as Xavier Cugat’s “Siboney” and Dizzy Gillespie’s Manteca” as well as music by contemporary Cuban groups such as Irakere and Los Van Van.” –Carlos Agudelo, Billboard
