Cuba Eterno: La Coleccion Cubana

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Despite the U.S. embargo on Cuba--or perhaps because of the forbidden-fruit factor--the music of America's island neighbor is undergoing an upsurge in popularity that rivals the Latin-music heyday of the '50s. For the most part lacking the mainstream music industry's tools--high-tech studios, marketing surveys, pop charts, and ownership by multinational corporations--Cuba has remained free of pressures to bow to the economic bottom line and of the dull homogenization that often results from too much attention paid to profits. In other words, Cuban musicians may be poor but they are free to make music for its own sake. This collection presents a history of Cuban musical creativity from the acoustic country form known as the guajira--represented here by Grupo Raison's authentic-yet-jazz-infused rendering of "Guajira Guantanamera"--through other classic forms that have been diluted over the decades by American handlers--the son, danzon, bolero, mambo, and cha-cha, which was invented by violinist Enrique Jorrin. His "La Enganadora (The Cheat)" was recorded by Orquesta America in 1953, and that track appears here, along with "Cuando Quieras Volver," by the great bandleader Beny More--known as "the barbarian of rhythm" and the real mambo king. As the multinationals continue to pave over a world of idiosyncratic delights with giant theme parks, fast-food chains, and mega-stores, sets like this collection of musical artifacts seem all the more precious. Elena Oumano

Cuba Eterno: La Coleccion Cubana,Various Artists,Music Club,Bolero,Cuba,Int'l & World Music,Latin,Pop,Salsa,Son,Tropical,World Music

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