Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba
Robin Moore
Abstract
This book provides an introduction to the most prominent artists and musical styles that have emerged in Cuba since 1959 and to the policies that have shaped artistic life. The author gives readers a chronological overview of the first decades after the Cuban Revolution, documenting the many ways performance has changed and emphasizing the close links between political and cultural activity. Offering a wealth of details about music and the milieu that engendered it, he traces the development of dance styles, nueva trova, folkloric drumming, religious traditions, and other forms. The author des ... More
This book provides an introduction to the most prominent artists and musical styles that have emerged in Cuba since 1959 and to the policies that have shaped artistic life. The author gives readers a chronological overview of the first decades after the Cuban Revolution, documenting the many ways performance has changed and emphasizing the close links between political and cultural activity. Offering a wealth of details about music and the milieu that engendered it, he traces the development of dance styles, nueva trova, folkloric drumming, religious traditions, and other forms. The author describes how the fall of the Soviet Union has affected Cuba in material, ideological, and musical terms, and considers the effect of tense international relations on culture. Most importantly, the book chronicles how the arts have become a point of negotiation between individuals, with their unique backgrounds and interests, and official organizations. It uses music to explore how Cubans have responded to the priorities of the revolution and have created spaces for their individual concerns.
Keywords:
Cuba,
Cuban Revolution,
performance,
music,
dance styles,
nueva trova,
folkloric drumming,
religious traditions,
Soviet Union,
international relations
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2006 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780520247109 |
| Published to California Scholarship Online: May 2012 |
DOI:10.1525/california/9780520247109.001.0001 |
