By Paul Rauch
June 30, 2024
Son Cubano, the music and dance from the hill country of eastern Cuba, may be a mystery to some readers of these pages. Though the form is rooted in both Spanish and Bantu traditions, its modern day practitioners, embodied and popularized by the music of Buena Vista Social Club, have broadened the music's view. In the United States, particularly in this case, the Pacific Northwest, there are pockets of enthusiasm for Latin music of all sorts. Yet upon attending a performance from a world class Cuban artist such as cuatro master Kiki Valera in Seattle, you will find many in the audience mostly connected to the jazz community. The jazz audience has a passion for Cuban music, whether gathered from African or Spanish origins. The inventive improvisation, call and response and Cuban rhythms speak to the freedom and emotive expression so evident in jazz music.