The History of Jazz in Cuba - Part I

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Cuba is largely considered to be one of the birthplaces of jazz music, which has roots in multiple countries. Jazz in Cuba dates back as far as the late 1800's, when it was just emerging as a sort of unique and experimental form of music rather than a defined genre. In the 1920's, and 1929 to be specific, however, Cuba's first jazz band formed and the music began establishing a presence that continues to this day.

Brothers Castros was considered to be the first big jazz band in that early era. Formed by saxophonist Manolo Castro, the popularity of the band helped jazz gain attention throughout the country, leading to what would eventually be a major interest in jazz music in Cuba.

With the fame of Brothers Castros and other jazz bands on the island nation, the era saw the import of many American jazz bands and musicians. This in turn gave the Cuban musicians the chance to learn from American artists, while allowing those artists the chance to be equally impacted by Cuban influence.

Many of the early Cuban jazz greats learned to master the intricacies of jazz and create a unique style that helped them earn acclaim even within the United States. By the end of the 1930's, Cuban jazz was taking the world by storm and Cuban bands such as The Curbelo, Riversai, and the Leucona Cuban Boys were as famous overseas as they were in their island homeland.

One musician in particular, Armando Romeu, would go on to have a lifelong role within the world of Cuban jazz. Influenced by the likes of Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington, Romeu joined forces with other future Cuban jazz legends such as Chico O'Farrill, Rafael Tata, Bebo Valdes and Tata Palau to form a series of jazz bands.

While Romeu and company were gaining more and more popularity in Cuba, artists such as Mario Bauza and Miguelito Valdes had made names for themselves in the United States, working with such artists as Cab Calloway and Dizzy Gillespie.

In the wake of Bauza's success, his brother-in-law Frank Grillo went to the US in 1937, and the pair formed the first band to combine Afro-Cuban music with traditional jazz. This band, known as Machito and the AfroCubans, performed with many jazz greats, including Charlie Parker.

The 1930's and 1940's saw the emigration of many Cuban jazz artists to the United States, but it is important to realize that the jazz scene was creating an equal number of music legends right on the island. Armando Romeu was certainly a top name in jazz music, and along with Luis Escalante, Leopoldo Pucho Escalante, and Gustavo Pucho Escalante, the now famous band The Bellamar was formed.

This time also saw the creation of the first bop band in Cuba. Named The Beboppers, the band included the legendary Chico O'Farrill, Kiki Hernandez, Rene Urbino, and Daniel Peres. At the same time, Romeu was invited to become a regular at The Tropicana, a cabaret in Havana, and he formed a big jazz band with such artists as Kiki Hernandez, Peruchin Justiz, and Daniel Perez that went on to be known to critics and fans alike as one of Cuba's best jazz bands.

This time period in the history of Cuban jazz was perhaps most significantly marked by the entry of Luciano Chano Pozo onto the music scene. Getting his start with the orchestra of Havana's RHC radio station, Pozo wrote a number of renowned rumba songs, including Parapimpon. He was also among the stars of The Tropicana's Congo Pantera, and by the time he had moved to New York, where he eventually became a household name, he had already earned this status in his homeland.

During the 1940's, the traditional Italian and Spanish roots that had long been a part of Cuban music were largely abandoned, with jazz influences permeating a type of music known as The Filin, or The Feeling. Artists such as Cesar Portillo de la Luz and Jose Antonio Mendez made names for themselves within the new genre. Nino Rivera, another artist to achieve great success with The Filin, altered the genre yet again, founding a genre known as Cubo-Bop that was quite different from Cubop and that really helped put Cuban jazz on the radar around the world.

Luis De Aguiar is an expert on USA Cuba Travel and serving director of Authentic Cuba Travel, a Toronto- based Travel Company that specializes in educational, cultural and ecological tours to Cuba. You can find over 30 different fully escorted Cuba tours a year with the largest selection of themes ranging from jazz tours to bird watching to legal research trips for US professionals. To learn more about Authentic Cuba, contact the company today by visiting their website or by calling 1-877-280-2054.