When Daymé Arocena took the stage on Monday night for her Los Angeles debut, the 22-year-old looked resplendent in a white dress and matching headwrap. The backing band for the Havana singer and ...

The death of Cuban conga master Carlos "Patato" Valdes this past December provides a sad opportunity to dig out one of his best-known recordings — which also happens to be a groundbreaking piece of ...

Okuté are an ensemble from Havana, Cuba who — to quote their bio — are “putting the spotlight on the sound of 1960s Cuba with a contemporary spirit.” Their self-titled debut album comes out June 4 via ...

If you love the wonderful beat of merengue music or the sounds of Cuban rumba, you'll be happy to know they're considered worldwide cultural treasures. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get ...

First there was the late, great Cuban jazz pianist, Bebo Valdés, who collaborated with Spanish flamenco legend Diego El Cigala on their exceptional album Lagrimas Negras (Black Tears) in 2004. Their ...

In Callejón del Hamel, a street in Cuba lined with art shops and murals, rumba is a way of life. Every Sunday around noon, both locals and tourists gather in the streets to watch, and often partake, ...

Chicago-based journalist Catalina Maria Johnson hosts the 15th installment of World Cafe's Latin Roots music series. Johnson writes in Spanish and English for publications such as HOY, Revista ...

Craft Recordings is proud to announce the release of The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions 5-LP and 5-CD box sets on November 9, 2018. Compiled here in their entirety and original format for the first time, ...

On a typical Saturday afternoon in the Havana courtyard of El Palenque, drummers coax conga rumba rhythms into the air above the crowd. A thousand miles away, Sundays in Central Park also mean rumba.

Rumba, a potent, percussion-driven blend of African and Spanish influences, emerged as a distinctive tradition in late 19th-century Cuba, providing the template for much of the island’s popular music ...

UNESCO has added Congolese rumba to its intangible heritage list, sparking enthusiasm among music and dance fans in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of the Congo. The ...