The Rough Guide to Cuban Music

Rating:
Summary: This Book Fills in the Gaps
Review: This Rough Guide packs far more information in its pocket sized format than all the other currently full sized available book on the topic of Cuban Jazz. After reading most other books on the topic, you'd think that Cuban music began with Desi Arnaz and ended with the now graying artists featured in Buena Vista Social Club. This Rough Guide discusses Son, Bolero, Mambo and other musical styles, desrcribing their origin, and the (not widely known) artists who first popularlized them. And ... it picks up with the new generation who have expanded on work of their esteemed prececessors. I used the book's comprehensive descriptions (together with Amazon's "Listen to Samples" features) -- to build a broad collection that begins at the beginning and ends at the end.