Inspired by the “Cuba Is” exhibit at The Annenberg Photo Space in Los Angeles, I whipped up a symphony of tracks that inspire me on the island today, with a sprinkle of legendary ancestors whose shoulders we all rest on.
If you visit the Skylight studio at “Cuba Is”, you’ll enter the Resolviendo exhibit, which deep dives into Wifi Parks, DIY Magazines, and modern day Cuban content (a collaboration I was honored to curate through Commonwealth Projects). After 6 months of boasting beautiful works from Cuba, both exhibits will end early March with a closing bash on March 3rd. To bottle the spirit of Resolviendo, I’m posting the mix online. Here is a bit of old-school meets new school — a mash-up of modern day Cuba.
Upon hearing the assemblage of tracks, it can appear seamless to move between the voices of the past and the voices of today. It’s evident the rappers are contemporary, but the percussion and words of the ancient Yoruba language are still woven into the fiber of todays Cuban millennial. Tradition is paramount in Cuba, and history is bookmarked through music, dance, and spoken word. First, it was through “cabildos”, the underground slave jam sessions of the 1500’s, all the way up to the Rumba’s and Cha Cha Cha’s of the 1960’s. Today, a Perez Prado mambo still roars on the streets, but instead, a DJ is flipping it with a remix, lifting the original to newer heights. Listen for yourself. Achè.
RESOLVIENDO (Track list)
Ellegua Invocation – Orishas
Rumba Pa’ofrendarle – Telemary Diaz
No te olvides de tu Son – Yelsy Heredia
Bonito y Sabroso – Beny More
Para Bailar el Montuno – Arsenio Rodriguez
Watermelon Man – Mongo Santamaria
Palabras Manuales – Danay Suarez
River – Ibeyi
Corazon de Melon – Rosemary Clooney with Perez Prado
St James Infarmary (Perez Prado vs Wichy de Vedado)
Fundamento – Edgar Productor’n’Jefe
Rico Vacilon – Orquesta American de Ninon Mondejar
Julian Monsieus – Bola de Nieve
Habanera Repartera – Soandry
Tu Seras – Danay Suarez
Cubanacan – Lecuono Cuban Boys
Madres – Daymé Arocena
The Rumba Experiment – Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band
Exhibit Diaz – Ibeyi
3 Mujeres – IFE Havana Remix Feat Con100cia, Positivo Siempre, Amehel Mission Raiz
Negra Caridad – Dayme Arocena
Fever – La Lupe
Lean On (Salsa) – Major Lazer with Havana Maestros
Mis Raices – Yelsy Heredia
Bossa Cubana – Los Zafiros
Soledad – Bahama Soul Club feat Telmary
Papa Aggun – Celeste Mendoza y los Papines
Encantamiento Yoruba
Guajira Guantamera – Joseito Fernandez
Weird Latin – feat Pedrito Martinez & Paul Carlon
Negro Mi Cha Cha Cha – Facundo Rivero
Make it a Spotify playlist!
How does one do that?