Few places better define the musical diaspora than Cuba. African and Spanish rhythms conspired here to create countless genres, one of the most popular (and exportable) being the rumba. Of course, anybody with a Lowery Odyssey is familiar with the "Rhumba" setting, but the beat's origins are a far cry from ballrooms and big band LPs.
1984's Roots of Rhythm, hosted by none other than Harry Belafonte, highlights the global success of Latin music, but more importantly finds the rumba alive (at least alive 25 years ago) in the streets of Matanzas, Cuba...
Perhaps the streets of Matanzas still breathe these rumba roots, as 2006's La Fuerza del Tambor provides us with this glimpse of Cuban life...
(further reading at, and props to ¡Vamos a Guarachar!)
