Customer Reviews

Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae, Revised Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Probably one of the best introductory books written on the history, evolution and development of Caribbean music. Professor Manuel covers, with enough in-depth analysis, the "roots" and history of the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Suriname and other small islands.

The book is well written and an easy read, as well as being informative, giving the reader an overview of Caribbean music. It is not all-inclusive of the "Caribbean Basin"...it does not include the music of Central America, Mexico and Venezuela. Nevertheless it is a book I highly recommend to anyone that is interested in obtaining an overview on Caribbean music from its beginnings to the different genres of today.

Enjoyed the scope and ambition of this book, which educates you well about the remarkable number of musical genres that have emerged from the Caribbean. Has a place on my "world music" shelf along with "World Music: The Rough Guide" and "The Brazilian Sound."

We know that much of the world's contemporary is influenced by Africa and the Americas, but maybe you don't realized how much of the old music was influenced by colonialism, how Cuban music ended up in Baroque music of the 1600's, Chaconnes and Passacaglias for example. Basically this book has some really great stuff in it, it helps you get in touch with what colonialism did down there, Christopher Columbus was not so great, and at the same time connects you to a pretty vibrant, vivacious, and really soulful kind of music. I'm not even completely done with the book yet and I want to go there and live out some of the stories of this guy's travels, it's pretty damn cool.

Oh,... I am sorry, Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae.

This book has some good information; especially when Manuel situates the music within a broader socio-cultural background. However, if you want to learn about Puerto Rican music, read cautiously (see Manuel's "everything is Cuban" stance). Much of his information on Puerto Rico's music is wrong.

The fact that scholars have not produced a large, comprehensive series of studies on a culture (PR), although, this of course, is now changing, does not mean an author should blatantly speculate about many aspects of that culture. Where/what are Manuel's sources?