¡Qué Cubanía!

This book explores Cuban culture, history and dailylife as contexts for the interpretation andexperience of Cuban music. In musical elements wefind multiple layers of communication related to thelocal setting. In Cuban popular discourse the conceptof an essential Cubanness is strongly emphasized, andthe shared experiences of political and economicrealities in Cuba the last decades are central tosuch an identity. The idea of a strong Africanpresence in Cuban national identity dominates partsof the discourse, and an investigation into thepractices and structures of Afro Cuban religions,offers further insight into this Cuban Africanness.Finally this study explores the jazz scene in Havanawith its aspects of both national and transnationalidentities communicated through musical performancein different local settings. This monograph is basedon qualitative research through long-term fieldworkin Havana from 1999 - 2002. The analysis offers acomprehensive introduction to practical aspects ofCuban music and society as well as theoreticalanalysis, and should be of interest to musicians andscholars as well as anyone interested in Cuban musicand Cuba in general.