Afro-Cubano by Putumayo World Music

African and Latin rhythms converge on this joyous musical adventure.

The songs featured on this collection come from many African diaspora countries: Cameroon, Congo, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Senegal, São Tomé & Príncipe, Suriname and Cuba. Separated by oceans, jungles or deserts, these countries are tied together by common history and cultural roots. While the personal stories of enslaved Africans in the Americas have mostly been lost to time, their saga lives on in the music that has echoed back and forth across the continents.

​The music of Cuba, with its distinct syncopated bass line, bubbling interlocking percussion and rhythmic call and response vocals, is the outcome of the collision of African and European cultures in the New World. When vinyl albums brought the first recordings of Cuban music back to Africa, it was like meeting a long-lost family member – one who had spent many years travel- ing the world and had many interesting new stories to tell.

​Though the songs on this collection may come from many different countries, they fit together naturally, like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. We discovered each song in different ways. We came across a vintage Sonora Paramarera album during a visit to Suriname. We traveled to the African island nation of São Tomé & Príncipe several times but only learned about the talented Neto Amado when he sent us demos of his songs last year. We have visited Cuba often, but we actually found the two featured Cubans far from their homeland. While the path that led us to each song was unique, there’s no question that they belong together.

​We hope you enjoy this musical family reunion.

Putumayo travels the world for music that is “guaranteed to make you feel good!”

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