Cuba: I Am Time CD

For such a small island, Cuba has had an enormous musical impact both inside and outside of Latin America. Salsa is the music of choice among Cubans and Puerto Ricans, and Afro-Cuban music has influenced everyone from American jazz players to Dominican merengue artists to Spanish "nuevo flamenco" stars. A four-CD box set, Cuba: I Am Time spotlights Cuban artists past and present. Ranging from tribal-type chanting inspired by Santeria and the Yoruba faith to dance bands to modern Afro-Cuban jazz, this package shows us what a wealth of music the island has provided. Disc One focuses largely on traditional sounds that are closely related to African tribal music, and material by Pancho Quinto, El Clave y Guaguanco and others consists of only percussion and vocals. Meanwhile, large and small bands playing son, mambo, guaguanco and other styles that make up salsa are the focus of Discs Two and Three, which boast classics by such greats as Beny More, Miguelito Cuni, Merceditas Valdes and Tito Gomes. And finally, Disc Four illustrates the ways in which Mario Bauza, Cachao, Irakere, Chico O'Farrill and others have successfully fused improvisatory jazz with Afro-Cuban music. Regrettably, the set's 111-page booklet fails to list recording dates, though it does boast an extremely informative essay. This set would be too much for casual listeners, but those with a deeper interest in Afro-Cuban music will find it a gold mine. ~ Alex Henderson

Shaped like a cigar box, this is a festive, well-sequenced and danceable set that shows off that nation's most important cultural export. Includes a full color 111-page booklet and catalogs the entire Afro-Cuban ethos. 57 tracks. The box measures approx. 6 x 5 x 2 inches.

Digitally remastered by Gene Paul.

CUBA: I AM TIME was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package - Boxed and for Best Historical Album.

CUBA: I AM TIME consists of 4 separate discs labeled CUBAN INVOCATIONS, CANTAR EN CUBA, BAILAR EN CUBA and CUBANO JAZZ. Many of these selections are from rare and out-of-print albums taken from the private collection of Alan Boss and the archives of Egrem, Cuba's state-run record label. Included is an illustrated 112-page booklet consisting of notes, interviews and track-by-track annotations.

JazzTimes (12/97, p.212) - "...an impressive chronicle of a great musical culture....it follows the evolution of one of the most significant musical cultures in the western hemisphere."
Vibe (10/97, p.173) - "...a festive, well-sequenced, and danceable set that shows off that nation's most important cultural export..."