Habaneras, Maxixes & Tangos: The Syncopated Piano Music of Latin America

"This collection showcases the syncopated piano music of Latin American during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It features Latin rhythms, which are really African rhythms brought to the Americas by slaves and applied to the music of the European colonists. These rhythms are varied and complex and so is their history. They've had a widespread and profound influence on the evolution of popular music not only in Latin America, but also in the United States. The most obvious offshoots are the tango in Argentine and Uruguay and most of the other popular dances of South and Central America, as well as ragtime and jazz in the United States. Jelly Roll Morton claimed this ""Latin tinge"" is the essential element that distinguishes jazz from ragtime. These rhythms are the musical roots of groups like ""The Buena Vista Social Club.""