Rhythm and Clave: The Secrets of Cuban Music
Keisel Jiménez
Image courtesy of the artist
Keisel Jiménez, a renowned Cuban percussionist who has performed and recorded with artists such as Alain Pérez, Alexander Abreu, and Issac Delgado, will discuss Cuban rhythms and the clave as essential elements of Cuban music. Jiménez currently plays with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.
In 1960, the United States imposed an embargo against Cuba, which meant that diplomatic and economic relations with the U.S., and therefore most parts of the world, were terminated. This essentially closed the borders for Cubans, any exchange of musical content became almost impossible, forcing artists to develop music with their own resources and the elements of jazz that reached Cuba before the revolution. Rooted in the diversity of African music and European influence, Cuba has played a major role in the development of contemporary music.