The Latin Beat ─ The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond

An accessible combination of serious study and exciting pop reference, The Latin Beat explains each of the wildly varied Latin musical forms - bossa nova, cumbia, merengue, tango, ranchera, rumba, son, salsa - in the context of the countries in which they arose (Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Domincan Republic, Mexico). Morales then traces each of these forms as they migrated north, and explains how they were absorbed into the American mix. He travels from the Latin ballad to the cocktail-lounge bossa nova to Latin jazz, chronicles the development of the samba in Brazil and salsa in New York, explores the connection between the mambo craze of the '40s and '50s with the Cuban craze of today, and uncovers the hidden history of Latinos in '80s and '90s rock and hip hop. The Latin Beat explores where the music has come from, and celebrates all of the directions it is going.