The popularization of habanera (Cuban contradanza) gave rise to the marriage of African American music and Afro-Cuban musical motifs in the 19th century.

Latin Jazz is the birth child of Afro/Cuban beats and Latin percussions. Unsurprisingly, Latin Jazz is centered around dance, and this picture goes to show the dance element of Latin Jazz.

Habanera rhythm (congo, tango-congo, tango) has a African motif rhythmical base and is a combination of tresillo and the backbeart.

This stamp collection shows all the Latin music legends, and Tito Puente, a pioneer of Latin music and Latin Jazz, though all of these artists were active in many styles just as Puente wasn’t solely a Jazz performer.

Now in one of my earliest tunes, “New Orleans Blues,” you can notice the Spanish tinge. In the right seasoning, I call it, for jazz—Morton (1938: Library of Congress Recording).

The first jazz piece to be overtly based in-clave, and therefore, the first true Latin jazz piece, was “Tanga” (1943)

(http://musicalrain-musik.blogspot.com/2010/07/jazz-gracias.htmla)

This painting illustrates the fusion of traditiona Jazz (piano and trumpet) and Latin rythm (conga)

The first true Latin Jazz piece was “Tanga” (1943) composed by Mario Bauza and recorded by Machito, which was initially a descarga with jazz solos superimposed

(http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-Colors-of-Latin-Jazz-Soul-Cookin-Posters_i2684841_.htm)

Latin music was more than just a musical genre, it was a movement of true Americanism, fusion of cultures to create new entities that goes to represent unlikely subcultures.

“The Girl from Ipanema” was sung by Gilberto in Bossa Nova, based on samba rhythm but influenced by European and American music from Debussy to US jazz.

 

We play jazz with the Latin touch, that’s all, you know. – Tito Puente^[