State Department Latin American Popular Music Series

If the United States is, in fact, the melting pot we would like to imagine it to be, then we need to acknowledge and celebrate the cultural contributions of the Latin American community. To most "Notreamericanos", the Latino label means Spanish speaking, which would include immigrants from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and a large portion of Central and South America. However, this belittles the contributions of Portuguese-speaking Brazilians and French speakers from French Guiana, Haiti, Martinique, and other Caribbean Islands.

One of the biggest Latin American contributions has been in music. The United States proudly claims Jazz as an American art form, and the form was spawned in New Orleans and would mature in the night clubs of Chicago and New York. However, early Ragtime and Jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton said, "You've got to have that Spanish tinge". Jazz rhythms are largely African in origin, which came from former slaves in the Caribbean as well as the Southern States.

The Argentine Tango swept the globe in the 1930s and was especially popular in American night clubs. Rhumba, mambo, and conga rhythms worked their way into Big Band and Swing music during and after the War years. This is partially thanks to the State Department's "Good Neighbor" propaganda policy, which was designed to keep Nazi and Fascist (and later, Communist) influence away from South and Central America and the Caribbean.

The recordings in this collection come with very little background information. There is no commentary, so it is unclear whether they were intended for broadcast. They seem to be similar in quality to the era "Victory Discs" although they are labeled by the State Department rather than the War Department. The music is upbeat and enjoyable, even danceable, although the recordings preserve enough needle-hiss and pop to remind the listener that the tracks are recorded from a vinyl pressing.

See also: Armed Forces Radio Service Basic Music Library Recordings