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Paper Abstract: Island's music industry, politics, history, Castro's revolution & aftermath. Paper Introduction: Cuban music reflects the island's international flavor, old Havana culture once known as the most stylishly sophisticated of all Latin societies, while the current music industry reflects Cuba's changing economy and political role in world politics. Cuba or Republica de Cuba's population of 10.1 million as of 1985 has a projected annual growth rate of 1.1 percent, or 110,000. Set in the Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Cuba is strategically located at the entrance of both the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The 110,860-square-kilometer Republic of Cuba comprises the Cuban archipelago, a formation of some 3,715 islands, islets, and keys. It is approximately 150 miles south of Florida and 210 kilometers east of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Cuba is flanked by the island of Jamaica to the south, by the island of Hispaniola across the Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Contemporary, complexjazz also flourishes, with brilliant young pianist-arranger GonzaloRubalcalba its current hero. Cuba's history stemmed from its strategic location in the Caribbean,developing as it became "Europe's jumping-off point to the New World."First serving the needs of Spain, it was considered "the crown's prizepossession as the island." Cuba was perfect as a way station to prepareSpanish expeditions to the mainland, later becoming a resupply andmarshaling port for Spanish fleets carrying money, a fact pirates also tookadvantage of with devastating raids on Havana (Rudolph 3). The end of the Cold War paved the way for Cuban and U.S.interaction, which could promote Cuba's economic growth rate (Ward 298).The rate has plummeted severely since 1985, affected by the samedebt/interest rate crisis as the rest of the developing countries. Affectionately called "the Pearl of theAntilles" (Ward 1) because of its rich soil, Cuba has always boasted manyexports, including sugar, nickel, seafood, citrus fruits, tobacco andcoffee (Rudolph xiii-xvii). As part of the Cuban economy, now "mutating to survive," the Cubanmusic industry, "however ad hoc and experimental in nature," is at the"forefront of the change," more in favor internationally now than it hasbeen for two decades (Sweeney 1). Atlanta: Turner, 1991.Sweeney, Philip. However,the separation was politically welcome since it was well known that Cubans"simply never liked Russians" and had always denigrated them (Ward viii-x,28 -286). Active campaignscontinue toward male - female equality, with partnerships at home and work,free national education and health care (Chadwick 198-199). Cuba: A Journey. Cuba is flanked bythe island of Jamaica to the south, by the island of Hispaniola across theWindward Passage and by the Bahamas in the northeast. On the down side, records are extremely scarce though not rationed.Within Cuba, the "state of music is further complicated by the gulf betweenvisitors with dollars and peso-spending Cubans," for whom possession ofdollars is punishable; new recordings are stocked in the dollar shops(Sweeney 1). Mass media in Cuba is controlled by the government, specifically byFidel Castro, known as "El Comandante" for his strict rule of the press.An official version of all events, such as trials, is released forpublication by the government (Timmerman 12 ). The revolutionary movement was finally galvanized into victory by thedynamic personality of Fidel Castro in the middle of the 2 th century.Cuban insurgents were also motivated by other factors: Cuba's prolongedrole as a colony; prejudice against the United States; economicexploitation by U.S. The recent split with theSoviet Union cut off a supply of up to $2 million a day in aid. The highly restricted structure of national policy making, in whichsome 22 individuals participate regularly, is combined with a decentralizedsystem of policy implementation that involves substantial popularparticipation at the local level. Irakere is a internationally successfuljazzrock group, and progressive rock with touches of jazz, Afro-Cubanelements and songs from the melodic neuva trova school withpoetic/political lyrics are also a hit. This will furtherpromote Cuban music, a proven classic and an enormously popularly art form,reflecting the many nationalities making themselves at home on the islandby invitation or colonial rule. New York: Knopf, 199 .----------------------- 3 Colonialism also shaped the attitudes of thepopulation, instilling in Cubans a longing for liberation, the islandrocked by disturbances of revolutionaries seeking independence throughoutthe following four centuries, during which it was dominated or sought afterby major powers. Cuba and Puerto Rico were all that remained of the old empire byl89 , and changes in the world's balance of power influenced the island'sliberation from Spanish rule at the turn of the century. Cuban music reflects the island's international flavor, old Havanaculture once known as the most stylishly sophisticated of all Latinsocieties, while the current music industry reflects Cuba's changingeconomy and political role in world politics. Each movement had a short life because of U.S. Positive results of the revolution included social and agrarianreforms, plus the elimination of crime, drug trafficking, politicalcorruption and an unfair class system (Timmerman 12 -123), which alsoresulted in a tremendous national and personal pride (Ward 3 2). Sweeney notes hopeful signs in Castro's 1991 report to Congress, inwhich he introduced ownership and marketing measures to stimulate foreignexchange earnings, giving culture a priority (1). New York: Knopf,1961.Rudoph, James D. And Cubanmusic is also experiencing a surge of foreign record-licensing offers andgrowing requests from foreign firms to provide CDs to Cuban companies forsale in the dollar shops. Cuba has an authoritarian political system with Fidel Castro Ruz atthe center and power concentrated at the highest levels of the system.Castro is the chief of state and government, as well as commander in chiefof the Revolutionary Armed Forces and first secretary of the CommunistParty. Positive notes include the free concerts or government-subsidizedconcerts: up to 2 , regularly attend performances in Havana'sRevolution Square, for example. The United States set up Cuba officially as anindependent republic, in reality a protectorate, and in 19 3 established apermanent base at Guantanamo Bay (Palmer 625-626). Pastencouragement by the Soviet Union to produce more sugar, which has nowbecome secondary to corn as a sweetener base and much lower in value,discouraged agricultural diversification and has "cost Cuba dearly" (Smith169-17 ). Cuba's socialist revolution is considered, infact, "the most thorough and radical in twentieth-century Latin America,"and it profoundly altered nearly every aspect of life on the island sinceJanuary 1, 1959 (Rudolph xix). Westport: Hill, 1975.Palmer, R.R. Portrait of Cuba. And the current U.S. Washington: GPO, 1986.Smith, Wayne S. The 11 ,86 -square-kilometerRepublic of Cuba comprises the Cuban archipelago, a formation of some 3,715islands, islets, and keys. The variety of music includes the smartrhythms of perennial favorite Afro-percussion rumba groups of great purity,traditionally composed of former Matanzas dockers. However, the success of the Cuban revolution marks a majorhistorical turning point. Motivated byimperialism and the strategic position of Cuba, and as the new dominantnaval power in the Western Hemisphere with growing interests in theCaribbean Basin, the United States took over Cuba after winning the warwith Spain in 1898. Works CitedChadwick, Lee. and Cuban businesses; an almost unbroken history ofdictatorships in this century; and political and economic oppression, andgovernment corruption that bred loss of hope and pride in the population(Ward 28 -282). Cuba: A Country Study. Cuba Today. A History of the Modern World. In 1492, Columbus noted its "magnificent butgentle landscapes" and proclaimed Cuba "the fairest land human eyes hadever seen." Land also shaped the peaceful, industrious and hospitablenature of its inhabitants, from the first Siboney and Taino Indians toCubans today (Smith 4 -41) subsequently infused with the fiery Spanishtemperament of its invaders. Optimisticgovernment plans for Cuba's highly literate work force include"nontraditional exports," such as medicines and experts in biotechnology,to other Third World countries (Ward 3 ), as well as promotion of Cuba asa natural tourist attraction, particularly to Americans with dollars (Smith171-173). At the same time the people appeared to accept governmentby foreigners, evidenced by Cubans splitting themselves into classes ofSpanish-born peninsulares and Cuban-born crillos (Rudolph 3-4). government (Sweeney 4 ). Prompted by the tourist boom, the area of livemusical activity, always popular, is expanding (Sweeney 4 ). Outside of Cuba, the demand for Cubanmusic is increasing in Europe and Japan, augmenting Cuban bands'traditional touring markets of Mexico, Venezuela, and Columbia. Recording problems exist because recording studios are few andfar between, and cardboard to print LP sleeves to make records are scarce;even top artists at the major companies of Egrem, Artex and the new P.M.could wait two years. Political antecedents that paved the way from colonialism to the 1959revolution included revolutionaries believing in, if not living, thenationalism of beloved hero, poet, statesman and revolutionary Jose Marti,considered the father of Cuban independence, plus subsequent movementsknown as the generation of 1895 and the radicalism of the generation of1933. Set in the Atlantic Ocean, just south of theTropic of Cancer, Cuba is strategically located at the entrance of both theCaribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is approximately 15 miles south of Floridaand 21 kilometers east of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Streetcrime, inflation and unemployment are unknown (Ward 282). imperialisticintervention during the first third of the century. Cuba's fertile land, to which tobacco and sugarcane were indigenous,also influenced history. trade embargo "keeps Cuban andNorth American branches of Latin music divorced" with all promotiondiscouraged except for nonprofit educational visits to Cuba permitted bythe U.S. Latin soft rock/pop ballad singingis popular, and a handful of amateur metal groups are tolerated on the farfringes. Cuba today is at a crossroads because of changing world politics, therelative isolation of the island and Fidel Castro's "government by trialand error," which also allows no dissent by the people, who are considered"enslaved by the system." Cuba's unsteady economy, described as being "inshambles," includes food and supply shortages. Cuba or Republica de Cuba'spopulation of 1 .1 million as of 1985 has a projected annual growth rate of1.1 percent, or 11 , . "A Bare-Bones Music Trade Feeling Its Way in Cuba."Billboard, 2 March 1993, 1, 4 .Timmerman, Jacobo. 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