Latin Jazz

Latin jazz is a term given to cover the wide spectrum of jazz music within the Latin American rhythms, which is generally considered to be for the majority Cuban. Latin jazz covers three main categories including Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican.

Latin jazz gained popularity during the late 1940s, with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton beginning to combine rhythm sections and the structure of Afro-Cuban music, which was exemplified by Machito and His Afro-Cubans.

The song “Machito”, recorded by Stan Kenton, is considered to be the first Latin jazz recording and was released in 1946 and since then the Latin jazz genre has grown in popularity.

In comparison with what is considered to be tradition jazz, Latin jazz music features a straight rhythm rather than a swung rhythm, neglects to incorporate a backbeat but preferring a clave. Instruments favoured in Latin jazz include the conga, timbale and claves, which all give a decidedly Latin sound.

In comparison with traditional jazz, Latin jazz also features a number of sub-genres, including Samba and Lundo, which are Afro-Brazilian in nature and origin, and features a modified type of the clave.

Other sub-genres in Latin jazz include the Bossa Nova, a hybrid form that is based on the samba rhythm, influenced more by European and American musical sounds. Latin jazz can be played alone or in an ensemble.

The smaller ensembles in Latin jazz generally adopt a bebop format, with standard melodies and an improvised solo. Latin jazz favours percussion as the main focus during a solo and conga or timbale instruments add melodies throughout the performance.