While the first half of this book briefly examines the historical trajectories of the Cuban son, the pan-Caribbean nature of salsa music, and what the author calls the “aesthetics of sabor,” the second section focuses on the local circumstances of music making in the lives of bassist Israel “Cachao” López; drummers Armando Peraza, Carlos “Patato” Valdés, Mongo Santamaría, Francisco Aguabella, and Cándido Camero; trumpet player Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros; and singer Celia Cruz. The author documents the numerous travels, encounters, and audiences that have characterized the long, fruitful lives of these important figures in the music world of the Caribbean, and foregrounds the ways in which they mainstreamed the local roots of their music making. While Fernández states that globalization in music is not a recent phenomenon — “the current fixation on globalization is nothing new to musicians” (p. 57) — he does not engage in a meaningful discussion...
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