Anthropology Research: New Trends
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The new trend in anthropology today seems to be to conduct research in your own backyard. As a person with two ôbackyards,ö one in my homeland of the United States, and the other in the Cuban homeland of my fatherÆs ancestors, I was fortunate to be able to take part in the anthropologic study trip ôA Unique Cross-Cultural, People-to-People Experienceö from May 26 through June 9, 2001. The first thing I was struck with was the beauty of Santiago de Cuba. When Columbus ôdiscoveredö Cuba, a few days after he ôdiscoveredö the American mainland, he noted its ômagnificent but gentle landscapesö and proclaimed Cuba (which he named Juana) ôthe fairest land human eyes had ever seenö (Smith 40). This was also my impression. The second image that impressed me was that of a multicultural society in which neither race nor ethnicity is a major issue. During my visit to Cuba, I benefited from the joy of seeing people who looked just like me (I am a fusion of Cuban, Native American and African American). The third image, and the one this report centers on, is the richness of CubaÆs creative community life, particularly its music. Cuban music reflects the West IndiesÆ islandÆs international flavor. From an anthropologic point of view music, as a form of cultural expression, symbolism, political commentary and propaganda, plays a vital role in shaping and informing culture. In both pre and post-revolutionary Cubs, music has served as both entertainment and as a mode of political and ideol
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lso as contributors to the indigenous culture of Cuba itself. The government also subsidizes free concerts, and I learned that up to 200,000 Cubans regularly attend performances in HavanaÆs Revolution Square. The demand for Cuban music is also increasing outside of Latin America, in Europe and Japan, Canada and the United States. The increase in mobility that has occurred in recent years has made it possible for Cuban musical groups such as the popular Buena Vista Social Club and Los Van Van to perform outside of Cuba. An essay by Louis Perez, Jr. (printed in DRCLAS in 2000) states that awareness of Cuba as a site of cultural innovation is at an all-time high.
Peter Manuel, who has written extensively on Cuban music and has interpreted Cuban music from both an ethnocentric and political perspective, contends that the Cuban Revolution had an extraordinary effect upon the socioeconomic contexts of musical life in Cuba, although not on musical styles. In his view, the Revolution did not appear to generate any dramatic new developments in folk and popular music, but its impact has been felt as the attempted democratization of access to musical education and performance, some increase in the politicization of song texts, the avoidan
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2971
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)
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