You Must Hear 7

afro-cuban

Last updated: Mon Nov 03 2025 19:25:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Description

Afro-Cuban blends African rhythmic traditions with Cuban musical elements, creating an infectious, percussion-driven sound that emphasizes complex polyrhythms and call-and-response vocals. The style emerged from Cuba's cultural fusion, featuring instruments like congas, bongos, and claves alongside brass sections and piano. It's characterized by syncopated rhythms, energetic dance tempos, and a vibrant interplay between African-derived percussion and Latin jazz harmonies.

100 chronological releases

Place	Cover	Date	Artist	Album	Tags	Other places
55		1936	Lecuona Cuban Boys	Congas And Rumbas From The Unforgettable Band	afro-cuban cuba cuban latino oldies rumba	rumba # 60
20		1938	Lecuona Cuban Boys	Rumbas & Congas: Gold Collection	afro-cuban cuba latin latino rumba	rumba # 20
24		1955	Kenny Dorham	Afro-Cuban	jazz
27		1958	Beny Moré	Historia Musical De Un Idolo	afro-cuban cuban latin latin jazz
92		1958	Olga Guillot	The Originals - Olga Guillot In Concert	afro-cuban latin
69		1958-04	Machito	Kenya: Afro-Cuban Jazz	afro-cuban
30		1958-11-07	Bebo Valdés	Vintage Cuba Nº21 - EPs Collectors "Dancing With Bebo Valdes And His Orchestra"	afro-cuban cuba latin latin jazz salsa
100		1961	Harry Belafonte	Jump Up Calypso	afro-cuban big band calypso	big band # 97 calypso # 99
9		1964	Various Artists	Havana & Matanzas, Cuba, ca. 1957: Batá, Bembé, and Palo Songs from the historic recordings of Lydia Cabrera and Josefina Tarafa
87		1965	Beny Moré	Lo Mejor de lo Mejor	afro-cuban cuba cuban mambo	mambo # 36 cuban # 36 cuba # 37
32		1965	Beny Moré	Lo Mejor De Lo Mejor De Beny More	afro-cuban cuban
57		1966	Chico O'Farrill	Cuban Blues	afro-cuban cuban latin jazz
99		1968	Ray Barretto	Acid	afro-cuban latin latin jazz	latin jazz # 99
76		1972	Various Artists	Rumba Pa'l Pueblo	afro-cuban latino rumba	rumba # 71
72		1973	Beny Moré	Afro Cuban Roots Presents Rhythms of Cuba	afro-cuban cuba cuban
10		1979	Frankie Dante	Los Rebeldes	afro-cuban latin salsa
97		1979-02	Mongo Santamaria	Greatest Hits	afro-cuban latin jazz	latin jazz # 57
86		1982	Poncho Sanchez	Sonando	afro-cuban latin jazz mambo	mambo # 37
68		1985	Poncho Sanchez	El Conguero	latin jazz	mambo # 76
16		1986	Beny Moré	Afro Cuban Roots Presents; Cuban Feelings the Bolero Era	afro-cuban cuban latin
59		1986	Los Van Van	Sandunguera	afro-cuban latin salsa
33		1988	Beny Moré	Afro Cuban Roots Vol. 6 - Havana After Hours	afro-cuban cuban latin
71		1989	Mongo Santamaria	Afro Roots	latin jazz percussion	percussion # 82
14		1990	Marc Ribot	Y Los Cubanos Positzos	afro-cuban emd
13		1991	Lecuona Cuban Boys	Lecuona Cuban Boys, Vol. 5 (1932-1940)		rumba # 14
93		1991	Beny Moré	Serie Platino	afro-cuban cuban latin	cuban # 51
5		1991	Beny Moré	Mambo Time	afro-cuban cuban
15		1991	Beny Moré	King Of Son	afro-cuban cuban mambo
34		1991	Beny Moré	Y Hoy Como Ayer	afro-cuban cuban
36		1991	Iluyenkori	Yemaya Et Ochun	afro-cuban world
46		1992-11-16	Celia Cruz	Carnaval De Exitos	salsa	salsa # 56
41		1993	Patato	Masterpiece	afro-cuban cuba cuban latin jazz
8		1993-01	Sabú Martínez	Afro Temple	afro-cuban latin jazz percussion
19		1994	Los Munequitos De Matanzas	Congo Yambumba	afro-cuban cuban latin rumba traditional	rumba # 19
53		1994	Clave Y Guaguancó	Noche de la Rumba	afro-cuban rumba	rumba # 58
3		1994	Lazaro Ros	Eggun	afro-cuban
38		1995	Bebo Valdés	Bebo Rides Again	latin jazz	international # 32
62		1995	Celia Cruz	Queen Of Cuban Rhythm	salsa cuba	cuba # 58
65		1995	Francisco Aguabella	Hitting Hard	afro-cuban cuba cuban latin sacred traditional	sacred # 67
70		1995	Hilton Ruiz	Hands On Percussion	afro-cuban	puerto rico # 54
73		1995	Cachao	Master Sessions, Vol. 1		cuba # 1 mambo # 68
78		1995	Bebo Valdés	Cuban Dance Party	afro-cuban cuba latin latin jazz salsa	cuba # 16
85		1995	Orquesta Aragón	Cuban Originals	cuba	cuba # 76
94		1995	Cachao	Master Sessions Vol. II	afro-cuban cuba dance jazz latin latino salsa	latino # 46 cuba # 56
49		1995	Cachao	Master Sessions Volume II	afro-cuban latin jazz
31		1996	Beny Moré	10 De Colección	afro-cuban cuban mambo
54		1996	Lazaro Ros & Olorun	Songs for Eleguá	african afro-cuban
98		1997-03-31	Afro-Cuban All Stars	A Toda Cuba Le Gusta	afro-cuban
88		1998	Orquesta Aragon	Homenaje	afro-cuban classical piano latin jazz	classical piano # 67
43		1999	Manuel Barrueco	Cuba!	afro-cuban spanish guitar	spanish guitar # 46
61		1999	Benny More	El Barbaro Del Ritmo	afro-cuban bolero cuban latin mambo salsa	bolero # 32 mambo # 84
89		1999	Beny Moré	The Very Best Of Beny More Vol. 1	afro-cuban cuban mambo salsa	mambo # 32 cuban # 42
1		1999	Benny More	El Barbaro de la Melodia	afro-cuban bolero cuban latin mambo salsa
6		1999	Benny More	Baila Mi Son	afro-cuban bolero cuban latin mambo salsa
11		1999	Benny Moré	Classic Cuban Hits Of The '50s	afro-cuban cuban latin salsa
18		1999	Beny Moré	Serie Platino: 20 Exitos	afro-cuban cuban mambo
23		1999	Benny More	Afro Cuban Roots Presents... Benny More: The Greatest!	afro-cuban salsa
26		1999	Benny More	Babarabatiri	afro-cuban bolero cuban latin mambo salsa
29		1999	Beny Moré	The Very Best of Beny Moré	afro-cuban cuba cuban latin
58		1999-10-11	Chico O'Farrill	The Heart of a Legend	afro-cuban jazz latin latin jazz
2		2000	Lazaro Ros	Obatala	afro-cuban
56		2000-02-08	Francisco Aguabella	H2O	afro-cuban cuba cuban
83		2000-02-22	Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca	São Salvador	afro-cuban
66		2000-11-15	Africando	Mandali	afro-cuban latin new york salsa world
51		2001	Jerry Gonzalez	Moliendo Café	afro-cuban latin jazz	jazz trumpet # 3
67		2001	Chuchito Valdes	Herencia	afro-cuban cuba cuban jazz piano latin jazz
81		2001-09-17	Ray Barretto	Acid / Hard Hands	afro-cuban latin jazz mambo salsa	mambo # 41
63		2002	Paquito D'Rivera	Historia Del Soldado	afro-cuban bebop clarinet cuban funk jazz latin post-bop	clarinet # 55
44		2002	Cachao	Descarga Cubana	latin jazz
7		2003	Various Artists	Revolution Magazine: Electroliday	afro-cuban breaks disco electro
22		2003-03-10	Ibrahim Ferrer	Buena Vista Social Club	cuban latin	cuban # 93
77		2005	Paquito D'Rivera	Portraits of Cuba	afro-cuban bebop clarinet cuban funk jazz latin post-bop	cuban # 13 clarinet # 74
95		2005	Yerba Buena	Island Life	afro-cuban cuba dance hip-hop latin salsa	cuba # 57
35		2005	Michael Spiro/Michael Williams	BataMbira	african afro-cuban ethno percussion roots
74		2005	Ray Barretto	Time Was - Time Is	afro-cuban latin latin jazz salsa
91		2005-04-26	Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra	Cugi's Cocktails	afro-cuban big band latin jazz mambo	mambo # 27
28		2006	Brad Leali Jazz Orchestra	Maria Juanez	afro-cuban jazz
96		2006-02-17	Tape Five	Swingfood Mood	acid lounge afro-cuban alternative lounge chillout downtempo downtempo lounge electronic lounge jazz groove lounge lounge downtempo lounge groove lounge uptempo smooth lounge uutta jazzia	downtempo lounge # 65
37		2007	Timeline	Méta Méta	afro-cuban
79		2007-06-11	Poncho Sanchez	Raise Your Hand	latin jazz	mambo # 54
48		2008	Buena Vista Social Club	Buena Vista Social Club Presents Manuel Guajiro Mirabal	cuban cuba	cuban # 86 cuba # 90
80		2008	Rubén Blades	Cantares del Subdesarrollo	afro-cuban garage latin
42		2008-02-15	Club Des Belugas	Swop	electronic lounge jazz alternative lounge groove lounge	latin jazz # 41 electronic lounge jazz # 57 alternative lounge # 92 groove lounge # 92
75		2009	Machito	La Herencia	afro-cuban cuban latin latin jazz salsa	cuban # 8
52		2009	Melvin Gibbs' Elevated Entity	Ancients Speak	africa afro-cuban afrobeat dance jazz jazz fusion jazz hop world fusion
82		2009-09	Johannes Linstead	Mistico	afro-cuban bass flamenco
17		2011-03-15	Sofrito	Tropical Discotheque	afro-cuban cuban latin latino merengue
90		2012-05-08	Arturo Sandoval	Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You)	afro-cuban cuban jazz latin jazz	cuban # 43
84		2014-08-23	Johannes Linstead	Midnight Rhumba	afro-cuban flamenco percussion rumba	percussion # 79 rumba # 86
47		2015-06-22	Amara Toure	Amara Touré (1973 - 1980)	afro-cuban fusion
39		2015-11-06	Billy Gibbons And The BFG's	Perfectamundo
64		2023	Various Artists	Putumayo Presents: Congo to Cuba	afro-cuban world
25			The Tokyo All-Star Orchestra	Japan Goes Latin	afro-cuban bolero country folk jazz latin mambo pacific rumba tango world	pacific # 20 rumba # 26
40			Milton Cardona	Cambucha	afro-cuban cuban latino percussion rumba	rumba # 46
12			Man Gusta	Diversos sons	africa african afro-cuban afrobeat blues classic rock jazz latin merengue pop portugal samba singer-songwriter soul zouk
21			¡Cubanismo!	The Very Best Of ¡Mucho Gusto!	afro-cuban
45			Isaac Delgado	La Primera Noche	afro-cuban
50			Eddie Cano	A Taste of Cano	afro-cuban latin jazz
4			Cachete Maldonado Y Los Majaderos	Rumba, Boricua, Campesina
60			Echun Okiry	Güiro for Elegguá - Music of Santería, Live Ceremonial Afro-Cuban Music

Related genres

• latin
• cuban
• latin jazz
• salsa
• cuba
• mambo
• jazz
• rumba
• latino
• bolero