Raul A. Fernandez. 2006. from Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz (Resena de Libro‪)‬

Raul A. Fernandez. 2006. From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz. Berkeley/Chicago: University of California Press/ Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College. ISBN: 978-0-520-24708-6. Consider this. In 1967, Nuyorican salsero and trombone virtuoso Willy Colon (then just seventeen!) released his debut album on the famed Fania label entitled, "El Malo," featuring the cut Borinquen. Unsurprisingly, the song pays musical homage to the island of Puerto Rico, from where the song's vocalist, Hector Lavoe (but not its composer, Colon) hailed (Colon, the grandson of Puerto Rican migrants, was born in the Bronx). Before descending into an intricate call-and-response montuno section where the sonero announces over and over again his desire to return to the beautiful island of Borinquen, the opening lyric tells listeners something quite strange for such a presumably nostalgic, nationalistic song about the island of Puerto Rico. "Borinquen, a ti yo te dedico/ Este guaguanco/ Porque ese ritmo cubano/ y lo bailan los hispanos/ y te lo dedico yo" (Borinquen, to you I dedicate/ This guaguanco/ Because this Cuban rhythm/ Is danced by Hispanics/ And I dedicate it to you).