Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound

Gilles Peterson’s new album Havana Cultura, The Search Continues is a collection of music influenced by Cuba and its people. It features a mixture of traditional Cuban sounds and contemporary jazz and hip hop sounds. The album stretches the boundaries of the genre, with tracks such as ‘Roforofo Fight’ and ‘Yo Aprendi’ blending hip hop beats with traditional Cuban songs.

Peterson’s love for Cuba is well-known, having previously produced a studio album and a compilation of young Cuban musicians on CD01. His newest project, ‘Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound’, represents the biggest collection of contemporary Cuban music since 1997.

The album’s first disc is comprised of traditional Cuban music, and the second disc offers a mix of contemporary sounds with a heavy emphasis on hip hop. This disc also incorporates reggaetron and electronic funk. The title track, “Ay,” features a woman’s storytelling voice atop the compressed rhythms of bossa nova.