LJC Community Conversations are designed to explore major ideas in the Latin Jazz world together as a community and inspire conversation through comments. My main motivator here is my belief that LJC readers hold a great deal of knowledge and passion around Latin Jazz, and I think that we can learn something from everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned Latin Jazz performer or a newcomer to the music, leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Today’s conversation reflects upon our mentors . . .

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It’s been a couple of weeks since our last community conversation; between technical issues and pressing news, I haven’t had space to create this feature. Our last community conversation on essential jazz recordings and the accompanying poll unfortunately got lost in the technical disaster, which I found a bit disappointing. I did take a couple of ideas from Chazro on that post though - I’ll be letting this Community Conversation sit for a couple of weeks before introducing the next one and I’ll be creating a link in the sidebar so people can find the post. Hopefully this will increase the amount of conversation - I know that LJC readers care about Latin Jazz and they carry a valid opinion, so join the conversation!

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Cachao’s recent passing left me thinking about the Latin Jazz community’s mentors lately. So many important giants of the music have left us over the past ten years - this list includes Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Generoso Jimenez, Juan Pablo Torres, and Tata Güines. While they left recorded legacies for us to study, their physical presence defined the music and helped guide the future. They shaped new directions in Latin Jazz and they brought new voices into the spotlight. Their live performances inspired us and their teachings turned rookies into veterans. As I reflect upon Cachao’s life, I realize that very few musicians from his generation still walk among us, and that their remaining years are extremely valuable.

The greater public fortunately recognized Cachao for contributions to the art form during his lifetime, but not all of the Latin Jazz world’s important musicians have been that lucky. Tito Puente received extensive attention from the world both during and after his lifetime, due to his involvement in pop culture. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded Ray Barretto with a Jazz Master lifetime award, acknowledging his effect upon the jazz world. Juan Pablo Torres died at a young age with a handful of stateside albums and a history in Havana’s music scene that remains largely unknown to most people. While the death of Carlos “Patato” Valdes gained some media attention, most people outside the Latin Jazz world didn’t blink an eye and still don’t own a recording with his presence. Both sides of the story exist, but in reality, I wish that all these musicians received the same type of attention as Cachao during their lives.

I believe that these musicians are national treasures in the Latin Jazz world, and we all need to take part in cementing their legacy into the public consciousness. Educating a younger generation about their work ensures that future musicians hear their work. Celebrating their lives among family and friends helps new listeners join the inner beauty of the Latin Jazz world. I’ve been enjoying the process of creating my series of articles on Cachao’s essential recordings, and I’m considering writing a similar group of articles on other artists. I’m always looking for ways to bring these artists into the public attention, so if you’ve got ideas about how LJC could educate the public about our mentors, let me know! Any action, no matter how large or small, will help the world remember these artists; after all that they give to the world, we have a responsibility to keep their influence alive.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The musicians that defined (or continue to shape) Latin Jazz deserve our recognition. Let’s figure out who belongs on this list; we should define which musicians really brought Latin Jazz to new levels. Then we should consider how we can maintain their legacies among ourselves and spread the word to the general public. LEAVE A COMMENT with your thoughts about our major musicians. Here are some ideas to consider:

* Who are the important figures, both past and present, that changed the Latin Jazz world for the better?

*Who do you think has gone unrecognized?

*How could we change awareness about these mentors and let the world know about their legacies?

*What types of additional articles or features could I do at LJC to help educate people about these important figures?

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
LEAVE A COMMENT below with your thoughts. I’d love to hear from every person with an interest in Latin Jazz on this one! Your comment will be appreciated!

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Do you have an idea for a future Community Conversation? As much as I enjoy exploring my own interests with this weekly post, I’d prefer to have this forum address the overall interests of the entire community. Do you have an issue that effects Latin Jazz? Do you have an idea for a fun topic? Let me know so that we can throw it out to the whole community - Leave a Comment or e-mail me.

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