5 Ways To Build Enthusiasm Around Latin Jazz Through Latin Music USA

The PBS documentary Latin Music USA inspired a wealth of excitement and online activity this week around Latin Jazz. A number of newspapers and websites focused upon the show’s premiere, providing both press releases and reviews of the broadcast. The Latin Music USA website has come alive over the past few days, adding streaming versions of Episode 1 & 2, as well as a large amount of bonus video. Twitter exploded with activity around the documentary, much of it spearheaded by the show’s very own @LatinMusicUSA feed. The Twitter public grabbed the idea and ran though, using the hash tags #LatinMusicUSA; it’s been a big conversation, check it out HERE. Bobby Sanabria hosted an online chat, answering some fantastic questions from the general public about Latin Jazz – you can find the archive of the conversation HERE. Considering the fact that this music spends a lot of time under the radar, the extra attention has been an encouraging change of events.

We’ve discussed the declining jazz audience quite a bit over the past few months, and Latin Music USA offers a great opportunity to change the tide. In many ways, the show serves as an entry point into active Latin Jazz listening, helping people make a fun and natural connection to the music. The documentary spoke with a broad appeal in an inviting and involved voice. The filmmakers chose a limited amount of artists to highlight, but they provided some great detail around each one. While an experienced Latin Jazz audience might crave a more in-depth investigation, the digestible chunks that the show provided were perfect for a new audience. There’s just enough to hook them on the idea that they might want to spend some time and money on Latin Jazz. In reality, it’s just a thought though; they’re going to need some help to make the leap into becoming a full-fledged Latin Jazz addict.

It’s an opportune time to expand the Latin Jazz audience and we’d be silly to ignore it. I’ve brainstormed several different ways that everyone can capitalize upon the current popularity of Latin Music USA. Take a chance and try some of these steps – you might create a die-hard lifelong Latin Jazz fan. In the worst case, you might simply share some great music with your friends. Either way, it will be a step in the right direction. Check out the ideas below and add your own in the comments below. Let’s rally around Latin Music USA and help keep Latin Jazz alive!

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Share The Link To The Latin Music USA Website
It’s time to get out your address book and send an e-mail to everyone that you know, including a link to the Latin Music USA website. Bulk mailings like this can tend to be impersonal, but just fill the message with your enthusiasm for the music. Let them know that they can catch-up on the first two episodes by streaming them directly from the site. Describe the ability to explore the music on a more personal level, picking pieces of the Latin music experience to investigate. Guide them towards the Latin Jazz section where they can find bonus videos from drummer Bobby Sanabria, trombonist Chris Washburne, bandleader Aurora Flores, and more. They can listen to clips from original recordings by Machito And His Afro-Cubans, Dizzy Gillespie, Antonio Arcaño, Tito Puente, and so many more. They can go behind the scenes and see performances from Bobby Sanabria and the Manhattan School of Music’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Candido Camero, and more. Encourage them to check it all out and reply to your message with their thoughts. If you use the amazing resources included in the site to start a conversation about Latin Jazz, you’ll be surprised how many people dive into the music.

Host a Viewing Party
While the documentary format potentially reaches millions of individuals sitting on their couches watching PBS, music is a social act – why experience it alone? Invite a group of friends over to your house to watch the documentary together. Hopefully you captured the show on DVR or maybe you’ve bought the DVD; you might just invite friends over next Monday October 19th to see the third and forth parts. Whatever the case, get people in the house, watch the show, and make it a party. Have a themed potluck with food inspired by the episode you’re watching – go Mexican, Cuban, or Puerto Rican – mix it up and have a dream buffet. Throw some classic Latin Jazz on the stereo as people eat. Let them hear some Tito Puente mambos, Machito masterpieces, or go modern with some Bobby Sanabria. Take some time to show them a few salsa dance steps and move with the music a bit. There’s lots of possibilities for a fun night – or even several fun nights – but do something that displays the engaging part of the style. People that walk away from the documentary with a positive and enjoyable association will almost definitely return to the music.

Fill In The Gaps
The Latin Music USA documentary did a great job of presenting an overall picture of early Latin Jazz and Salsa, but there were certainly some important figures absent from the show. The great composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill didn’t appear in episode 1, despite his influential role in shaping the early Latin Jazz sound. Eddie Palmieri escaped the spotlight even though he walked an explosive line between Latin Jazz and salsa for years. Ray Barretto appeared in a minor way, certainly not reflective of his impact on the Latin music scene. Contemporary Latin Jazz musicians weren’t even addressed in the documentary, leaving an exposure to modern trends completely vacant. The lack of these artists most likely helped people digest the music in a tangible way, allowing them to take a short step into the style. Still, people need to know about all these other artists, and they need you to expose them. Invite a friend that saw the documentary into your CD collection and let them hear all the artists that the show missed. Find out what they liked about the show, and then build upon that – “If you liked Tito Puente, then you’re going to love Eddie Palmieri.” Spark their interest in other musicians and send them home with a list of albums and artists that they need to check out. From there, the adventure begins for them.

Buy a Copy Of The DVD and donate it To Your Local School Music Department
This documentary has the reach and common sense to reach a wide population, but probably the most important faction to reach would be our youth. Despite the incredible work of great educators like Bobby Sanabria, John Santos, Oscar Stagnaro, and more, there’s a lot of work still to be done to integrate Latin music and culture into the mainstream education system. Young people would get a lot out of seeing this video – for some music students, it would be their first exposure to authentic Latin music. Spanish language teachers could show the video to their classes, exposing them to an important piece of culture from South America, Central America, & the Caribbean. Exposure to the Latin Music USA could really be the tipping point that some students need to fall in love with Latin Jazz, Salsa, or more. Consider it a gift to the future of the music.

Encourage Your Friends To Join The Latin Music USA Facebook Group Or Follow Them On Twitter
The team behind Latin Music USA has done an incredible job building awareness around the documentary through the use of social media. Most people that inhabit the online world today have carved out a niche on Facebook, so this is a natural spot for your friends to discover Latin Music USA. They can find the Latin Music USA page HERE. Encourage them to become a fan of Latin Music USA, but let them know that it’s a bit different than most musicians on Facebook. The Latin Music USA group does provide updates about the show, but there’s also a stream of information about Latin Music events around the country. People have sensed this different perspective, and there are a lot of interactive comments; it’s a good scene. While not as many people crowd around Twitter, you’re likely to have some friends that use the service – tell them to follow @LatinMusicUSA. Again, there are tweets about the show, but more often than not, the messages revolve around Latin music news. Both social media formats are great places to connect with the documentary experience and get exposed to more elements of Latin music.