Contemporary Cuban Culture As Only A Participant Could See It
Available for the first time in English, The First Stone: Essays on Contemporary Cuban Song and Society is an indispensable guide through the artists, places, personalities, and questions that define a generation of extraordinarily talented Cuban artists. Many of the essays collected in the book focus on music and musicians; others explore Cuban culture and society writ large, providing context for and insight into the arts in general on the island. This volume of profiles, essays, liner notes and notes to concert programs, is an invaluable compendium of observations and experiences that shed light on the complicated and shifting reality of life in everyday Cuba.
Ariel Díaz is one of the leading voices of his generation of Cuban singersongwriters. He is also a visual artist, an essayist, a photographer, and filmmaker. He began performing publicly at Casa de las Américas in the mid-1990s and is a member of the Asociación Hermanos Saíz, the Centro Nacional de Música Popular, and the UNEAC. He has performed throughout the world with the biggest names in trova. His most recent recordings are Pueblo sin ley (2010) and Táctil (2015). Click here to visit his YouTube channel.
In addition to the writings, this volume features photos and drawings by the author, including the front cover art and a new Cuban Beat Books logo!
