Corneta china & Cantonese opera: The Chinese musical legacy

Ethnomusicologist Edwin Porras joins Rebecca to speak about Chinese musical influences in Cuba, which date back to the mid-19th century. The double-reeded suona was adopted by Santiago conga groups around 1915, becoming an unmistakable musical signifier for conga santiaguera.

**Fun fact: Cuba was the first destination for Chinese laborers in the Americas, before even the U.S.**

Songs played:
Example of Cantonese opera
Lion dancing musical accompaniment (field recording)
Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong performing excerpt of Cantonese opera in Havana (field recording)
De Oriente a Occidente, Diana Fuentes
Paso Franco en la loma de Tivolí, Conga Paso Franco