Stuff You Gotta Watch: The Latin Explosion: A New America

It's common sense that history, politics, and culture often intertwine, and the case with Latin music is no different. The desire to understand its origins and overall background is precisely the motivation behind The Latin Explosion: A New America, which comprises numerous informative sequences that regularly break the otherwise music-oriented narrative in order to signal crucial social movements or illuminating immigration patterns.
This fascinating HBO documentary traces the roots of Hispanic contributions to American music from early Afro-Cuban rhythms to contemporary superstars like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, highlighting several turning points such as the 1961 premiere of West Side Story, Santana's crossover phenomenon, or the invaluable contribution of Fania Records to the dissemination of salsa. Adding to an astonishing amount of footage edited at a feverish pace are first-person testimonies from many inspirational pioneers, including Rita Moreno, Jose Feliciano, and Gloria Estefan.
Despite clocking in at just an hour, The Latin Explosion: A New America does an excellent job at explaining why so much pop music today flows from the myriad Latin sounds that came before.
Review by Ana Leorne. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.