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Jane Bunnett: Cuban Music's Canadian Connection

Musician Jane Bunnett, seated second from right, and her band Maqueque.
Lauren Deutsch
/
Courtesy of the Artist
Musician Jane Bunnett, seated second from right, and her band Maqueque.

Saxophonist, flautist and bandleader Jane Bunnett has been traveling back and forth between her home in Toronto and Cuba for over 30 years because, well, she can. Canadians, and everyone else in the world for that matter, are not held back by travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. Joined by a host of legendary Cuban musicians, the result is a catalog of over a dozen albums that have explored just about every musical corner of the country.

Five years ago saw the release of Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, introducing Bunnett's all-women Cuban band. Since then, the records and live performances have revealed a group of musicians adept at all forms of Cuban music, jazz and classical as well as dance and pop music.

This week's show, taped on location in Ocean City, Md., while the band had a day off, explores Bunnett's fascination and dexterity playing Cuban music with Maqueque as well as her ground-breaking band Spirits of Havana.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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