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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 is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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