Kevin Moore | 2012 | In English
Beyond Salsa for Beginners: The Cuban Timba Revolution – An Introduction to Latin Music for Dancers and Listeners is the first book Kevin Moore wrote for non-musicians: listeners, dancers and fans of Latin music. Before that he wrote more than twenty instruction books on Cuban piano, congas, drums, timbales, clave and bass.
The book combines music history with hands-on rhythm training, in two kinds of chapters.
The listening tours follow the development of Cuban and Latin popular music, with song analyses, background and tips for collecting records:
The rhythm exercises have you sing, clap and dance to build an inner sense of rhythm: the basic rhythms of each instrument, the clave, the essential dance steps, and a separate chapter on what new listeners find hard about Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythms.
The exercises come with a free download of 107 tracks; a paid download adds extra examples and practice material. At the back are a glossary of musical and cultural terms and a short guide to Spanish and Cuban street slang in the lyrics.
For dancers, DJs and listeners who want to learn to hear timba and other Cuban music better, without playing an instrument themselves.