The city of Matanzas has a population of about 140,000 people, about 7% of Havana.

It’s about an hour and a half east of Havana by car along a very well-maintained highway.

It’s one of the most important centers of Afro-Latin music and religion in the world, yet as the subtitle of Miguel Bretos’ excellent book on the city says, it’s “The Cuba Nobody Knows.”

More accurately, it’s the city casual tourists don’t know. Everyone who is knowledgeable about Afro-Cuban music and religion knows all about the city.

Jazz on the Tube took David Amram there (it was his first visit to Cuba outside of Havana) to visit Los Muñequitos de Matanzas.

David Amram jamming with Los Muñequitos de Matanzas in front of their headquarters.

A Los Muñequitos rumba to celebrate the birthday of the young daughter of one it its members.

There are three varieties of rumba: Yambú, Guaguancó and Columbia. You’re looking at Yambú.
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas in concert in Matanzas.

A friend makes us Frituras De Malanga

Alturas de Simpson. It’s a neighborhood in Matanzas, Simpson Heights, and also the title of an iconic danzón (1879) written by Miguel Faílde who was a pioneer of the genre.

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