“Where am I going?” You are going to a place where you will understand a little more about the vast influence of Afro-Cuban song, dance, and instrumentation on the contemporary music scene. More importantly, you will touch upon the source of that influence – the deep well of traditional cultural waters from which many contemporary music forms have sprung.

“How will I get there?” With a little reading and a lot of doing! The reading part will give me an opportunity to share with you some of the interesting tidbits of information I uncovered while researching this book. Hopefully this will wet your whistle enough to make you want to explore more – and make the hours of drumming practice a little more meaningful.

“What will I see along the way?” You will see history unfolding itself into the great multi-hued quilt that is the contemporary music scene today. From jazz to pop to rock to salsa; from congas to bongos to timbales to drum kit; we’ll pause at each watering hole for just a bit to savor the liquid musical jewels that spring forth.

“What will I have accomplished at the end of our journey?” You will have mastered many new skills that will help you become a more accomplished percussionist and, more importantly, a more accomplished musician. By exploring the role of percussion in traditional Afro-Cuban music, you will understand the important contribution drums make towards a complete musical piece; that a drum is not merely a rhythmic placeholder but truly a musical instrument and worthy of recognition as such.