Industry and Tropical Music: Notes for a History of the Music Production in Hispan America and the Caribbean (1901-1968)

Abstract

The historic path of music production in Spanish America and the Caribbean is from recent date, paving its way in countless debates, and specialized magazines, within the academic field; however, everything shows that the information is dispersed and a lot of research and categorizing still remains to be done. The following article offers a general view of music production, taking as a referent the field of tropical music at the beginning of the XX century. The methodology is based on the compilation of bibliographic and documentary evidence, aiming to show a path to future research in the musicological field, incorporating important aspects such as technological development, music marketing, the aesthetics of the recording and its impact on the urban mix. In the conclusion, the need is suggested to approach the industrial and commercial environment of popular music in Latin America as well as in the USA and to explain the process of appropriation and subsequent assimilation of urban music expressions by the cultural industry.