The Mambo Legends Orchestra, formerly comprised of members of the Tito Puente Orchestra, is the subject of this Voces documentary airing on PBS on Friday evening, which serves as both a love letter and a historical account of Afro-Cuban jazz.
This unique musical genre emerged in the 1940s when the vibrant sounds of Cuban music merged with the big band era of jazz in New York City.
The film, Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends, focuses on the orchestra’s dedication to preserving the music of renowned Afro-Cuban bandleaders Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez for future generations. By doing so, they keep alive the legacy of the early 1940s, when the Machito Orchestra seamlessly blended the rhythms of Africa, Cuba, and Puerto Rico with the popular big-band sound.
The documentary also focuses on the personal stories of the orchestra’s key members, who are all Nuyoricans from East Harlem.
Voces: Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends airs on PBS on Friday, October 4, 2024, at 10:00 PM.
