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Currently without a home, these 15,000 objects -- instruments, music, photographs, documents and more follow the growth of Latin music and underscore its roots, or raices, in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and trends. The mission of the Raíces Latin Music Museum Collection is to research, preserve and promote the rich musical legacy of popular and folkloric Afro-Caribbean musical forms in New York City. Concentrating on the contributions of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, the collection acknowledges African roots and European influences. Through its extensive collection, educational programs, exhibitions, primary source materials and documents, establishment of an archive/research center, educational activities, performances and lecture/demonstrations, Raíces helps to preserve and present an essential part of the city's musical heritage, educating diverse audiences about this rich musical tradition. With support from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, the Harbor is committed to finding a permanent home for the Raíces Latin Music Museum Collection where research, exhibition and education on the subject of New York City's Latin Music Legacy can happen. It is the Harbor's dream that this home will be located in East Harlem and include a permanent and rotating exhibition gallery, public access rooms, research library, archival and storage facilities for the collection, as well as a performance space. The collection includes original manuscripts by major artists, rare photos, video, audio recordings, periodicals, oral histories, artifacts, instruments and a photo exhibition on the folkloric roots and history of salsa in New York City. Currently used by students and scholars, Raíces served as a major research source for the feature film, "Mambo Kings," based on Oscar Hijuelos' Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Harbor Conservatory Director, Ramon Rodriguez and Raíces co-founder Louis Bauzo established Raíces in 1979 with additional support from Joe Conzo. Their objective was to trace the path of music from its origins in West Africa through its transformations in the various islands of the Caribbean and New World to salsa. To this end, Mr. Bauzo and Mr. Rodriguez traveled to West Africa, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Brazil where they interviewed indigenous folk artists and mapped the changing styles of Afro-Caribbean music. A conscientious effort was also made to send out interviewers to do oral histories of the music's living legends, collecting photographs and taping concerts. The Raíces Latin Music Museum Collection is of historical significance, as it honors and preserves an art form, which is truly unique to New York City, and comprises objects and interviews that had never before been compiled in a comprehensive way. |
