Students will delve into Caribbean music for one semester in this advanced Spanish course designed for students who wish to improve their Spanish and cultural awareness. Genres include salsa, son, merengue, bachata, rumba, latin jazz, and cumbia. Through music, students will better understand the beautiful culture, complex history, and powerful influence of Caribbean people from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia. Students will learn to recognize styles and instruments, break down song lyrics, watch films like Buena Vista Social Club, and read related literature like stories by Gabriel García Márquez. Themes of the music include love and friendship, religious syncretism, political resistance, baseball and fútbol, and racial, geographic, and national identities. Students will experience artists like Bomba Estereo, Carlos Vives, Celia Cruz, Afro-Cuban All Stars, Gloria Estefan, Tito Puente, Juan Luis Guerra, Sara González, and Prince Royce. Students will create and dance to different Caribbean rhythms. Students are asked to go see a live concert and report back on their experience. Students do not need a background in music to take this course. In order to immerse students, the class will be conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak Spanish in class.
*This class will be offered pending adequate enrollment.