American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music

American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music is the first interpretive museum exhibition to tell the story of the profound influence and impact of Latinos in American popular music. Rich with artifacts, instrument interactives, listening kiosks, and films, American Sabor becomes available in November 2008.

The 5,000-square-foot exhibition focuses on five major centers of Latino popular music production in the post-World War II United States—New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio and San Francisco—which represent the diversity of Latino music. Each city section draws visitors into the broader histories and cultures that shaped these musicians' contributions through artifacts, hands-on instrument interactives designed to teach key concepts, highly produced listening kiosks that allow critical listening and learning, three films created for the exhibit and interpretive text presented in English and Spanish.

>> Click here for detailed exhibition specifications and logistical information.

Latino contributions to popular music in the United States have too often been relegated to the margins and footnotes of a narrative dominated by the interaction of African and European Americans—an overly black and white view of our musical history. American Sabor (sabor is the Spanish word for taste or flavor, commonly used to describe good music) is a museum exhibit that turns that phrase and that perspective on its head, documenting the roles of post-World War II U.S. Latino musicians as interpreters and disseminators of Latin American genres, but also highlighting their roles as innovators within genres of music that we understand to be indigenous to the United States, such as jazz, R&B, rock 'n' roll and hip-hop.

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Fact sheet:
English
Español Catalogue:
English/Español Map:
English/Español Exhibition Audio Samples:
Jesse "Chuy" Varella on Bill Graham
Juan Flores on the 1959 Cuban Revolution
Willie Colon on teaming with Hector Lavoe Exhibition Includes:

More than 100 artifacts, such as instruments such as accordions, timbales, trumpets and trombones; outfits from performers; posters and handbills from pivotal shows; handwritten lyrics for important recordings, as well as singles and albums.

Six Listening Kiosks that allow 2-3 visitors at a time to listen closely to key songs, with expert commentary identifying elements such as ethnic roots, rhythmic patterns, form, texture, instruments, vocal style, and lyrics.

• New York City features explanations of key Afro-Cuban rhythms, arrangements, instrumentation, and lyrics.
• San Francisco demonstrates Latino music in San Francisco and its influence in US Popular music, including "Oye Como Va" by both Carlos Santana and Tito Puente.
• Miami displays examples of Latino music in Miami and its influence in US Popular music, including the Miami Sound Machine's use of Latin pop and Afro-Cuban and disco rhythms.
• San Antonio presents examples of Latino music from San Antonio and its influence in US Popular music, including examples of conjunto accordion.
• Los Angeles highlights Latino music in Los Angeles, including an example of Ritchie Valen's "La Bamba" and a version from Vera Cruz, Mexico, played on harp.

Three Films made specifically for the exhibition that bring Latino music and dance to life. Each short film (6-8 minutes) features performance footage and filmed interviews with artists and experts, and the narratives examine key events in the history of post-World War II Latino music.

• Rivalry at the Palladium tells the story of the musical rivalry between Tito Puente and Pablo "Tito" Rodriguez, two Puerto Rican mambo masters.
• Dance! Dance! Dance! explores the effects of dance crazes such as tango, mambo, and cha cha cha have helped introduce Latino music to broader audiences.
• Hollywood looks at Hollywood's role in creating images of Latino artists.

Exhibition Schedule
3 times per year in 13-week cycles

• October 25, 2008 – May 17, 2009
  Miami Science Museum, FL
• June 17, 2009 – September 20, 2009
  Museo Alameda, San Antonio, TX
• February 13, 2010 – May 16, 2010
  Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Austin, TX
• November 20, 2010 – May 15, 2011
  Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
• July 11, 2011 – September 11, 2011
  (Reserved)
• October 8, 2011 – January 8, 2012
  *** Currently available ***

Exhibition Materials

• Approximately 100 artifacts
• Wall text
• Structures for films, listening kiosks and instrument interactives
• Marketing collateral
• Educational curriculum upon request

Exhibition Space Requirements
3,500 - 5,000 square feet Shipping
One 53 foot climate control truck
One 53 foot non-climate truck Shipping Fees
Hosting institution is responsible for outgoing shipping Fees
Exhibition fee $46,000 plus shipping Insurance
Hosting institution is responsible for Certificate of Insurance prior to shipping Contact
For more information, please contact our Traveling Exhibitions Program at travelingexhibits@empsfm.org or 206.262.3524.