Self (archive footage)
When the film West Side Story was released in 1961, New York's reviled Puerto Rican community gained some visibility and, over time, both in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx, neighborhoods plagued by poverty, drugs and crime, Hispanic identity was reborn and strengthened, thanks to a syncretic and intentionally popular music that eventually conquered the entire city.
Himself
A film featuring performances of several stars of the Latin Jazz music scene.
Crowned the "Queen of Salsa," Cuban-born singer Celia Cruz performs in this concert video featuring Latin jazz legend Tito Puente, La India, Johnny Pacheco and the RMM Orchestra. The flamboyant Cruz and her talented friends heat up the dance hall with songs such as "La Vida Es un Carnival," "La Voz de Experiencia," "Quimbara," "Babalu," "Siboney," "El Cumbachera," an improvised version of "Guantanamera" and Cruz's signature song, "Bemba Colora."
A testimony about Afro-Cuban popular music from its origins to the present day.
Himself
The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.
Self
A 4 part documentary about jazz musician / actor Slim Gaillard with interviews, archival footage & performances.
Latin Bandleader
The Narrator tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. In the New York City of the late 1930s to the New Year's Eve 1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with contemporary anecdotes and urban legends of the radio stars.
Band Leader
After policeman Frank Dooley is framed for theft and loses his job on the force, he joins a security guard agency and teams up with inept former defense lawyer Norman Kane. When the two botch a job guarding a local warehouse, they begin to uncover corruption within the company and their union.
