General

World Music – The Rough Guide.
Edited by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, David Muddyman and Richard Trillo. ISBN 1–85828–017–6.
The words of one reviewer summarises the guide beautifully: "A work of lunatic scholarship". If you’re into any form of world music, don’t settle for anything less. It covers the widest range of music, and does so very well. Superlatives blush with inadequacy. (Loo)

Dancing. The Power of Dance Around the World.
By Gerald Jonas. ISBN 0–563–36411–4.
This is a beautiful book. "Dancing" is an ambitious history of dance from ancient times to the present day. Gerald Jonas deals particularly well with the WHY and not just the HOW of dance: he puts dancing back into its religious, political and cultural context. Jonas does this in an interesting and engaging way – general historical trends are mixed with in-depth detail. The book is full of pictures – from sculptures of polynesian dancers to photographs of rock and roll dancers – and these really make the book enjoyable. Jonas has managed to combine technical mastery with feeling, like all the best dancers do. (Hazel)

Gerald Jonas examines dance in all its guises, all over the world. Such a broad remit results in coverage that can be best described as a strong introduction to each dance. Nevertheless, the book still manages to convey a genuine feel for every aspect of its content using its beautiful photographs. A lovely book for dancers and non-dancers alike. (Loo)

Caribbean Currents. Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae.
By Peter Mañuel. ISBN 1899365079.
Peter Mañuel et al make a country–by–country analysis of the music of the area. (Tis is not solely a book about salsa and merengue although there are sizeable chapters on the Dominican Republic and Cuba.) Mañuel includes a detailed look at the music, musicians and instruments as well as information on how the music affects and is affected by, politics and religion. In theory, I like this approach, but in practice I found it a bit too comprehensive and textbookish. A good one to dip into, but a heavy bed–time read. (Hazel)

Peter Mañuel examines the existence and development of music in the Caribbean; a mighty task. The level of detail varies from area to area, as would be expected. Prior knowledge of particular aspects is sometimes assumed, rendering the content slightly less accessible to the newcomer. A more than competent treatment of the topic, perhaps better suited to readers who share similar political views with the author. Useful. (Loo)

Salsa

Salsa! Havana Heat, Bronx Beat.
By Hernando Calvo Ospina. ISBN 0–906156–98–X.
It is easy to forget that you are reading a biography of salsa when you read this book. All the elements of the dances, the music and the musicians are really brought to life. Hernando achieves this in two ways: from his enthusiastic personal style of writing and by using song lyrics to illustrate the points he makes. My only reservation about this highly factual but entertaining book rests in its translation into English, which sometimes makes the language sound a bit eccentric. But it would have been a mistake to stifle Ospina's style, because it is a crucial part of his message: that salsa is always a subjective, individual experience. A short, lively and useful book by a true salsero. (Hazel)

A Colombian view of salsa and its origins, the book offers many valuable insights. Foremost among these is a third party perspective of the contributions of Cuban and New York Latin populations on Salsa in recent times; a topic often polarised by political ideologies. Mr. Ospina’s style settles easily on the reader, which is an advantage since the book should be read more than once to get the most from it. Good. (Loo)

Salsa – Musical Heartbeat of Latin America.
By Sue Steward (Foreword by Willie Colón). ISBN 0–500–28153–X.
Sue's long term immersion in the Latin music scene provides her with a very special perspective. She demonstrates a near encyclopaedic knowledge of the landmark songs, albums, and performers. I found the portrayal of their histories and interconnections most informative. Her writing style is skittish and leaves the reader with an impression of sentences straining to cover too much ground in too little time. The book is a good starting point, but I would encourage readers to delve a little deeper in other sources too. In the main she achieves what she sets out to do. Recommended. (Loo)

Salsa & Merengue – The Essential Step–By–Step Guide.
By Paul Harris. ISBN 1–85058–699–3.
This book is valuable in that it is one of the few books that decribe salsa steps in detail. It appears to have been commissioned by the United Kindom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing (UKA). Consequently the notation is cumbersome and barely accessible, requiring much space for little content. Essential information on lead and follow is very thin on the ground. A broad range of issues are only just touched upon, lending the reader an impression of a work incomplete or done half–heartedly. Certainly undeserved of its own marketing hype and its "celebrity" plaudits. Disappointing. (Loo)

Merengue

Merengue – Dominican Music and Dominican Identity.
By Paul Austerlitz. ISBN 1–56639–484–8.
Paul Austerlitz writes authoritatively without losing touch with the reader. The tremendous amount of detail is finely crafted into a work that borders on the enthralling, demonstrating his comsummate understanding of the Merengue and its cultural context. Superb. (Loo)

Tango

Tango!
By Simon Collier, Artemis Cooper, Maria Susana Azzi, & Richard Martin.
Special Photography by Ken Haas. ISBN 0–500–27979–9.
History and development of the Argentine Tango is covered in four sections, each by a different author. Some writing flow is sacrificed in favour of providing the reader with four personal views of the dance. It works well. The visual presentations are superb and go a long way in conveying the full flavour of the tango. The kind of book that spends more time on your lap than on the coffee table. (Loo)

Tango Argentino – The Technique.
By Paul Bottomer. ISBN 0–9517243–0–4.
The introduction sets the scene of the Tango well, followed by moves detailed in the form of dance charts. The notation takes a little getting used to. The dance itself is examined as a series of modules, which has its pros and cons compared with the alternative manner of portratying it as "the walk". Arguably every move in the Argentine Tango should be leadable and followable, but precious little space is devoted to this. Readers should be aware that there are differences in terminology between this book and other general sources. The impression is that Paul Bottomer has adapted the Argentine Tango to suit the teaching culture of the various Ballroom dance associations here, instead of the other way around. (Loo)

The Latin World

The Penguin History of Latin America
by Edwin Williamson
The Penguin Press, 1992. ISBN 0 14 01.2559 0
Professor Williamson traces the history of Latin America from when the first Latin–descended peoples set foot on those shores, detailing the impact they had on the indigenous cultures and how they evolved from that point. Five hundred years worth of history across such a large geographical span is a tremendous amount to cover, and he has succeeded in doing so extremely well. The topics of narration are arranged in a manner that makes it relatively simple to follow the most crucial developments. As general histories go, you would be very hard pressed to find a better one. Definitely an invaluable foundation piece for those who want to develop a good understanding of Latin American culture. (Loo)