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A (non-exhaustive) Chronology of music journalism written in Cuba

Due to reasons of space, this article must leave out for now, and devote a second chronology to, columns and blogs about Cuban music that have appeared, throughout the history of national journalism, in publications that are not strictly musical.

The Musical Propaganda First music magazine, with a monthly frequency. He had as director or agglutinating figure the renowned composer, pianist and pedagogue Hubert de Blanck, Dutch by birth, and Cuban by citizenship and passion.

Gaceta Musical de La Habana Its editor was Serafín Ramírez, considered the founder of music criticism in Cuba, and who in 1959 premiered this genre among Cuban publications. His book, La Habana artística. Apuntes históricos (1891), is a classic for understanding cultural life in the Cuban capital in the late 19th century. He is also known to have collaborated with José Marín Varona of Camaguey. Artistic Havana Historical notes (1891) is a classic to understand the cultural life of the Cuban capital at the end of the 19th century. The Camagüey-born José Marín Varona was one of his collaborators.

Cuba Musical Magazine Its origins are debated. Some say it was founded and led by José Marín Varona, while others say it was Hubert de Blanck. Its chronicles and reviews accurately covered the Havana music scene in the first few years of the 20th century. Joaquín Nin appears as a contributor, with his section “Letters from France.”

Correo Musical Magazine The 1st started March 1917, biweekly, as "Organ of the National Conservatory of Music of Havana". Its director / owner was Hubert de Blanck. In its two periods of existence it was subtitled first as "Universal artistic publication" and then "Illustrated monthly magazine". It was edited by the company Correo Musical, owned by Blanck.

Musicalia Created in Havana as a quarterly by María Muñoz and Antonio Quevedo, she a Galician-born pianist and choral director, and he a Madrid-born engineer by profession who worked as a music critic. The magazine was somewhat unstable in its periodicity due to financial problems. In 1940 it was relaunched, with José Ardévol as editorial manager and Joaquín Nin as secretary. In this second stage, contributors included Alejo Carpentier, Fernando Ortiz, Francisco Ichaso, Ángel Gaztelu, César Pérez Sentenat, Guillermo M. Tomás and Hilario González.

Pro-Musical Art Mrs. María Teresa García Montes de Giberga founded in 1918 the Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical de La Habana, a private cultural institution, whose objective was to disseminate European symphonic music among the Cuban bourgeoisie. With his performance, Pro-Arte Musical contributed, perhaps unintentionally, to counteract the American influence in different spheres of national culture. He maintained from 1960 to 1962 a newsletter for his partners.

Conservatory Magazine A quarterly magazine published by the Havana Municipal Conservatory of Music. Its first editor, musician and publicist Ithiel León, said the magazine’s goal was to “make known artistic manifestations according to the purest current tendencies…” Its writers included Harold Gramatges, José Ardévol, Argeliers León and Edgardo Martín. In 1948, Raúl G. Anckerman took over as editor. Alejo Carpentier and Jorge Mañach were frequent contributers in the magazine’s later years.

Music Magazine Sponsored by the Sociedad de Ediciones Cubanas de Música, with Ithiel León as editor, this quarterly was published eight times in four years. Its content was divided into two parts: technical (scientific) articles about music, and reviews about music events in Havana and the Cuban provinces, along with international news. Each issue concluded with a one-page essay on music-related issues. Its contributors were associated with the Grupo de Renovación Musical (“Music Renewal Group”).

Music Magazine Publication of the Music Department of the José Martí National Library, directed by Argeliers León. Its objective was "to contribute to the musicological knowledge of our country". The magazine published works on European music and traditional Cuban music, emphasizing the state of its genres at the beginning of the Revolution. His pages collected musical scores, photos and prints. Among the collaborators are Ramiro Guerra, Leo Brouwer, Edgardo Martín, María Antonieta Henríquez, Zoila Lapique and María Teresa Linares.

Music Bulletin Published by music department of Casa de las Américas, specializing in Latin American music and musicology, with articles, reviews, news, commentary and regular sections about the institution’s Music College and recent work by regional composers. Each issue presents the print version of a music composition, as well as pullout supplements by the composer, and is devoted to well-known Latin American music figures.

Key In its first stage (1986-1990), it functioned as a source of news and ideas about the most diverse issues of Cuban music culture, and as a reflection of music events in the country, and contacts with other world cultures. Its writers included musicologists, composers, performers, journalists and researchers. Since 1999, it has been a publication of the Cuban Institute of Music, with musicologist Laura Vilar as editor.

Cuban sauce Publication about the Cuban music world and its transcendence and influence internationally. Published by the CIDGRAF under the auspices of EGREM. Its editor was Amado Córdova. At one point, it published a promotional CD with the magazine.

Tropicana International Magazine of the Cuban Association of Composers and Music Authors (Asociación Cubana de Compositores y Autoes de Música, ACCAM), with composer Nester Mile as editor, and support from the Societal General de Autoes y Editors (SGAE). Its goal was to “make known the best values of Cuban music of all times.” Irregular periodicity.

Cuban Music Magazine of the UNEAC Publication of the Association of Musicians of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, founded by the teacher José Loyola. Its current director is the journalist Pedro de la Hoz. It publishes two numbers per year in the current stage, which include background articles, short essays, interviews and reviews. It aims to reflect the tradition and current status of Cuban music in its most diverse styles and tendencies and to offer profiles of its most notorious contemporary composers and performers.

Fanzines of rock Independent publications, usually made with modest resources and conceived by a fanatic who addresses other fans. For its quality or periodicity, we highlight Turbulence, Insanedrac, Moth in the shade, Delusion, The G Point and Scriptorium. As of the year 2000, many are replaced by webzines, equivalent to fanzines in cyberspace, as they were Subtle Death (Continuer on the web of Turbulence), Metal for your Veins and Cuba-metal, which became an electronic portal.

Timba.com  According to its website, it is "the largest portal and the home of Cuban music on the net ... definitive source for artist profiles, tours, new albums, concert reviews and educational information". It also works as a radio station and online store. Specialized in popular dance music. A project led by Mike Lazarus and Kevin Moore and where one of the most active collaborators is the enthusiastic promoter of Latin music, the American Bill Tilford.

Jarock Coffee It emerged as part of the activities to celebrate the First Congress of the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS). It attempted to be a quarterly, assessing and evaluating projects within the national rock movement, and acting as a media outlet for Cuban rock band events. Its editor was Néstor Camino Peraza.

Cubadisco A newspaper published by the Ministry of Culture’s Cuban Institute of Music, and since 2007, by the National Phonographic Office. It is issued as a daily during the Cubadisco event, and at other times as a monthly.

Movement Printed magazine dedicated to hip hop culture in Cuba, sponsored by the Cuban Institute of Music and the Cuban Rap Agency. In his decade of life he managed to publish 11 issues. According to its first director, the promoter Ariel Fernández, was "a magazine born and created from the heart of a movement underground, rebellious and rebellious by its own nature ".

The Corchea. Publication of the Cuban Institute of Music’s Communications Department. It takes up current affairs in Cuban music, news, events, criticism, personalities and music history. It is currently bimonthly or quarterly, and issued as an electronic bulletin in PDF format. Its editor is Natacha García Valdés.

Cuban dream He calls himself "The Portal of Cuban Music". On the site, music news and a billboard of concerts in Cuba appear. Shows reviews of the life and work of artists, galleries, discographies and video clips. In November 2014, it began to publish a PDF version that covered four issues, until 2015.

Palamusicaunderground Web magazine and digital news bulletin, articles, reviews and interviews about the most alternative movement of hip hop and urban music.

D'Cuba Jazz Website within the Portal Cubarte, with news, chronicles, profiles and reviews of Cuban jazz.

The syncopated Habanero Digital bulletin published by the Musical Cabinet Esteban Salas, under the direction of Dr. Miriam Escudero.

Music, Memory and Presence Digital bulletin (in PDF) of the Museum of Music. It proposes to be a quarterly and is sent by email to anyone who might be interested in its subject matter, especially: reviews regarding events of Cuban music history, profiles of unique music figures, and news about the Museum’s work, collections and activities. Its editor is Jesús Gómez Cairo.

Lucas Juvenile supplement of the Editorial En Vivo, of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television. It deals with the current situation of the Cuban video clip movement. It has different sections and contents that promote the work of national musicians and video clip makers, while inserting specialized criticism in audiovisuals. Currently directed by Yuleidys Rojas.

Coocuyo Magazine It calls itself the Official Portal of Electronic Music of Cuba. According to its creators, "was born to make known the Cuban electronic scene in the world (techno, deep, house, electro, minimal, EDM, drum 'n bass, hip hop), with strong push and work of the dj and producers and the contamination with the world of music in general. "

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  1. Jaime Delgado says:

    Excellent review of magazines on Cuban music. An observation: from the Tropicana Internacional magazine you suggest that it could end its publication around 2001, however I have number 32 of 2010 and I know that there is an issue number 33 of 2011. Thank you very much.

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