Glocalization: connecting glocalization to local Cuban musicians and their music

Abstract

After nearly three decades of cultural isolation from the West, and a paralyzing economic crisis in the early 1990s, Cuba has increasingly become more active in the global community. Consequently, increased levels of globalization are affecting all sectors of Cuban society. This is especially true for many of the islands musicians whose careers are deeply imbedded in the international market. Using a qualitative case study method, I explore how increasing globalization throughout Cuba is changing and affecting the artistic and musical choices, professional goals and aspirations, opinions, perceptions, and audiences of three Cuban musicians at different levels of their professional development. I report that the relationship between western consumers of culture and these musicians (in this case the "producers" of culture) is much more complex than past models and theories may suggest.