Do feel responsible for teaching younger generations traditional Cuban music?
JMG: Yeah, I feel responsible for giving the people an idea for what Cuba means. Not only traditional rhythms but also contemporary rhythms. I remember with the Buena Vista Social Club and the first Afro-Cuban All Star album, they were both tributes to my father. He used to be a great singer with the best Cuban band of the ’40s and ’50s. So I tried to create a project using his friends. He died in 1990 so he couldn’t see the Buena Vista Social Club or the Afro-Cuban All Stars or whatever, but we put together music that he used to play in the past. This started introducing the people of different generations and backgrounds to the music.
