JSA mourns loss of dedicated volunteer

By , September 30, 2010 11:09 am

The JSA is saddened by the sudden loss of one of our most beloved volunteers, Rene Yucht. She was a dedicated worker who felt deeply about her work at the Judaica Sound Archives. She succumbed on September 27, 2010 after a brief battle with pneumonia. She will be missed by all of us at the JSA. Our heartfelt condolences to her family.

Post-war America dances to a Latin beat

By , September 2, 2010 3:45 pm

Several of the Vogue Picture records in the Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries capitalize on America’s love affair with Latin rhythms during the 1930s , 40s and 50s.

During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Havana, Cuba was a popular tourist destination for Americans seeking fun and excitement. One of the pleasures they discovered there was the rhumba. Popularized by performers such as Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat and Desi Arnaz, Latin ballroom dances and rhythms became a common staple of American entertainment for decades.

Riding this wave of popularity Sav-way produced several Latin-themed recordings and a series of recorded rhumba ballroom dance lessons. By today’s standards the music seems somewhat watered down and mild.  Nevertheless, these recordings give us a true representation of Americanized Latin music as it actually was during the mid-20th century.

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