Question: How did Cuba and Brazil influence popular music, culture and dance in the 1940s and 1950s? TO. Inquiry PlanHow did Cuba and Brazil influence popular music, culture, and dance in the 1940s and 1950s? In this investigation I will try to establish what effects Cuba and Brazil have had on popular music and dance. The first thing I will do is find out how music from Cuba and Brazil spread to America, the center of music. During my research I will examine what types of music were popular in Cuba and Brazil in the 1940s and 1950s and how these types of music influenced American popular music. Two of the sources I have used in this essay will then be evaluated, Latin Music USA and Music in Brazil. To evaluate textual sources I will examine who wrote them and compare them to other sources. For film ratings I will find out who produced the film, get to know the people who were interviewed, and compare the information with my other sources.B. Summary of Evidence During the 1940s and 1950s, Latin America began to have an enormous effect on culture, popular music, and dance throughout the world, particularly in the United States. Latin American music first began to spread to the United States in 1925 when a Cuban named Mario Bauzá moved to New York and introduced an entirely new style of music. Senior Bauzá moved to New York because he was unable to express his music as he would have liked in Cuba due to his black skin color. When he moved to New York, he found a lot of musical freedom in Harlem. While in Harlem, he switched from the clarinet to the trumpet, which is what he is known for today. In the following years, during the accumulation of musical influence from Latin America, Mario Bauzá...... middle of paper ... ... dancing and shaping our societyThis movement began when Mario Bauzá moved to New York and shared his music with the world. During the 1940s and 1950s, Latin music thrived and gradually became more and more popular. The mambo dance was a very new and popular dance. This dance was an eye-opener for the entire world and consisted of people of all ages and races dancing on the same dance floor. During this time, the United States in particular, prospered socially, once opposing cultures and races were now able to connect with each other through music. Unfortunately, in the late 1950s, Fidel Castro began to take control of the Cuban government. When Fidel Castro became dictator, he slammed the door of culture and music in the face of the world. Hopefully one day the world can be united more closely by something as simple and pure as music. (Words 1639)