Y Tenemos Sabor (1967) - doc

A 1967 ICAIC documentary directed by Sara GĂłmez exploring the African roots of Cuban music through performances, instrument demonstrations, and conversations with musicians. One of the earliest serious film treatments of Afro-Cuban musical heritage.

What It Covers

Directed by Sara Gómez — one of Cuba's first female filmmakers and a significant figure in Cuban cinema — the film examines Afro-Cuban musical traditions with specific attention to the instruments, rhythms, and cultural practices brought from Africa. It includes performances and demonstrations of percussion traditions that still underlie Cuban popular music today.

Why Dancers Should Watch It

As a 1967 film, Y Tenemos Sabor captures these traditions closer to their living origins than anything made later. The performers and musicians it documents were often one generation removed from the people who carried these traditions across the Atlantic. For dancers, it's a rare early visual record of the movement and musical vocabulary that everything they're learning descends from.

Documentary