Trying to jam-pack roughly 100 years of a nation’s music history onto 4 CDs is never an easy task, and, as far as I know, has never been done successfully either. Of course, “Cuba – I Am Time” cannot succeed either, but for the more casual listener it is an excellent overview that only falls short in the liner notes department.

Packed in a cigar case (it even has a cloth thingy you can pull on to get the CDs and the booklet out without having to turn the box upside down) and supplemented with a 112-page booklet outlining the history of and influences on Cuban music from the very early times until 1997, this boxed set is a real beauty and treasure. Continue Reading →