It's no secret that for most of the 20th Century, Cuban music and musicians played important roles in influencing and revitalizing North American popular culture. From Ernesto Lecuona and Desi Arnaz to Chano Pozo, Paquito D'Rivera and Gloria Estefan, a wide stylistic panorama, from classical to pop and jazz idioms, has been constantly invigorated by the presence of supremely talented Cuban musicia ns and their distinctive music traditions. Mela is very much a part of that grand and glorious tradition.