Editing Alejo Carpentier (section)

===Ethnomusicology and Afro-Cubanism===
With this intrinsic appreciation of music and a fascination with Cuban identity, Carpentier began investigating the origins of Cuban music in a more academic sense.<ref>{{Harvnb|Navarro|1999}}</ref> In 1946, Carpentier published the ethnomusicological study ''La Música en Cuba'' which explores how European music, transplanted African music and the indigenous music of the island all blended together to create Cuban music. Carpentier took particular interest in Afro-Cuban themes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpentier|1972|pp= 55–56}}</ref>

Particularly fascinated with the overwhelming influence of African music in Cuban music, Carpentier introduced Afro-Cuban influenced music called ''lo afrocubano'', (i.e. heavily improvised and rhythm based music) into what was deemed more formal music venues dependent on European styles, called ''lo guajiro''. Carpentier once wrote that ''lo guajiro'' was, "very poetic, but ''lo guajiro'' is not music...On the other hand, in mestizo and black music...the rich material has an incredible wealth to it...to make it the work of national expression."<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpentier|1972|pp= 360–362}} cited in {{harvnb|Navarro|1999|p=39}}</ref> Because of racial tensions between white Cubans and black and [[criollo people|criollo]] Cubans, such preferences were not well received by the Cuban elite of the mid century.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpentier|1972|pp= 293–294}}</ref> Carpentier devoted the majority of his musicology research to the [[Afro-Cuban]] influences present in Cuba. For example, Carpentier paid particular attention to [[Contradanza]], a wildly popular Cuban dance derived from the European style of music and dance, [[Country dance|Contredanse]]. The ample room left for musical improvisation and the element of group dance were easily adapted into African musical tradition where improvisation and dance play integral roles. Hence, a hybrid musical form unique to Cuba was created.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpentier|1972|p=126}}</ref> Carpentier argued that the improvisation inherent in African influenced music allowed for varied interpretations that catalyzed regional differences and therefore regional identity, and concluded that this was why Cuba had such a varied musical identity.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpentier|1972|p=249}}</ref>