Watch Latin Music USA

Latin Music USA is a powerful and insightful documentary series that delves deep into the rich and diverse musical heritage of Latin America. Made up of four parts, each episode runs through the history and evolution of Latin music in America and features a mix of interviews, rare archive footage, and live performances.

Narrated and presented by celebrated actor Jimmy Smits, the show received critical acclaim upon its release in 2009 for its impressive attention to detail and layered storytelling. Drawing from a wide range of genres, including salsa, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton, Latin Music USA offers a comprehensive overview of the complex cultural and political forces that have influenced Latin music throughout the years.

The first part of the series, Bridges, takes viewers back to the early 20th century, tracing the roots of Latin music in America all the way back to the arrival of Cuban musicians and black Puerto Ricans in New York City. Through interviews with music legends like Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, Bridges explores the early days of Afro-Cuban jazz and salsa music and its profound impact on the American music scene.

In the second part, The Salsa Revolution, Latin Music USA dives deeper into the history of salsa and explores its rise to popularity in the 1970s. The episode features interviews with key figures in the salsa scene, such as Willie Col