NPR

La Dame Blanche: Flute And Flow From Cuba To Paris

The bandleader skillfully mixes classical, jazz and hip-hop in a powerfully creative statement about Cuban music.
Cuban musician La Dame Blanche artfully blends genres

Blessed by a brilliant musical pedigree, Yaité Ramos Rodriguez initially moved into Latin Jazz after mastering the flute at the Escuela Nacional de Arte de Cuba in Havana. Now based in Paris for the better part of two) and niece of Mayito Rivera (ex-singer of ) performs as La Dame Blanche. She's created a signature sound (one contrary to her father's wishes) that springboards from Havana, but incorporates Paris, classical training and urban beats. She took the name to reference a fearsome yet benevolent mythical figure — witch, sorcerer and healer — as well as to indirectly comment on herself as a black woman and practitioner of (a Yoruban spiritual belief system transplanted to the Americas).

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
After Two Boeing 737 Max Crashes, Families Are Still Seeking Answers From DOJ
More than five years after two 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people, families of the victims are still pushing the Justice Department to hold Boeing accountable. They're frustrated by the response.
NPR5 min read
Netflix's 'Baby Reindeer': A Dark, Haunting Story Bungles Its Depiction Of Queerness
The new series, based on creator and star Richard Gadd's one-man show, depicts queer sexuality as something that happens to people.
NPR1 min readInternational Relations
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry Has Resigned As A Transitional Council Takes Over
Haiti's de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, has formally stepped down and a new transitional council has been sworn in. Finance chief Michel Patrick Boisvert is the new interim prime minister.

Related Books & Audiobooks