The Eastern community found out how Latin music has influence all over the globe, even here in the United States.

Salsa, Mambo and Son were the three music styles that were discussed at a commentary on Thursday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Jose Deustua, a member of the Latin American Heritage Month Committee, spoke to students in the Effingham Room of the union about the history of Latin American music.

Using a display of both audio and video, he connected the three styles to not only Latin American culture but to the U.S. culture as well.

Dr. Deustua was born in Lima, Peru in 1954. He grew up around this music and spent the first 30 years of his life in Lima.

He then left for France in the mid ’80s and came to Eastern in 2000. He is currently the Chair of the Latin American Studies Committee.

During the speech, he pointed out that during the late ’50s and early ’60s the Cuban Revolution forced a lot of musicians out of the country because it led to the closing of many nightclubs and venues where the music was played.

These musicians moved to the southern part of Florida and eventually made their way up to New York. He went on to say that this event sparked the popularity of this music in the U.S and how it would affect music for years to come.

He emphasized this point by showing the audience a clip of the song “Mambo Number 5” by Perez Prado. He then showed the more modern version of the song by Lou Bega, which was made in 1999. The original was recorded in 1949.

He also spoke of how many other cultures had influence in the music styles.

While playing “Canto Abacua” by Ruben Blades, he explained that the sounds coming from the instruments were from not only Latin culture but from African and Indian cultures as well.

He said the instruments were played in ways that conveyed all three of the cultures.

“(Music was the chosen theme for this year’s Latin American Heritage month) because it ties into the U.S. culture,” Deustua said.

Food and holidays were also considered.

Kit Morice, also a member of the Latin American Heritage Month Committee and curator of education at the Tarble Arts Center, attended the event and said she really enjoyed it. “It’s very important to be more global and to learn about other cultures,” Morice said.

Aaron Martin can be reached at 581-7942

or almartin3@eiu.edu.