If Buena Vista Social Club was the story of Cuban music in its purest form, then Calle 54 is a compelling reminder of how the Latin diaspora has bonded with North American culture to create the richly diverse genre that is Latin Jazz. Spanish director Fernando Trueba has assembled a stellar cast of musicians to tell his New York story, with performances from Gato Barbieri, Chucho Valdez, Eliane Elias and Paquito D’Rivera as well as recently departed master Tito Puenta and Chico O’Farrill. This splendid film provides a vivid insight into a musical culture that has grown from folk origins to become one of the most assertive and influential styles of music of the century, embracing the palette of rhythm and colour that characterises the Hispanic world.

Spain/France/Italy, 2000.
Colour.
Dolby digital stereo.
105 mins.