IntroductionPassion: what does it mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, passion is defined as: “a strong and difficult to control emotion”. Humanity has expressed passion in countless ways for as long as it has possessed communication capabilities. Through art, science, literature, music and even politics humans have showcased passion. Passion can be supportive or oppositional. Music has been the most effective means for humans to express passion, thanks to the wide range of emotions that can be realized through singing. Because of the high level of passion felt in both music and politics, political-themed music has become a match made in heaven. There are countless numbers of songs and musical genres that have become rallying anthems for political movements around the world. One region in particular, thanks to a unique blend of passion for music and politics, has become a hotbed of politically charged music: Cuba. The histories of music and politics in this small island nation are so intertwined that it is impossible to any research on one topic without finding information on the other. Music in Cuba has a long and rich tradition that can be traced back to Africa. Politics in Cuba also has a long and rich tradition that can be traced back to Spain. These traditions include a clash between two different cultures, predominantly Spanish and African, which dominated the island. Another important aspect of Cuban political history is the tradition of slavery and the struggle for freedom from slaves. Due to the interconnected nature of music and politics on the island of Cuba, many political movements have been influenced by music and vice versa. Starting with the ancient history of Cuban music and politics...... middle of paper ......a. Havana. P55-57.Orovio, Helio 2004. Cuban Music from A to Z. Reviewed by Sue Steward. Biographical dictionary of Cuban music, artists, composers, groups and terms. Duke University, Durham North Carolina; Tumi, Bath. Pacini-Hernandez, Deborah and Reebee Garofalo. "The Emergence of Cuban Rap: A Historical Perspective." In the space and place of music, ed. Whitely, Bennett and Hawkins, 89- 107.BurlingtonVt. Ashgate, 2004. Perez, Louis. Cuba between reforms and revolution. $th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.Peter Bakewell. A history of Latin America. Bakewell Books. p.74.Selvin, Joel. Telephone interview. November 12, 201.Sublette, Ned 2004. Cuba and its music: from the first drums to the mambo. Chicago.Thomas G. Paterson. Contesting Castro. United States War Department, Informe sobre el censo de Cuba, 1899 (Washington, DC, 1900), p... 732.