Eva Silot Bravo, PhD.
About
Hola. I am an Afro-Cuban consultant, author, cultural strategist, educator, and former international negotiator based in the Bay Area, CA, with a deep focus on Cuban music and diaspora culture. Author of Cuban Fusion . The Transnational Cuban Alternative Music Scene (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) and host of bilingual podcasts, I combine research, storytelling, and teaching to highlight diverse migrant and Afro-descendant voices. I’m seeking opportunities in education, consulting, advocacy and cultural programming with organizations and institutions that value interdisciplinary work, equity, and diasporic storytelling.
Book Reviews
"An invaluable study of Cuban music making in diaspora. Based on extensive interviews with the artistic community and informed by the author’s own experiences as a migrant, Silot Bravo explores the cultural agendas and personal politics of musicians and the ways they contest and transform conventional notions of cubanidad." (Robin D. Moore, Professor of Ethnomusicology, Butler School of Music, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)
“Eva Silot Bravo's groundbreaking study delves into the profound impact of Cuban music in the Diaspora, shedding light on a select group of musicians who have catalyzed an evolution within traditional Cuban music. Silot Bravo, uniquely positioned with unparalleled access and insight, offers a balanced and nuanced exploration of these artists' work, a departure from the often politically polarized discourse dominating the study of Cuba.
Her perspective unravels the significance of these musical expressions, illustrating how they serve as a transformative force both within and beyond Cuba. By incorporating diverse influences into their work, these musicians have not only challenged musical boundaries but also transcended political divides. Silot Bravo's study thus provides a rare glimpse into a space where artists navigate between political constraints, fostering a global citizenship that goes beyond the rigid political lines often associated with Cuban studies." (Greg Landau, Ph.D., Producer, Educator & Music Historian, USA)
“Cuban Fusion is an urgently needed corrective to the long-held, narrow view that only artists born and living in Cuba get to claim cubanidad. Through a careful study of oft-neglected alternative artists living transnationally like Yusa, Habana Abierta, and Dafnis Prieto, Bravo provokes a broader conversation about what it means to represent Cuban music in an era when migration and transnationalism have become the norm for so many. Drawing from decades of experience in diplomacy, music scholarship, and arts advocacy, Bravo's rigorous manuscript is sure to challenge thinking surrounding what Cuban music sounds like and who gets to participate.” (Mike Levine, Assistant Professor in Musicology, Christopher Newport University, USA)
