How are new musical traditions formed? This is the central question guiding this book on an Afro-Cuban ceremony sometimes called cajon pa' los mu-er-tos, a spirit-possession ritual that has been developed in Cuba over the past few decades. Cajon ceremonies are deftly sculpted from a wealth of religious influences including Santeria, Palo, Espiritismo, and Catholicism. Grupo Cuero y Cajon, the case study for this book, provide insight into how songs and rhythms are created for these ceremonies while also bringing together older separate traditions into a new whole. This process of...