Book excerpt: "Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions provides an in-depth look at the diverse musical cultures of South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean in a format geared for the undergraduate. Each chapter, written by an expert in the field, focuses on a specific musical culture while offering students a solid foundation for further study. Authors present the community, its history, common dialect, traditions, and newer forms of musical expression. Music rituals, instrument manufacturing processes, and improvisational techniques all come alive through the authors' own observations of the cultures they have studied firsthand." --