From Mambo to Hip Hop

Through interviews and performance clips, filmmaker Henry Chalfant explores the history of music in the South Bronx, from the Puerto Rican and Cuban influences that created the local salsa sound to the rise of hip-hop after fires destroyed the area. Artists appearing in this colorful documentary include Eddie Palmieri, Angel Rodríguez, Benny Bonilla, Clemente "Kid Freeze" Moreno, Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Bobby Sanabria and many others.

Directed by Henry Chalfant, From Mambo to Hip Hop leans on a strong ensemble — Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2007.