Isla de Cuba

Cuba is the melting pot of the Caribbean. Why did this happen? How did it happen?
The prevalence of native Americans? The Spanish? The relative late arrival of slavery? The French? The privateers? The gold? The mob? What combination of factors led to the creation of a culture that seamlessly melds the best of the cultures presented to it, and produced food, drink, music and dance that came to symbolize 'joie de vivre' to generations of Americans and Europeans?
In New Orleans we had a similar mix--slavery, mixing of cultures and races, equal parts French, Spanish, American, and African--and yet what evolved there was a culture that is entirely different--a musical tradition all it's own, as well as a cuisine--so melding, but less African, more European. What allowed the African influence to shine through so exceptionally in Cuba?
Nothing I have read to date really explores this--I have read both fiction and non-fiction, and while Jamaica and Haiti grew mammoth amounts of sugar cane, relying on slaves to farm it, this culture came late to Cuba-exiled from Haiti, looking for another stopping off point. What about this made Cuba what it is?
I hope to learn more about that.