Cuban Music - The Son Rhythm

The Son as a musical genre emerged towards theonly in the popular taste, but also in important events.
end of the 19th century as part of the formation ofWhile this was happening in the western part of the
the Cuban nationality and became very popular duringcountry, in the eastern part the Son accomplished a
the Carnival festivities in Santiago de Cuba. Aroundunique sound performed by The Matamoros Trio,
1892, the interpretation of Nené Manfugás, awho in 1928 recorded their first album and put the
musician that played a rustic three-double stringSon among the most famous American dancing
instrument and a wooden box called Tres, made thisrhythms with the worldwide known song "Son de la
genre known, such that the Tres became a symbolLoma". The Son has a wide range of rhythmic
of the Son that lasts to this day.expressions: the Son Montuno, the Changuí, the
Initially, the musical structure of Son was based onHavana Son, Cry Son, and the Sucu Sucu, among
the constant repetition of a stanza known asothers.
Montuno, which alternates the harmonic improvisationIn 1930, the band of Don Azpiazu and its lead singer
of a soloist singer. It was played by means of stringsAntonio Machín performed in the United States and
and drums with a format that has not changed much:Europe, beginning the internationalization process of
a Trés, a guitar, the bongo, the maracas, and thethis genre. The first global success was the Cry Son
claves; at the very beginning the marimba was used,"El Manicero" (The Peanut Seller) written by Moisés
but it was substituted by the double bass when theSimón. The National Septet Ignacio Piñeiro had a
rhythm moved to urban areas. During the firstperformance in the Chicago World Fair in 1933 and
decades of the 20th century the Son was spread allbecame a resounding success. The pop group of
over the island due to the internal migration; this kindArsenio Rodríguez during the 1940s (musical
of music was taken from the places it originated anddirector that added the drums and piano) and the
went to other regions, including Havana; first ingiant band of Benny Moré during the 1950s carried
quartets and later on in sextets. Among the moston producing huge Son successes.
famous groups, there were the Havana Sextet,At the end of the 60s and beginnings of the 70s, Los
which stood out for being the first to include theVan Van renewed the genre mixing the Son with
trumpet, and the National Septet Ignacio Piñeiro.electronic music. Juan Formell introduced a drum kit,
The Son was always a dance of the lower classes,the electronic bass, three lead singers and the
and it was forbidden for a period because thetrombones of the Cuban brass bands. Important
government considered it immoral. When it couldbands have come to life performing Son, such as Son
enter in the ball rooms in Havana and other important14, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, NG La Banda,
cities, and with the help of the recording and radioamong others; bands that have added minor
coverage, the Son was no longer exclusive ofcontributions but which have enriched the sonority of
tenement buildings, and since 1920 this rhythm tookthe genre.
the place of the Danzón, the national dance, not