Son Cubano

The Cuban son is a musical style and dance characterized by its syncopated rhythmic structure. It emerged around the turn of the century out of rural Oriente (Cuba's easternmost province in those days) and became the most influential element in popular Latin American music. The instrumentation of tres, guitar, bongos, string bass and two vocalists who also played claves and maracas, became standard and set the stage for the worldwide spread of the Cuban son. The son provides an obvious link to Salsa and other forms of popular Latin music today. By taking the basic instrumentation of the son and adding piano, conga drums, horns, electronic instruments etc., salsa and its related forms have become an international phenomena.

Played first on harmonica, guitar, bongos and claves, the Sexteto crystallised the son line-up of tres, with its three sets of double or triple strings, guitar, bongos, string bass and two vocalists playing claves and maracas. Celebrated here is the funky high level syncopation of son which gradually got ironed out as it spread around the world, smoother elements dominating to suit ears less timbre familiar. And with Spanish texts with English translation alongside you can at last appreciate son's sensuality - the intended double meanings of songs!

Whether you rumba or son - ¡Echale candela! - Stoke up the fire!”