Son and Guajira
The Son is a form of Cuban music with strong African roots. It employs an African rhythm – also called son – Spanish lyrics and a plugged instrument such as guitar. This form of music has strongly influenced salsa. The son can be traced back to the 18th century, but it was developed as an art form around the twentieth century in rural eastern Cuba. There are different types of sonar, according to authors on mamborama.com, including Son-montuno, Afro-son and Guajira-son. Guajira is the Spanish Cuban word for ‘farmer’. This latter form is played more slowly than Son and is characterized by arpeggiated guitar and piano parts.
Bolero and Rumba
Bolero has Afro-Cuban roots and resembles rumba, although the dance tempo is a bit slower. Bolero can be seen as a slow, romantic ballad. An example of this type of music is ‘Como Fue’ by the famous Cuban singer Beny Mor & # xE9 ;. Rumba is a type of folk music characterized by conversations and answers given in African languages and in Spanish. It is also about using drums and dancing.
Dance & # x2122; n, Cha-Cha-Cha and Zapateo
Dance & # x2122; n developed in the late 19th century and originated from European dancing. Cha-cha-cha emerged from danz u0026 # xF3; n-mambo, a later development of danz u0026 # xF3; n. Flamenco-influenced zapateo music was once quite popular in Cuba. It can now be heard in the eastern part of the country. An example of this type of music is ‘Zapateo Cubano’ by Frank Emilio Flynn.
Mozambique, Yoruba, Cuban Jazz and others.
Mozambique is a form of carnival music started by Pedro Izquierdo. Yoruba is a style of sacred music used in Lucum & # xED; religion. This belief system is practiced by people from the Yoruba descent in Cuba, and involves the use of the long and narrow bat & # xE1; drums. Cuban jazz may be better known in the United States, as it is a fusion of American jazz and Cuban rhythms.
Other forms of music
Other types of Cuban music include conga, which is another type of carnival music; chang u0026 # xFC; & # xED;, which is an earlier form of son; and timba, which is relatively new and consists of a mix of hip hop, rap, Brazilian music and salsa.
Beny Mor & # xE9;
Beny Mor & # xE9; was a very well known Cuban singer. Although he did not tour in the United States, he created recordings under the RCA brand, an American music company, which can still be enjoyed today. As mentioned by Spenser Harrington from allmusic.com, Mother & # xE9; was one of the greatest singers of Cuban popular music. He sang different styles of Cuban music just as well and is still highly regarded in his home country. He is to Cuba what Frank Sinatra or Nat ‘King’ Cole is in the United States.
Other artists
Celia Cruz was a famous salsa singer from Cuba. Cuban jazz has had several important artists, including Tito Puente and Chucho Valdez. A well-known Cuban-American singer is Gloria Esteph, who first became popular as the lead singer of the group The Miami Sound Machine in the 1980s. The island of Cuba was once inhabited by Indians. When the Europeans arrived, the indigenous peoples died from either disease or mass murder resulting from forced labor. Africans were taken by the Europeans, most of whom were from Spain. Later, other people of African descent who were freed as slaves came to the island nation. Over time, European and African groups blended musically, creating the many genres of Cuban music.
Source:danspela.com