Son Genres – Music
Son (son cubano) is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba in the late 19th century. It blends Spanish and African elements and became Cuba's most popular and influential genre: salsa and cha-cha-chá derive from it, and in Cuba itself son evolved into songo and timba.
Key points
- Origin: late 19th century, in the highlands of eastern Cuba (Oriente)
- Spanish roots: the vocal style, the lyrical metre and the tres (derived from the Spanish guitar)
- African (Bantu) roots: the clave, call and response and the percussion
- Instruments: tres, bongó, maracas and clave; later trumpet, congas and piano
- Havana: arrived around 1909, first recordings in 1917
- Line-up: sexteto (1920s), septeto with trumpet (1930s), conjunto with congas and piano (1940s)
- Descendants: salsa, cha-cha-chá, songo and timba
Types of son
📝 Sources