Son (music)

The son cubano is a romantic and nostalgic style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin. The Cuban son is one of the most influential and widespread forms of Latin American music: its derivatives and fusions, namely more active salsa, have spread across the world.Orovio, Helio 2004. Cuban music from A to Z. p203.

The word son (literally meaning 'sound' in Spanish) has also come to be used for other traditional rural musical styles of Spanish-speaking countries. For example, in Mexico the Son Jarocho of Veracruz and the Son Huasteco of the Sierra Huasteca constitute distinct popular musical styles. They are not derived from the Cuban son.

Development

The evidence is that son is a relatively recent musical invention, probably no earlier than the end of the 19th century. Son arose in the Cuban province of Oriente and reached Havana around 1910. It was at this time that the son most likely adopted the clave rhythm from the Havana-based rumba.Peñalosa (2009: 83) The Clave Matrix; Afro-Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins. Redway, CA: Bembe Inc. ISBN 1-886502-80-3.Mugercía, Alberto 1971. Teodora Ginés: mito o...
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