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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