Described by Fernando Ortiz as ‘a love affair between the African drum and the Spanish guitar,’ Son is the quintessential Cuban sound. Emerging from the Oriente [eastern] region of the country at the end of the 19th century, Son is a soulful blend of two musical genres: Danzón, a European-style set figure dance performed by partners in coordinated groups; and the hypnotic rhythms of Rumba.
By the time Son migrated to Havana about 1909, the music typically included vocals, the Cuban Tres [a type of guitar], double bass, bongos, claves and maracas; the trumpet was added in the 1930s. It was the claves that kept the time for both the music and dance steps. Today, Son can be heard everywhere – on the streets, in parks and town squares as well as in cafés, restaurants and the casas de la trova [music houses] that can be found in every town and village.
