Page 60 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

58 ❯❯ The Top 10 of Everything

Musical Styles

A group of Cuban musicians play son in a shaded plaza
Son
Jazz
1 3
Son became pop­
A musical form that has
ular in the second half made a resounding comeback
of the 19th century in in Cuba in recent years, jazz
the eastern province of was suppressed following
Oriente. Its popularity the Revolution (see p37).
peaked in the 1950s and A fast­paced Afro­Cuban
was revived decades later style has emerged, propelling
by the Buena Vista Social Cuban musicians to the fore
Club movie and album. of the world jazz scene, and
the Havana International
Classical
2 Jazz Fes tival is a
major event in the
Cuba boasts a
National Symphony musical calendar.
Orchestra and many
Danzón
smaller accomplished 4
ensembles sponsored Originating in
by the government. France via Haiti in the
A unique style has 18th century, danzón is
evolved, known as Cuban jazz the root source of most
Afrocubanismo, which performer Cuban music, and gained
incorporates African­ popularity within slave
derived instruments and culture and with Creole peasants.
rhythms into classical themes. Played by orquestras típicas, danzón
has a repetitive jaunty tempo, and
is the Cuban national dance.
Changüí
5
A rougher variant of son,
changüí has minimal instrumentation
with the tres (similar to a guitar) and
bongos dominating. It is played mainly
in the eastern provinces, notably by
groups such as the Estrellas
Brass section of a classical orchestra Campesinas and Grupo Changüí.

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