Music+of+Cuba

=**Cuban Music **=
 * Lauren Beauchemin **

**Overview[[image:http://imagecache.artistrising.com/artwork/lrg//2/285/UBW5000A.jpg align="right"]]**
The music of Cuba is a unique mixture of Spanish, African, and a few Indigenous influences--just like the rest of the country's rich culture. While the indigenous influences are small because of how their indigenous culture was largely destroyed by the Spaniards, it is still an important part of Cuba.There has also been Western influences, especially in more recent times. Just as it is with the music of other countries, Cuban music is something that has everything do with the history and heritage of the country, and is something that instills a strong national identity in the people of Cuba. While Cuban music comes from these different cultures, it has truly become a style of it's own--in a way, a creole of the music world.

**Some Types of Popular Music & Their History**
Cuban music is known around the world, for it's distinct sounds that have evolved over the centuries along with the people and the country itself. Also, almost every type of popular and well-known Cuban music has a distinct dance that goes along with it, another part of their musical culture that resonates with their national identity. Many of the types of music that still exist today are variations on music that was brought over by European settlers or indigenous music that lived on through the non-native people that were brought there.
 * Son: Originating from African slaves and agricultural workers (African, Spanish, and indigenous), Son is another type of Cuban music where rhythm is key. In fact, it is said that the Son brought about revolutionary new rhythms to music, ones that had not previously been heard. It was more spontaneous, and gave a different sound than people were used to at that time. It also became popular enough to move to other countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Being from both African and Spanish descent, takes elements from both--namely, African percussion beats, and other instrumental additions of Spanish origin. The percussion instrument/beat that became the most important, however, was the [|clave], which then went on to be used in every other type of Cuban music that originated from Son. Much of son is known as classic sonbecause it is generally older and not very popular anymore.
 * Guaracha: In the late 1800's, when Cuban comic theaters were increasingly popular, the original music of these theaters became popular as well--and the [|Guaracha] was born. It is a fast paced, very percussion driven type of music that was used between acts in these theaters when it first started.
 * Danzón: Danzón is an instrumental genre of Cuban music, that is accompanied by a dance that has become the official dance of Cuba. It originated from a European dance that had been brought to Haiti, and was then brought by Haitians over to Cuba by these people fleeing their country after the Haitian revolution. Because of this, it is generally more formal in nature. Miguel Failde is known as the creator of Danzón, as he perfected the musical style in 1879.
 * Rumba: Rumba is a type of music that has both African and Spanish elements in it. It was created in the early 19th century, and is a flamenco-inspired genre that often has a soloist and a chorus accompanying the music. Rumba music relies heavily on percussion instruments, such as congo drums. There are many, many different types of Rumba, although it is generally grouped into four types: Yambú, the slowest tempo; Guaguancaó, slightly fast tempo; Columbia, even faster tempo; and Giribilla, the fastest tempo.
 * Cha Cha Chá: The Cha Cha Chá is a song that was created in 1953 by the Cuban composer Enrique Jorrín, when he was originally composing some danzóns, and ended up changing the melodies and the tempos enough; and the Cha Cha Chá was created.
 * Mambo: Mambo is a style of Cuban music that became popularized in the 1940's-1950's, when it began to be known world-wide. There are many different different variations on it, like many other genres of Cuban music it has many different variations. However, it is generally faster paced, big band music, that relies heavily on horns (not percussion, as much other Cuban music does). While the actual music is European based, as it "descended" from the Danzón, the name is of African origin, as are the folk rhythms it incorporates that make it unique.

**Modern Cuban Music**
Today, Cuban music is popular all around the world. Some Cuban music is similar to the classic Cuban music, and some takes more influences from new kinds of popular music from other parts of the world. Modern day Cuba has had many troubles--politically, economically, and socially, especially since the revolution and the time of Fidel Castro. Cuban people have used music as a way to show their identity thorough a lens other than the one that the international news shows it through. Some current popular Cuban genres and artists of today are:
 * Timba: The genre of modern day, Cuban salsa music, is what is referred to as Timba. It is unique to other types of Salsa because it's evolution in Cuban has much of the Afro-Cuban influences that other Cuban music does. Until the 1990's, Timba only referred to a collection of drums used in other types of folk music--but since then, it has become the name of this upbeat, unique style music that has traditional Salsa sounds as well as more modern funk, jazz, rock, and hip hop sounds as well. There are many popular Timba bands, one being NG La Banda, whose song La Bruja was seen as controversial at the time it was released (1994) for it's title. However, they still are a popular band to this day. Timba is also well known for covering modern, controversial, and current topics in their songs/lyrics, which heightens Cuban nationalism in their post revolutionary period.
 * Buena Vista Social Club: This was a record released in 1997, made by Juan de Marcos Gonzaléz, a Cuban musician, and Ry Coder, an American guitarist. With the help of other traditional Cuban musicans, they formed a band of sorts and made this record, which inspired films and concerts and a newfound interest in Cuban music worldwide. They, in a way, revived Cuban music in modern times, by keeping traditional elements as well as adding new innovations. One of their most well known songs is Chan Chan, which was featured in the documentary as well as was performed in their live concerts.

As with many cultures, music in Cuba has been a huge way of expressing their national identity and showing it to the rest of the world. Especially for a country that has been under the control of other countries, and has been through a lot of oppression (from the United States, etc), being able to keep your national identity and pride is key. Music provides Cubans an outlet to show their rich culture and have everyone forget, even if just for a moment, about all the troubling times their country has been through over the past few centuries. It's a chance for them to show that though their ancestors may have been killed (the indigenous people) or brought there by force (Africans brought for slavery), Cuba is now THEIR country.