The Different Styles of Cuban Music

Cuban music is filled with countless styles and genres. It has a long and extraordinary history. Although influences from Africa and Spain were prevalent, Cuban music was also produced with the music of Europe, Latin-America and American pop and jazz music. The following is just a few of all the various styles that are currently found in this type of music.

• 1. Son - This is a style of popular dance music that began in the Oriente district of Cuba. It is the basis of modern salsa. There are several mixtures of Son which include but are not limited to, The Son-montuno, Afro-son and Guajira-son.

• 2. Cha-Cha-Cha - This type originally was a by-product by-product of the danzón-mambo. Cha-Cha-Chá became a popular style of its own.

• 3. Rumba - Rumba was a mystical folkloric form. It consists of drumming, dancing and call-and-response singing both in African and Spanish languages.

• 4. Mambo - This style was popularized during the 1940's and 1950's.

• 5. Danzon - This type music was influenced by European dances. This form was later expanded to contain a segment originally known as "nuevo ritmo" and later called mambo.

• 6. Timba - This is the newest and most controversial music out of Cuba. Timba is best described as salsa on steroids. It includes influences from Brazilian music, R&B, hip-hop and salsa.

• 7.

All these styles actually contributed to the invention of Modern Dance by Isadora Duncan. They are the dances of love and of the spiritual world. They are stilled danced today at parties in Cuba. They are currently flourishing in other parts of the world. The dance styles are enjoyed by the young and the old and one can not go throughout hearing it played loudly during Christmas Eve in Miami, Fl.

Cuban dance and music styles are known to lift the spirits. If one wants to free his/her soul they should find a style and dance.