Slightly Boring Entry About Music

Although I’ve only barely mentioned it, music is a humongous part of life here. It can be heard anywhere you go, from every direction. There are a couple very different types of music here that are really popular. First, there’s salsa. Though I’ve heard the style originated in the Puerto Rican communities in NYC, a lot of Cubans say they are the only one’s who do it right. Within this genre, there are a couple of different forms. My personal favorite is called “son”, which was made famous all over the world because of the Buena Vista Social Club. It is a really traditional, even ancient, form of salsa. Actually, most if not all of the songs from Buena Vista were written long before those men played them. You can hear this kind of music all over the country, especially from live bands in restaurants and such, because it is played with acoustic instruments. Usually, a son band consists of a guitar, a smaller three string guitar called a “tres”, claves, bongos, and singers. I’m not sure if this guy is considered son, but one of my favorite musicians here is Polo Montañez. In any case, both he and son are way more popular with older Cubans. Among the youth, Reggaeton rules. You’ve probably heard a little reggaeton before, from people like Daddy Yankee who sings “Gasolina”. It’s sort of a Latin American version of hip hop, with Reggae and Salsa influence, and a persistent heavy beat. At first, it all sounds the same, but then it kind of grows on you. I’ll bring some of the better examples back with me. My favorite so far is this song called “Caperosita,” which is “little red riding hood”, by Clan 537, a Cuban pop group. Anyway, people love to dance to this music. I would say Salsa and Reggaeton are the two most popular forms of music, but a lot of people are interested in Techno, Rock, and Hip Hop, especially the more underground variety in the US like Kweli, Common, etc. Basically, music is a huge pastime because all you need for fun is a couple records and a few people and you’ve got a dance party!