Rough Guide to Cuban Son

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 2, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: World Music Network
• ASIN: B00004SCET
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,771 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. En Guantanamo - Septeto Nacional Ignacio Pineiro

2. Alto Songo - Afro-Cuban All Stars

3. El Tren - Vieja Trova Santiaguera

4. Maria Christina - Nico Saquito

5. Me Voy Pa' Moron - Orquesta Melodias Del 40

6. Francisco Guayabal - Beny More

7. Chango Ta 'Veni - Sierra Maestra

8. Alma De Coral - Septeto Santiaguero

9. El Baile Del Suavito - Orquesta Aragon

10. Que Pista - Los Van Van

11. No Me Digas Corazon - Son De La Loma

12. Tribilin Cantore - Sexteto Habanero

13. Eso No Es Na - Maria Teresa Vera

14. Chan Chan - Familia Valera Miranda

15. Para Bailar El Son - Canambu

16. Canto Al Monte - Cubanismo!

17. Ligadito Con El Son - Los Jubilados

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Originating in the late 19th century in the island's countryside known as the Oriente Province, the dance rhythm known as the son is the bedrock of Cuban music. It's a mix of Spanish and African harmonic and rhythmic elements with congas, bongos, maracas, clave sticks, upright bass, and the double-stringed tres guitar comprising its core instrumentation, augmented by brass, flutes, and charanga violin sections. This enhanced CD with a bonus track is compiled by the folks who produce the famed Rough Guide travel books, and it unveils the myriad forms of this music from the '20s to today.

The group Sierra Maestra has bata drum power on the Afro-son "Chango Ta' Veni." The Afro-Cuban All-Stars--featuring artists of the Buena Vista Social Club--and trumpeter Jesus Alemany's supergroup, Cubanismo, exemplify the zesty descarga/Cuban jam session tradition on "Alto Songo and "Canto al Monte." Of course, the classic bands and singers such as the legendary Orquesta Aragón, Septeto Habanero, Beny Moré, and María Teresa Vera, are included. "Que Pisa," by the synth-syncopated pop band Los Van Van, and rural Familia Valera Miranda's soulful take on Compay Segundo's hit, "Chan Chan," represent the impressive range of this Latin American musical form. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Product Description

Son is Cuba's principal dance and song form and the root of salsa. Fusing African and Spanish elements, it ranges in style from simple, rustic bands to the brassy arrangementsof New York salsa. This Rough Guide, literally a 'who's who' in Cuban music, explores this rich tradition, from its conception in the early 1900s to the present day big-band revival.

Artists include: Sierra Maestra, !Cubanismo!, Afro-Cuban All Stars, Orquesta Aragón, Familia Valera Miranda, Los Van Van, Sexteto Habanero and Beny Moré

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misguided Cuban Potpourri, September 19, 2000

By 

Julio A. Oyarzabal (Hato Rey, PR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rough Guide to Cuban Son (Audio CD)

This CD is not a rough guide to son. Although the selections are in most cases good by themselves it includes guaracha (Nico Saquito), cha-cha-cha from Orquesta Aragon and timba from Los Van Van. In my opinion this is just another compilation intent on cashing in the "Buena Vista Social Club" phenomenon. The CD spans almost a century of Cuban music, from Maria Teresa Vera to Cubanismo, thus labelling "son" what really is a variety of forms and styles of Cuban music. Not for somebody seriously trying to learn about "son"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice collection..., June 17, 2003

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rough Guide to Cuban Son (Audio CD)

I think this is pretty nice. Even if it isn't all "son" per se, (and "son" is a pretty fluid term, anyway...)this is still one of the better samplers of Cuban dance music you're likely to find on the American market, packed with solid performances by classic artists such as Beny More, Orquesta Aragon, Ignacio Pineiro, Nico Saquito and others. Although it includes a few tunes by slick modern groups such as Los Van Van, there's a perceptible tilt towards older, rootsier acoustic styles and artists that I find appealling. Sure, maybe all of the artists aren't brand-name, dyed-in-the-wool legends, but this is a very strong, no-nonsense sampler of some of the sweetest music Cuba has to offer, and one of my favorite Rough Guide discs to date. Definitely recommended.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Vey rough guide, August 13, 2002

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rough Guide to Cuban Son (Audio CD)

If one were to disregard the misnomer I think any fan of Cuban music will find this disc enjoyable but not great. It is after all the rough guide. Another problem with this disc besides the varieties of styles is the time periods covered, this makes for a bit of a mixed , uneven compilation. The featured artists are some of the best in Cuban music many of whom have been making music for decades and walking this planet longer than most people. Featured and diverse artists include Beny More, Orquestra Arragon, Sierra Maestra and the Afro-Cuban All Stars amongst many others who are lesser known outside of Cuba. All in all the songs are a niice sampler of Cuban music with several outstanding songs depending on ones preference. Myself I found the interpretation of Compay Segundos classic song "Chan Chan" by Familia Valera Miranda a little subdued and hence a little less soulful than the original but still good. All in all it is a nice sampler for further exploration into Cuban music. For variety and a way of hearing other artists it is useful but as pure son it falls short. It is an enhanced CD and this portion I found quite disappointing. It seems that the technology was not utiized to it's full potential and it is little more than reading material and an advertisement for the books and such that are associated with the rough guide series. The enhanced section is not very interactive and without sound, go figure.