Good day dear listeners, readers and blog followers!

Today we are going to enjoy a nice Son composition performed by a band of Changuiceros from Santiago de Cuba, Diogenes y Su Changui…

As the great Elio Reve used to say “sin Changui no hay Son, y sin Son no hay salsa”;
Son is the musical basis for most of what came later and is known to us, fans of Cuban music, as “salsa” and Timba.
Changui is the most direct root \ origin on Son, and was formed in the Oriente region of Cuba during the 1860’s and 1870’s.
This traditional genre of Cuban music comes from the countryside, and was originally played in village events and family gatherings primarily by black or mixed peasants and lower class citizens.
Typical instruments include the Tress guitar, Bongos, Maracas, Guayo (which looks like a cheese grader 🙂 ) and unique instrument which preceded the bass – the Marimbula:

Vocalists are also present, of course, and usually there is one lead vocal and the rest of the musicians serve as a choir of sorts.

So, the composition we have today, performed at the casa de la trova of Santiango de Cuba, is a great example of a traditional changui.

Here it is!

¡Disfruten!