The significance of May 8, Cuban Son Day, must remain valid in spaces, the audiovisual media, the being and work of composers and performers who defend the Cuban roots.
Who doesn’t feel joyful enjoyment when following the cadence of a memorable or contemporary son?! The soul and identity consciousness participate emotionally during that moment. It is usually shared by singers, groups and dancers in different settings without limits of eras or countries.
The genre was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2012. This recognition validates its prominence in the history of Cuban music. He was defended tirelessly, persevering, lucid, by the unforgettable maestro Adalberto Álvarez. It had the support of the Ministry of Culture. According to him, he acknowledged exclusively with BOHEMIA: “The son is born from the roots of the people. It’s in our blood. All generations are aware of its significance in the work of renowned composers and performers. We must cultivate the genre by showing off the best energies.”
For this reason, tributes are also paid on May 8 to the births of two extraordinary musicians: Miguel Matamoros (Santiago de Cuba 1894-1961) and Miguelito Cuní (Pinar del Río 1916-1984), who became cultural symbols inside and outside the greater The Antilles. Both are compasses for groups and individuals that nourish the heritage established in popular traditions.
Originally from Cuba, son became the most important generic complex in music due to the impact it achieved on dance expression with a notable social function. It includes the old variants: montuno, guaracha, changüí and sucu-sucu and the development in urban areas of Havana during the 1950s.
The great synthesis of what is Cuban leads from the combination of the plucked string (guitar and tres) and the harmonic tonal bass. At first it was achieved using a marímbula or botija, later it was replaced by the double bass and the rhythmic figurations of percussion instruments, bongos, maracas, and claves, this allowed the stability of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic stylistic elements. Hence the existence of sounds created for jazz formats, electronic instruments, symphony orchestras and chamber combinations.
At parties and other celebrations we appreciate the varied nature of sound texts. How much wealth they reveal in different circumstances and times! The son has expressed the desires of the most oppressed layers of the people. Several composers incorporate elements of sharp satire, social denunciation, tributes to women and the landscape among other features or motifs.
Apparently, the satisfaction produced by timbral and sound combinations has no limits, it makes the feet move, the body moves, it feeds a robust, native heritage.
In current times, hybridity leads, the interweaving of rhythms, sounds, the connection of metaphors and sediments. Without a doubt, the force of the sound is telluric. Who can sit still when listening to Mama, they are from the hill or He who sows the corn from him? Young people and musical groups recognize it: artistic quality never goes out of style. Ours is a dancing people. The good tumbaos, the catchy chorus and the seductive improvisations distinguish the sonera tradition. It is important to extend the tributes every day. The relevance of son is conditioned by ancestral forces, these have a life of their own in the 21st century.
Imperishable legacies prove it. You had to see maestro Adalberto Álvarez in action. He made evident a creative mode inserted in sociocultural processes and attitudes. He illustrated our way of being, particularities, renewed influences, so that Cuban music of artistic quality continued to shine in the world.
