Folk Music of Cuba

The folk music of Cuba combines Hispanic stringed instruments like guitar and tres (a guitar-like instrument with six strings, paired in octaves like an American twelve-string guitar) with African percussion instruments, seasoned with a hint of Caribbean flavor. The result is a rich blend of song styles and dance rhythms. This collection, recorded during the 1980s, presents an array of music from across the island performed by both urban and rural ensembles. Included are examples of the Cuban son (loosely translated as “rhythm”), a musical style popularized in the 1920s; several forms of rumba and conga; and zapateo, a folk dance that is no longer practiced as a living dance form. The liner notes provide background information about each song.

Track Listing

101	Punto Libre: Pinar del Rio y el Tabaco	Cuyaguateje	05:20
102	Zapateo	Horizonte Campesino	01:53
103	Tonadas	Teodoro Medina, Manuel Rivero, Emilio Arias	04:06
104	Abakua	Group of Abakua members	09:53
105	La Ruñidera (son)	Son de Mayabeque	05:37
106	Tambor Enamorado (rumba guaguanco)	Rumbolero Rumba Ensemble	03:15
107	Mi tierra es asi (guajira-son)	Cucalambe Ensemble	03:59
108	Oru Igbodu	Omo Irago Bata Drum Ensemble	03:43
109	Tiene que llegar (Guaracha)	Grupo Estudiantina Matancera	04:15
110	En el Manglar (yambú de Matanzas)	The Afro-Cuba Group	03:04
111	Toques y cantos del Cabildo Kunalungo	Kunalungo Cabildo	03:56
112	Cantos de Altar	n/a	04:06
113	Tumba Francesa cantos y toque (Yuba macotá)	La Pompadu Tumba Frabcesca society of Guantanamo	03:36
114	En el campo vivo feliz (guajira-son)	Voces del Segundo Frente Ensemble	03:51
115	Conga toque y canto	Iyabo Ensemble	02:22
116	Que rico es el changui	Estrellas Campesinas Ensemble	05:02
117	Maria Elena (sucu-sucu)	Mongo Rives Country Ensemble	04:56