A highly syncretic genre of dance music created by musicians in Eastern Cuba towards the end of the 1800s. In terms of its form, lyrical content, and instrumentation, the son reflects the fusion of African and European elements. Since first achieving national recognition in the 1920s, the son has become a powerful symbol of Afro-Hispanic cultural fusion and of Cuban nationalism.

Cuba; Rhythm; Dance. The Cuban root of today's Salsa. (uw)

One important form the the merging of African and Spanish influences resulted in, it is the root of most familiar styles of Afro-Cuban dance music. A blend of the music of the spanish farmers (campesinos) and African slaves, it is believed to have originated in Oriente (the eastern province of Cuba) toward the end of the 19th century (slavery was abolish in 1878). It was played by small bands, using guitar or tres, maracas, guiro, claves, bongo, a marimbula and a botija. The more urban style played in Havana at the beginning of the century became a national style in 1920.

Throughout the 19th Century, a fusion takes place in the countryside of Oriente between Hispanic and African musical elements, to which French music is added, this latter addition brought over by the colonists escaping Haiti. Toward the end of that Century, this mixture takes on a more stable form and begins to appear among the musical forms used by the trovadores in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. According to some musicologists, the Cuban son is what the blues are to the U.S.: with a simple form and whose basis is firmly tied to its cultures of origin; Spanish melodies framed by African rhythms, alternating between verses and choruses in a question-answer form between the main singer and the chorus, simple lyrics that sum up everyday life. The son is definitely influenced by its countryside "childhood". Even today it still prefers simple and portable instruments, fixed up guitars and light, easily built percussion instruments.

A male child; the male issue, or offspring, of a parent, father or mother.

A male descendant, however distant; hence, in the plural, descendants in general.

Any young male person spoken of as a child; an adopted male child; a pupil, ward, or any other young male dependent.

a male human offspring; "their son became a famous judge"; "his boy is taller than he is"

Jesus Christ, the Savior; -- called the Son of God, and the Son of man.

the divine word of God; the second person in the Trinity (incarnate in Jesus)

The metal discs produced from mothers discs in the replication process. Fathers or sons are used in molds to stamp discs.

The Son of God. In the Bible, God is referred to as three "persons", Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet there is but one God. In John 5:17-31, as well as other places, Jesus described Himself as the Son. (DTC)