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Composer

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Choral

 

Cuban Traditional, also known as Traditional Cuban Music, is a genre of music that has its roots in the African and Spanish cultures that have influenced Cuba throughout its history. This genre of music is characterized by its use of percussion instruments, such as the conga, bongo, and timbales, as well as its use of stringed instruments, such as the guitar and the tres. The birth of Cuban Traditional can be traced back to the early 19th century, when African slaves were brought to Cuba to work on sugar plantations. These slaves brought with them their own musical traditions, which were blended with the music of the Spanish colonizers to create a unique style of music that would come to be known as Cuban Traditional. One of the earliest forms of Cuban Traditional was the Son, which emerged in the early 20th century. The Son was a fusion of African and Spanish music, and it quickly became popular throughout Cuba. The Son was characterized by its use of the guitar, the tres, and the bongo, as well as its call-and-response vocals. As Cuban Traditional continued to evolve, new styles of music emerged, such as the Rumba and the Mambo. The Rumba was a dance music that was characterized by its use of percussion instruments, such as the conga and the bongo. The Mambo, on the other hand, was a more sophisticated form of dance music that was characterized by its use of brass instruments, such as the trumpet and the saxophone. One of the most famous composers of Cuban Traditional was Arsenio Rodriguez. Rodriguez was born in 1911 in Cuba, and he began his career as a musician in the 1930s. Rodriguez was a multi-instrumentalist, and he was known for his innovative use of the tres, which he used to create complex melodies and harmonies. Rodriguez's most famous composition was "El Ciego Maravilloso," which was a tribute to his own blindness. The song was a fusion of the Son and the Rumba, and it featured Rodriguez's virtuosic playing on the tres. "El Ciego Maravilloso" became a hit in Cuba, and it helped to establish Rodriguez as one of the most important composers of Cuban Traditional. Another important composer of Cuban Traditional was Benny More. More was born in 1919 in Cuba, and he began his career as a singer in the 1940s. More was known for his powerful voice, and he was one of the most popular singers in Cuba during his lifetime. More's most famous composition was "Santa Isabel de las Lajas," which was a tribute to his hometown. The song was a fusion of the Son and the Mambo, and it featured More's powerful vocals. "Santa Isabel de las Lajas" became a hit in Cuba, and it helped to establish More as one of the most important composers of Cuban Traditional. In the 1950s, Cuban Traditional began to gain popularity outside of Cuba, thanks in part to the efforts of musicians like Tito Puente and Dizzy Gillespie. Puente was a Puerto Rican musician who was known for his innovative use of percussion instruments, and he was one of the first musicians to bring Cuban Traditional to a wider audience. Gillespie, on the other hand, was an American jazz musician who was known for his virtuosic playing on the trumpet. Gillespie was a fan of Cuban Traditional, and he incorporated elements of the genre into his own music. Gillespie's collaborations with Cuban musicians helped to popularize Cuban Traditional in the United States and around the world.

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