Son is a major genre of Cuban music and dance that originated in the Oriente in the 19th century. Thought to be developed by Spanish descended farmers, Son is a blend of Spanish guitar, melodies and lyrical traditions with African rhythms and percussion. You can find many variations of Son in different regions of Cuba.
Traditional Son concerns itself with themes of love and patriotism. More modern artists are socially or politically-oriented.
Son as a dance style, is very popular in Cuba and uses different timing and body movement to Salsa. It is a partner dance, the footwork is simple, the body movements are very elegant, and you can’t be afraid to dance too close to your partner. You traditionally begin dancing on the third clave beat or the Bongo.
Son can be danced to Salsa, Cha-cha-cha or other rhythms.
