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The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban music is often considered one of the richest and most influential regional music in the world.
This Cuban genre/style list was generated from our in-house database on all the styles and genres of popular music we have been building for 30 years, with more than 3500 entries. Many have a variety of names and spellings, as well as appearing quite similar.
This list aims to compile the most essential songs in the history of Cuban music, ordered chronologically by year of composition. To define what makes a song "essential", I have looked at these four different qualities:
Nov 21, 2023 · Some examples of music genres influenced by Cuban music include rhumba, Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa, jazz, hip-hop and soukous.
- Me Dicen Cuba – Havana D’Primera
- Si No Vuelves – Gente de Zona
- Cuba Isla Bella – Orishas
- Idilio – Leoni Torres
- Brindemos por Ella – Los 4
- Baila Riddim – Farruko, Iamchino, and Justin Quiles
- Me quedaré Contigo – Ne-Yo and Pitbull
- No Mas Mentiras – El Micha, El Uniko, and Jacob Forever
- Me Mantengo – Juan Formell and Los Van Van
- Lagrimas Negras – Cuba Feliz
Havana D’Primera is a sixteen-piece Cuban Timba band founded by Alexander Abreu. From their first show, this band quickly became well known due to being a supergroup made up of seasoned vets from Cuba’s music scene. ‘Me Dicen Cuba’ is an infectious upbeat song about the band’s pride in being Cuban and playing a style of music that invokes the beaut...
Gente De Zona, or Zone People, is a Cuban reggaeton duo made up of Alexander Delgado Hernández and Randy Malcom Martínez. They first saw success in 2014 with collaborations with various artists. Their song ‘Si No Vuelves’ means “if you don’t come back.” The song is about the singer having endured a terrible breakup. No matter what he does, he awake...
Cuban group Orishas is based in France, but their love for Cuba is evident in their music and how frequently they visit their beloved homeland. In 1999, Fidel Castro held a party in their honor. This was the first time the Cuban government recognized and endorsed hip-hop music. Without proper context, it is possible to think their song ‘Cuba Isla B...
Leoni Torres is a Cuban singer, songwriter, and producer whose career began in the ’90s. He has collaborated with many artists but has a noted solo career with six albums. ‘Idilio’ is a passionate love song full of angst, longing, and the eventual hope that the singer will be reunited with who they love. Even though the singer is suffering from wai...
Los 4 is a hip-hop group hailing from Cuba. The song ‘Brindemos por Ella’ translates as “Here’s to Ella.” This passionate song is about love. It is not directed to a specific woman named Ella, but instead, several instances where love did not happen. This includes a forbidden romance because of who Ella is already with. The song also speaks about t...
‘Baila Riddim’ is a collaboration with a group of well-known artists. The song is a celebration of the club scene. The singers of the song are on a night out on the town. They are looking to celebrate in a ridiculously luxurious manner. The song starts with them driving Lamborghinis and Ferraris. The song somehow manages to become even more self-in...
‘Me Quedaré Contigo’ is the third single from Pitbull’s eleventh album, “Libertad 548,” and is a collaboration with Ne-Yo. The song’s title translates as “I’ll Stay with You.” This is a rather heartfelt love song about how in the face of fame and success, the singer still chooses to be with the woman they fell in love with. They promise that no mat...
‘No Mas Mentiras,’ or in English, ‘No More Lies,’ is a collaboration track about heartbreak and no longer being able to trust or handle being in a future relationship. The melancholy material chronicles how the singer can no longer move beyond the last relationship because of being betrayed. The singers of the song eventually end up warning the lis...
Los Van Van was one of the most successful musical acts in post-revolution Cuba. Part of their endurance has been their ability to adapt to musical changes and incorporate new sounds that help each album sound fresh. The song title of ‘Me Mantengo’ translates as ‘I Hold Up.’ This song celebrates the history of music and art and how we are connected...
‘Lagrimas Negras,’ or “black tears,” is a song written in 1929 by Trio Matamoros. It has been a popular song covered by dozens of groups. It is a song of loss and mourning, a reflection looking back and realizing that what once was will never happen again. The song’s latter part makes it seem like the singer is choosing to move forward. However, we...
May 2, 2024 · Each genre of Cuban music carries its own unique story, interwoven with the strands of African, Spanish, and other global influences. The exploration begins with Son Cubano, often considered the heart of Cuban music genres.
Nov 17, 2021 · Join us as we explore the modern musical history of Cuba through ten key songs, spanning the Latin jazz of the 1940s to the innovations of the present day.
