Guaguancó or Salsa? History of Son-Guaguancó!14

Lately, with the comeback of classic salsa many have noticed a kind referred to simply as "Guaguancó "which often returns in the texts of many pieces, especially the 60s. To explain his story and see how over the years this genre has evolved in multiple directions, in countries such as Puerto Rico or in cities like New York , we will step back in the early '40s in Cuba There are two Guaguancó in isla great, the first belonging to the complex generic Rumba and the second belonging to the complex Generic Son . The latter was born in the early '40s by the most important innovator of Cuban music: Arsenio Rodriguez . Arsenio introduced at that time (1940) the congas in the classical training of Son: Conjunto.

Among the rhythms that emerged initially there were the son montuno , the ' African Son and the Son Guaguancó . Guaguancó La Rumba, clave with the classic 3/2 with the third shot moved on the upbeat of four was not widespread and popular until the the late '50s, on the contrary Guaguancó more 'popular was that of Arsenio Rodriguez.

But we see the differences between the two.

The Son Guaguancó is basically a Son, with the classic clubs 3/2 or 2/3, which uses the bongos in the '30s and later, beginning in the '40s, congas (shared with the Rumba Guaguancó) is characterized by the introduction called "Diana" which is typical of Rumba and we recognize the melodic singing derived from Andalusian music, with the typical intro "to lay the the, the the lay!" This is obviously a reference to this sung at the beginning of the piece, but then the song flows like a normal Son, you use the Tres, the bongos, maracas and guiro and wind instruments, usually 4 trumpets. 's plan accompanies the start of the song "Diana" with a characteristic arpeggio in parallel octaves and that everyone has heard at least once in the songs of Salsa. execution time is one of the traditional Son, while the congas recall sometimes used in some forms Rumba, especially in the first part. This is how you see a tribute to the folklore "black" in Cuba that Arsene wanted to put in the "white" Son. Guaguancó The Son got a great success in a short time, although not at the level of the son montuno, which instead came up throughout all the Caribbean and the United States. Arsenio, blinded in an accident when he was a child, he decided at the end of the 40s he moved to New York, where he hoped to cure his disease. Arrived in the United States around 1950, he found her in spite of that no one could give him the view, but certainly his arrival brought all his genius in composing music and creating new rhythms. His Hay fuego en el 23 quickly became a huge success, still one of the universal standards of Salsa!