The Fourth 2017 Case of the Barefoot Latin Dance Party

Back to the Barefoot Latin theme this week; my show genre featuring sounds made away from the big cities, away from the grand tourist ballrooms. This is music that was played for locals only in the smaller or more isolated cities and towns. 

As usual, my Latin focus is Cuba. In fact, today I am going soup to nuts with Cuba; all music of Cuba on today's show. We will pass over the refined fare of Havana today in favor of sounds from the Eastern part of Cuba, known locally as "El Oriente."

The first hour today focuses on the rambunctious sounds of Santiago, the largest city in Eastern Cuba. Music here draws from Caribbean carnival traditions as much as it draws from Havana, and it is not hard to hear echoes of these influences. We will start with old-timey charm, and end with a little infusion of Cuba's country sound...

The second hour today is devoted to Cuba's country music sound, particularly the seminal "son," Cuba's national music. The roots of the son date back to the late 19th century, when it was some of the first music from the Americas to feature drums outside the context of a marching band. This thrilling innovation had an intrinsic sense of excitement and adventure similar to rock and roll in the 1950s, and the loud tones of the drum allowed the son to be publicly performed by smaller groups rather than full orchestras. We will hear traditional son in the second hour, along with a range of Cuban sounds inspired by the son.