GuacaMusic: Mojito Cubano

posted in: Features • Latin

If you’ve had Cuban food, you know nothing beats pairing your Ropa Vieja (shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base) with frijoles (beans), plantains, and of course a Mojito”that exquisite mixture of lime juice, sugar and crushed mint leaves that creates a fiesta in your mouth every time you take a sip. You know this sweet and sour mixture that typifies Cuban cuisine tastes great but did you know this mix also exists in Cuban music?

Sugary as in Boleros, acid as in Cha-cha-chá, the blend of rhythms in la musica cubana isn’t coincidental. The culture of Cuba is in itself a complex combination of different, often contrasting, factors and influences.

Can’t wait to listen?

Here on OurStage, we have some great artists that incorporate Cuban rhythms into their musical creations. One good example is Sugarcane Rush, a group that combines Cuban rhythms with funk and rock. Play their song In My Island (Back to Cuba) and enjoy pure Cuban sugarcane. For a more localized sabor cubano, listen to their song Cape Florida (Farito), a jazzy, funky laid-back story about relaxing on the beach in Key Biscayne, Florida, an area with a significant Cuban population.

If you are looking to explore the more typical sounds of La Habana, listen to Tony Succar‘s song Cuba de Celia Cruz, a poem to the late great pillar of Cuban music Celia Cruz. Succar is the director of his band Tony Succar y el Grupo Mixtura whose dream is to perform around the world.

Are you interested? Want to try this at home? Follow these tips for incorporating elements of Cuba into your music:

  • Mix Spain with Africa. Try combining some of the sounds of Spanish music (such as the acoustic guitar) with a few African rhythms. A good number of Cuban musical creations are creolized fusions of these two sources.
  • Get yourself some bongos. Learn how to play this Cuban musical instrument and you will spice up your pieces. Bongos are two small drums, of different sizes, held together by a strap or a piece of wood or metal.
  • Learn a few bailes cubanos. There is no real fiesta without some dancing. Play some music and get moving with some Rumba, Mambo or Cha cha chá.
  • Become a Maraca master. After getting your bongos, pick up a pair of maracas. Often called rumba shakers, maracas are simple percussion instruments that are often made of a dried calabash or coconut shell and filled with seeds or dried beans.
  • Learn from the best”Getting the real Cuban music experience without visiting Cuba is difficult, but not impossible. Let the experts teach you by listening to the worldwide hit Buena Vista Social Club (1997), a recording of veteran Cuban musicians such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González and Compay Segundo.

Still looking for inspiration? Visit our Latin Channel for a great collection of sabores cubanos. You will be mastering the art of mixing sweet with sour in no time.

¡Provecho!