The Music We Love
DC Casineros · Music, dance and cultural memory
The Music We Love
La música que nos encanta · Escucha estas listas en nuestra guía en español
Cuban music carries the voices, stories and rhythms behind our dance. Explore three listening selections from DC Casineros: contemporary popular music, a focused journey through musical evolution, and a broader collection across generations.
Listen for the differences among the traditions and artists. Son Cubano, Changüí, Danzón, Rumba and Timba belong to histories worth learning by their names.
Contemporary music · Musical evolution · Across generations · Books & articles
Contemporary Cuban Popular Music
Recent Cuban popular music created in Cuba and beyond. Hear the artists and sounds shaping today’s dance floors.
The Evolution of Cuban Music
A focused selection for following the changing sounds of Cuban music. Listen to this shorter guide alongside our music-history articles.
Cuban Music Across Generations
A broader collection of artists and songs that have shaped generations. Explore traditions, compositions and recordings from different eras.
Books & Articles for Deeper Study
Reading belongs beside listening, movement and learning from Cuban artists. These books have accompanied Adrian Valdivia’s years of study and continue to inform our teaching at DC Casineros.
Cuba and Its Music
From the First Drums to the Mambo
Ned Sublette
Explore Cuban music through the histories of the people, places and cultural exchanges that shaped it, from its early roots to the mambo era.
English · Chicago Review Press
Cover: 2007 paperback edition.
El casino y la salsa en Cuba
Bárbara Balbuena Gutiérrez
Discover the development of Casino, its relationship with Cuban popular music, and the dancers who carried the tradition forward.
Spanish · First published by Letras Cubanas, 2003.
Cover: Spanish BoD edition, 2008.
Son y Casino
Articles on Cuban music, dance and musicality
Son y Casino
Daybert Linares
Our friend Daybert Linares brings a Cuban dancer’s perspective to questions of music, history and social dance. Explore his articles in English and Spanish, and continue the conversation beyond the dance floor.
Bring Listening into Your Dance
Return to a song, hear its phrasing and watch how dancers respond. Our articles connect the music with Cuban social dance history, while our classes turn listening into movement.
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