Cuban Music Research Paper

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From their famous cigars, to their catchy salsa music, the great island of Cuba has much to offer. Known as America’s prodigal son, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, containing mountains and low plains used for farming. It has many different habitats, such as forests, jungles, and grasslands. Its different ecosystems are home to many kinds of unique plants and animals found in Cuba only. Many many years ago, the Taino people from Venezuela took over the island. In the year 1511, the Spanish forces beat the Taino and claimed the island as a Spanish territory for Spain, and forced many of the people into slave labor. Most of the Taino died from overwork and diseases brought over by the Europeans. Many of African slaves were then brought to Cuba, mainly to work on plantations and harvest sugarcane. Then American forces came and helped drive the Spanish out of Cuba in 1898, and by 1902, Cuba won its independence. In the year 1959, the communist revolutionary party led by Fidel Castro, took over the control of the country and transformed it into a socialist state. Fidel Castro was president, prime minister, and commander of the armed forces until February 2008, when he stepped down. The relationship between the United…show more content…
Many say that Cuban music is just not an art form; but it’s a way of life. Being a Caribbean island Cuba has taken a wide spread of influence in many musical styles. And like the saying goes, they aren’t “afraid to color outside the line” when it comes to music. The center of many Cuban musical identities lies in the "cabildos" which is a kind of social integration amongst African slaves that were brought over to the island. Cuban music has its main ancestry in West Africa and Spain. Though through time it has been influenced by several genuses from different countries. The countries that bring the most influence to the Cuban music world are The United States, France, and

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