C U L T U R E

Havana.  October 24, 2013

IN 1920 son fever took off abroad with the creation and diffusion of son sextets and septets in Havana and all over the country. It became popular again in the 1940’s with the rise of Arsenio Rodríguez and son groups such as La Sonora Matancera, El casino and Los jóvenes del Cayo. In 1947 Arsenio traveled to New York to undergo an operation to restore his sight – a procedure that sadly failed – and officially moved to the city around 1950; where he faced the cold and loneliness. Towards the end of his life he lived in Los Angeles and tried – unsuccessfully - to return to Cuba, dying on 30 December 1970.
Arsenio was a master of son; music learnt from the streets, from dancehalls and jam sessions. He revolutionised the traditional ensemble format, and how did he do this? With the clave rhythm! Whoever controls the clave controls the percussion, one of the most vital components of Cuban music. As Ruben Gonzalez - one of his pianists – explained, "The clave forms the foundations of Arsenio’s music. It’s the exact and precise way of keeping the rhythm and guiding dancers’ steps; much like a train, the beat is constant and continuous. He trained us in this method, teaching us how to come in on time and make use of the solos; it’s a difficult technique to master". (Interview by Mayra A. Martínez).
And so son was born; a style created by the times, but one that only a genius such as Arsenio could transform and which eventually came to define a whole era. On what would have been his 100th birthday (2001), musicologist Olavo Alén stated in one of his lectures, "He loved the elegance of the piano danzón, and often used the trumpets as reveilles or, like jazz bands, in harmonic blocks; with voices singing in guaguancó style and accompanied by a son singer."
Another specialist, Lázaro Núñez added, "He broke the evolutionary chains of son; and created a new orchestral ensemble, and brought authentic Afro-Cuban son to the masses, incorporating different styles from jazz to rock. Of the global sounds of salsa, it was Arsenio that set the son train in motion, and it’s down to us to keep the train going."
Composer and son researcher Ricardo Oropesa stated, "Arsenio developed a musical concept; a synergy of rhythms, using African drums such as the batá, bembé, Yoruba and bantú." He moved and worked in creative circles, rubbing shoulders with rumba legends such as Malanga, Mulense, Andrea Baró, Silvestre Méndez, Chico Peraza and Chano Pozo. The Fania All Stars were also greatly influenced by Cuban music and in particular by Arsenio’s son, evident in the similarity of their sounds. He triggered an astonishing musical evolution and created a style which has inspired countless musicians from all across America.
His lyrics were very daring. Chucho Valdés states that he was an excellent songwriter. "Just listen to his song "Cárdenas." There is a big influence from the streets in his compositions; double meanings, social issues, love themes. He was never very popular with the middle class, but this wasn’t his world and he had no reason to try to enter into it."
The composer and son singer left an indelible mark on Cuban music and became a true international legend. Three books about his life and works have been published abroad. Two of these were written by Pablo Emilio Delvalle Arroyo, his friend from Cali, Colombia: Arsenio Rodríguez, Padre de la Salsa and Del son a la salsa, and the third by David F. García, A Black Cuban Musician in the Dance Music Milieus of Havana, New York City, and Los Angeles’.
His was a decisive influence in the 60’s with the birth of New York-style - or Latino – salsa, and the Fania All Stars Orchestra phenomenon. In recent years a special kind of excitement has been growing all over the Americas as people discover the work and mysteries of Arsenio Rodríguez, his band and his music. His old band reunited in Havana in 1995; this year two septet son groups have been nominated for the Latin Grammys: El Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro and El Septeto Oriental; and La Academia del Son project was recently set up at La Palma Cultural Center in La Víbora, Havana. New young musicians continue to follow the traditions of "El padre del son," with bands playing every Friday at the Club Amanecer, where lovers of son – who at the end of the 1940’s used to dance with Arsenio at the Buena Vista Social Club – go to enjoy the flavorsome rhythms of authentic Cuban son.