Origins of Cuban Music and Dance: Changüí

The author argues for an ethnographically-based alternative to the standard evolutionary construction of the Cuban son's historical development by showing that changüí, nengón, and kiribáthe son's perceived “antecedents”are not only distinct in their performative dimensions, but they also continue to contribute in their own idiosyncratic ways to the local and contemporary soundscape of Guantanamo. (David F. García, assistant professor, ethnomusicology, UNC - Chapel Hill)In this ground-breaking study of changüí, Ben Lapidus sheds light on a lesser-known but important genre of Cuban music, providing detailed analysis of its musical form while at the same time situating it in the broader context of eastern Cuba's unique history and music culture. Herei

Changüí is analogous to blues in the United States and is a crucible of Cuban Creole culture. Benjamin Lapidus describes changüí and its relationship to the roots of son, Cuba's national genre and the style of music that contributed to the development of salsa, in Eastern Cuba. He also highlights the connections between Afro-Haitian music and Cuban popular music through changüí, connections with the Caribbean that have been largely overlooked in the past.After an initial historical discussion about the region of Guantánamo and the inter-connectedness of its various musical styles with a focus on changüí, Lapidus discusses the technical aspects of the genre as practiced within the region and beyond. The volume concludes with a comparison between changüí and son, as well as a

He has published in Ethnomusicology, Latin Beat Magazine, and the Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies. Benjamin Lapidus is assistant professor of music at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY.

Most authoritative work on the subject written in English. Fidels Eyeglasses The author gave me a copy of his book 8 years ago which is not a factor in giving it 5 stars.'Changüí is considered a predecessor of the Cuban Son, the Changüí sound emerged out of the Eastern end of Cuba at the turn of the century, some consider it the first contemporary music to merge the Spanish guitar sound with African rhythm and pre-dates Son.The author Benjamin Lapidus, a stellar musician himself presents a firs