The Melody Web what each genre heard, and what it passed on

heard passed on Click or tap a node to recenter. Use a connecting line, or Influence, for the story.

Heard

Cuban son genre · 1880–

Songo keeps son’s clave and canto–montuno and recodes the band: kit cascara, electric bass, trombone and keyboard.

Influence
Funk genre · 1965–

Songo takes funk’s electric kit-and-bass job under still-son clave: linear drums, slap-adjacent bass, and a pop-band density Formell heard on records.

Influence

Songo

genre · 1969–

Havana 1970s dance music: Formell and Changuito recode Cuban son montuno with a drum-kit cascara, electric bass, and trombone/keyboard band (Los Van Van). It hears Cuban son for clave and canto–montuno and Funk for the electric kit-and-bass chassis. It gives Timba the Havana kit grammar. Not NY Salsa. Jazz-fusion leftover as a parallel electric school, not a parent.

Listen

  1. Pero qué falta de respeto Los Van Van (1974) YouTube · Spotify
  2. Sandunguera Los Van Van (1980s) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon
  3. El negro no tiene na' Los Van Van (1980s) YouTube · Spotify
  4. Songo Los Van Van (1970s) YouTube · Amazon
  5. Anda ven y muévete Los Van Van (1984) YouTube · Spotify

Passed on

Timba genre · 1989–

Timba takes songo’s Havana electric kit grammar — cascara, breakdowns, trombone/keyboard band — and turns the gears louder, with street lyric and jazz-band shout.

Influence

Cuban son → Songo

meter and grooveform and structureinstrumentationstrength: highscholarly consensus1969–1980oralrecording

Mechanism

Songo keeps son’s clave and canto–montuno and recodes the band: kit cascara, electric bass, trombone and keyboard. Strength high. Formell and Changuito (Los Van Van, from 1969) are the named mediators. NY salsa is a parallel industry on the same son chassis, not this Havana hop.

Evidence

Van Van records of the 1970s; Changuito’s drum grammar; Grove on songo as a son-derived dance school.

Debate

Whether songo is already salsa. The industry and trombone-NY lyric world differ; this edge is the Havana kit recode.

Mediators

artist: Juan Formell; artist: José Luis Quintana "Changuito"; artist: Los Van Van

Funk → Songo

meter and grooveinstrumentationtimbre and productionstrength: mediumscholarly consensus1969–1980recordingoralradio

Mechanism

Songo takes funk’s electric kit-and-bass job under still-son clave: linear drums, slap-adjacent bass, and a pop-band density Formell heard on records. Strength medium. cuban son songo remains the grammar parent; this hop is the 1970s chassis.

Evidence

Changuito’s kit cascara; Van Van electric bass; Grove on songo as an electric Cuban dance recode.

Debate

Whether this is already jazz-fusion. Fusion is the Miles/Mahavishnu volume school; songo stays a Havana dance band with a funk kit.

Mediators

artist: Juan Formell; artist: José Luis Quintana "Changuito"

Songo → Timba

meter and grooveinstrumentationform and structureperformance practicestrength: highscholarly consensus1989–1998oralrecording

Mechanism

Timba takes songo’s Havana electric kit grammar — cascara, breakdowns, trombone/keyboard band — and turns the gears louder, with street lyric and jazz-band shout. Strength high. salsa timba is the NY book hop; this edge is the local 1970s hinge the last sitting left for this node.

Evidence

NG La Banda players from the Van Van/Irakere circuit; kit gears as named dance cues; Grove on timba after songo.

Debate

Whether timba is only salsa at home. The arranging book is salsa’s; the kit and gear practice is songo’s.

Mediators

artist: Juan Formell; artist: NG La Banda