National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

If you were to ask what is the most recognized, traditional sound of Cuba, undoubtedly, the answer would be the 'son'. The son, with strong afro-Cuban, afro-French, Andalusian and Canary musical patterns, goes back to the beginning of the 20th century in the Oriente (east side of island) province. Played by different ensembles (mostly sextets or septets), its main features were the 'tres' (a Cuban guitar with three orders of double strings), a six string guitar, a bongo, an assemblage of minor percussion instruments (clave, botija, maracas and guiro) and, when the rhythm reached the occident (west side of island), the sound of a single trumpet was added. It's lyrics reflected love and romance or public sentiment on soical or political issues.
As the son became very popular nationally and internationally, many groups were formed in the island. So it was, in 1926, in the city of Cienfuegos, in Central Cuba, that Los Naranjos were born. Today, 76 years later, Los Naranjos have kept, vocally and instrumentally, the same musical characteristics that brough them together in the first place, and it is safe to say that they have maintained alive the history of that genre and the traditional sounds of that bygone era.

— CalabashMusic.com