Son 14

Son 14 is a stunning big band with charisma and power. When you are talking about son, Son 14 is the most important band in Latin America.

Based in Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of son, this group of musicians has kept itself in the forefront throughout the years. In the Spanish language the word son means "they are" as well as being the name for Cuba's distinctive musical genre. Thus the name Son 14 signifies the number of musicians in the band as well as their musical roots and direction. Their sonero (vocalist), Eduardo Morales, better known as Tiburó (Shark), is one of the few who took the seed of son from Cuba's eastern Oriente province to Havana and the rest of the world without the son losing its flavor. His hoarse voice, his ingenious grace and his sly improvisations all distill the essence of son.

Son originated in the eastern Oriente province of Cuba where black and mulatto musicians mixed African rhythms with Spanish verse forms, melodies, and harmonies. The style both reflected and catalyzed Cuba's development, traveling with the army from the Oriente province to Havana as the island was liberated from slavery. Contemporary son ranges from the simplicity of musica campesina to full brassy arrangements which come closer to New York salsa, and to the warmer, but no less tight, interpretations by charanga line-ups with violins and flute.

Son 14 are at the forefront of developing a sharp horn-led version of son. —Courtesy Calabash Music