La Plegaria del Son

• Who is this piece by- Septeto Nacional (popular and widely-heard Cuban son groups of the 1920s and 30s)
• What genre/culture is this from- Son Cubano (Cuban son fused European and African elements into a new genre that came to dominate much of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean in the early 20th century)
• Listening style- Retained a predominantly-string sound (including the guitar and tres), a moderate tempo, and a song-like first section known as the canto or largo
• African Influences to the style-  use of bongo drums, the clave, the marimbula (a bass instrument similar to the African mbira), and an extended montuno section following the largo/canto in which vocal call-and-response patterns are sung over a simple harmonic ostinato

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