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One of the most popular bands brought in this year is the HABANA SON CLUB from Cuba.

HABANA SON CLUB plays the traditional style of Cuban roots music with rythms like Son, Cha Cha, Chá, Guaracha, Boleroi, Rumba, Danson and Salsa.

"SON" is the root of Cuban contemporary music and dance. Once it was used as a generic term for the dance music that came from Cuba in the Twenties. African and Spanish traditions were melted into what Nicolas Guillén, the famouse Cuban poet, called "our
soul". Son integrates music, lyrics and dance, over which the Cubans define their identity. Today´s Latin music, like the allover popular Salsa, derives from Son, the very Cuban soul.

The band plays Cuban songs on acoustic instruments. Their programme contains all kinds of traditional Cuban music and rhythms.

In 1996 the band got together in Havana. All of the 6 members have finished their studies at Havana´s University for Music and two of them learnt with Ruben Gonzalez, band member of the famous Buena Vista Social Club.

Think lusty voices of 6 men combined with the seductive latin American rhythms and you will have the HAVANA SON CLUB.

They are masters of the soneo - the difficult art every good singer of Afro-Cuban-Latin dance music must have, which includes a sense of rhythm, a gift for improvisation, a perfect pitch and individual style so as to lead and interact with choruses and instruments.

There is almost no doubt that this band will have everyone at the festival up on their feet and dancing.

Listen out for timba rhythms, which are today's Cuban salsa, a modern fusion of son and rumba with funk, soul, rap, pop.

So make a date with the musicians of the HABANA SON CLUB at the Cultural Village. Not only will they be performing on Mainstage on one of the evenings, they will also be taking part in the workshops that are spread out over the 3 afternoons.