Music had always been the essence of the island culture. Its earliest roots were based in African rhythms such as conga and rumba; but by the early twentieth century, these mixed and blended with Spanish and French melodic elements to create a variety of musical styles, like son—the precursor to what is now known as salsa; guaracha, a musical form that is characterized by the satiric content of its narrative lyrics; and a myriad of other styles: the romantic songs known as boleros, and the formal danzón that originated from European contradances in the coastal town of Matanzas. Much of this
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