National Cuban Folkloric Ensemble The Source of Traditions

It is said that in Cuba, even rocks dance. And those not endowed with the rhythm to dance will still make slight movements to the beat of popular music.

This island, with a diverse mix of races, has its roots in African and Spanish cultures. The former is the sovereign of rhythm and is found in all the current musical fusions. The latter provided the main elements regarding physical body expression and multiple rhythms. The Chinese who were brought here as indentured labourers, the French who fled from Haiti's revolution, black Haitians, and, to a lesser degree, the English and Germans all left something to create the mixture of what Cuba is today.

What makes folklore and traditions the most popular form of expression for a people is often neglected by their ruling classes that may play it but will never accept it as their own.

In Cuba, many of the most outstanding artists have permeated their art with it and, as a result, some of the most authentic masterpieces of Cuban culture were created. Even with this kind of success, in many cases it was welcomed as something exotic and foreign within this country. There were some exceptions that were able to bask in the limelight of national and international popularity.

Everything African, for those lacking in experience or knowledge, was considered something belonging to black people, something dark and savage. Despite this, the African influences quickly reigned in the essential areas of Cuban music. The same happened with art and to a lesser degree in theatre and literature.

With the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the new government wanted to celebrate their independence and