Son Cubano Instrumental
Instrumental son cubano with tres guitar, anticipated bass and the montuno structure that salsa grew out of. Light, transparent and easy to live with.
Early in an evening, a long lunch, or listening while doing something else that needs half your attention.
Why this works
Son is lighter than salsa and more transparent. The tres, with its doubled strings, sits in a narrow bright register, the bass leaves the downbeat open, and the arrangement rarely gets dense. That makes it very easy to have on for hours.
It is also the best entry point if you want to understand what salsa is doing, because every one of salsa's mechanisms is present here in a simpler form.
The music behind it
Son cubano: the tres, the anticipated bass and the form everything else grew from goes into what this material actually is, rather than when to use it.
The rhythm
The afro-cuban guide covers the tradition in full.
Frequently asked questions
When would you put this on?
Early in an evening, a long lunch, or listening while doing something else that needs half your attention.
Where does the music itself live?
On the GowiththeFLOW channel on YouTube. This site links to videos and shows their thumbnails; it does not host audio and runs no player of its own.