Sextetos & Septetos

The acoustic Son ensembles of the 1920s and 30s — the groups that fixed the sound of Cuban Son and carried it from the streets of Havana to the world.

The sexteto format — tres, guitar, bass, bongó, claves, maracas, and voices — was the standard vehicle for Son in its classic era. The addition of a trumpet created the septeto. These small, acoustic groups produced the foundational recordings of Cuban music.