Cuban Music and Dance

Music is the very soul of Cuba, an irresistible, ever-present force that pours from bar doorways, plazas and open windows across the island. From the son and bolero made famous the world over by the Buena Vista Social Club to salsa, rumba, timba and Afro-Cuban drumming, it is a rich, rhythmic living culture, inseparable from dance. Live bands play everywhere, from grand Havana venues to village squares, and the whole country seems to move to its beat.

What you actually see

• Son and salsa - the classic Cuban styles heard everywhere.
• The casas de la musica - the live-music houses in every town.
• Rumba and Afro-Cuban drumming - the street rumba and drumming traditions.
• Dancing - the social dancing that goes with the music.

When to go

Year-round; live music plays every evening across the island, and towns hold their casas de la musica for dancing. Havana, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba are especially rich in live music, and festivals punctuate the calendar.

Honest expectations

Live music is everywhere and often free or tip-based, though bands in tourist spots will pass a hat or sell CDs, which is fair. The quality is generally superb, a genuine national passion rather than a show. Dancing is social and welcoming, and beginner salsa classes are widely offered. It is one of the great joys of visiting Cuba.

Nearby

Havana, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba are the great music cities.